Ahoy Swaylockians,
In the future I am planning on building some boards with flat decks. Most of the blanks that I use (US Blanks) have a dome to them on the deck side. What is the most effective way to flatten out this dome so that I end up with a flat deck. I imagine there are different ways of accomplishing this so I thought I would ask the Swaylocks community. Thanks!
Hi Surfer0-
Are you striving for dead flat both ways like a 1930’s Blake or rockered with full volume topside all the way to the rails?
This sounds really easy to me with sled-cut EPS (all decks are flat to start) and much more work with dome-molded PU as so much would be removed.
Hey J Randy, I am looking to incorporate a flat deck on designs more along the lines of 1970’s singlefins with down rails. I know that is a generalization about boards from the 1970’s but I’m thinking of 70’s lightning bolts. I have never held one or measured one, but they appear to have flat decks. I have also seen some really cool fish with flat decks. I have read up on flat decks and they supposedly are very stable to paddle and ride. This is what i’m after! Plus they look sweet haha I use PU US blanks.
If you want dead flat (not too comfy to sit on, an 1/8-1/4 dome will look pretty flat but not dig into your legs)
To get flat - take a pass down the stringer (depending on the blank a full open pass will get you pretty close to where you need to be)
Then cross cut the deck down to your initial cut. Also helps if you do all this before cutting your plan shape.
There are many ways to do it - I shape with a lot of cross cutting. Just the way I was thought. You can get really flat decks doing it thought.
Hope that made some sense. Easier to see it than explain it.
Thanks a lot WideAwake. That makes perfect sense. I will give that a go.
Back around 1973 or 1974, my brother’s friend made him a board with a flat deck, maybe even slightly concave. I’ve always liked the way those decks feel under my feet. Take a look at Album surfboards Doom model, it has a concave deck. Last summer a guy came out to a place I surf with one of them and I like the way it looked.
Very cool Huck! I dig it
