hey im thinking of trying to shape a board for the fist time. I know that if u go cheap your gonna get cheap results, but right now im kinda feeling it from this economy. Will i be able to shape a decent board with a tape measure, square, level, sureform, sand paper, and a saw horse and a saw of course.
My take is, if you're gonna just build one board, its probably better to go another route, i.e. find a used board, horse trade with a friend who builds boards, or save save save. If you're gonna want a quiver, and you're a stubborn, determined son of a gun, then learning to shape and glass might be a good pay off. But you gotta want it, be driven to learn, be in it for the challenge and satisfaction of doing it - if its just about the money, I don't think it'll pan out fer 'ya. And figure yer gonna want, need, and eventually get, the tools of the trade.
And its still not cheap, even building your own. Materials alone - you could easily spend $250 for foam, glass, and resin. Fins and fin boxes could add another $100 easy, depending on what you're building. $350 pretty easy, for a home-built board you might not be crazy about. And the path is strewn with peril - meaning sometimes you lose a board in the learning process!
That said, this is Swaylock's. We build our own boards! Its an addiction - not necessarily a cheap one, either!
I build hollow wooden surfboards.
Get a block for that sandpaper and get to work!
welcome to Swaylocks. sure you can! where are you located HB? if you're in the S.F. Bay Area, you're welcome to come over and use my stuff. i'm a backyard hack but you can use whatever i got.