Just curious, how many of you guys glass your own boards, and how many of you send them to a glass shop for glassing? And why did you chose to either glass them or have them glassed?
I take mine to a glass shop, because it is not that expensive and they do it much better than me.
although I’m no pro at glassing, I do it myself. I think it can be as fun as shaping and there’s something about starting the pour on the laminate that is like commiting to a take-off. Once you start it’s non-stop until it’s done.
Eric J
I’ll have to agree with EJ. If your going to build yourself a board, build it all the way. Hardly anything about glassing is not fixable. And your sitting and standing on your own work. Nothing beats it. Of course if the board is for others or for sale and you can’t get the showroom finish (I can’t yet) then by all means give it to a pro.
I glassed the first board I shaped, and just sort of think of it as “part of the process”…For me personally, I wouldn’t feel right saying “I made this board” if I didn’t see it through from start to finish. Plus I like learning all the techniques and “tricks” that make the boards look the way they do…
Hey Miguel,
For me, glassing is as rewarding as the shaping and art/painting to the board’s final outcome. Granted I’m at the home builder level - time, outcome, etc are all at my discretion.
Best,
Herb
I glassed my first couple boards…I came down with a nasty illness soon after that that may or may not have been related to glassing but for a good piece of mind I stay away from it and harsh chemicals. I wish it wasn’t this way because I kind of enjoyed being part of the whole board building process. I now have my boards glassed by the pros.
I glassed my first hundred +, then decided that for making money in it, shaping was closer to my true being.
I think both should be tied together somewhere, as the shape and glass, especially the sanding, are integrated parts.
If you feel shaping is your part of the equation, fine. If you feel you must do both the shaping and glassing, that’s good too. Some friends of mine don’t shape anymore, just glass, and really like their lifestyle. That works too.
i send all mine to a glass shop dony want to have to worry about ruining a good shape.
I know this falls off twa’s topic a little (twa, please excuse me) but how do you guys transport your unglassed blanks to the glasser? I can’t carry foam across a room with banging it around and I need to transport a shaped banked via my pickup truck shortly. I’m guessing just pad the heck out of it but any tips would be great.
Best,
HerbB
I grab a pair of latex gloves, pull it off the rack in the agarage, and take it out to the side yard. Done… 
I glass and shape mine. Feel the same as Tenover. It is all part of the process. To say I built a surfboard I need to do it all. Doing just part is very rewarding I’m sure but I want to do the whole process. Paddling out on a board I made is very rewarding.
I do it all myself. Always have, always will. I’ve had my share of boo-boos, even now, occasionally. But if you shaped it, you oughta glass it.
I have acquaintences that shape, or glass, commercially, only. To me, they are specialists, and good at what they do, but they don’t “make” a board the way I do.
Nowadays with UV cure resin and the time control it gives you, the single major humbug of learning to glass is over. You’ll never get caught by a fast batch of lam resin again. Just remember that the garage door has to be down to 2 feet off the ground or less; wear your respirator; use disposable gloves; have a can of acetone and some paper towels already laid out for cleanup.
with clean hands I wrap the blank in a plastic sheet and transport it to the glasser in my 1968 VW bus. I would be lost without that bus.
Ben-
Off the subject, but that is a great shot.
Ben
Ben, Thanks. I took that 3 years ago at Tamarack in Carlsbad before they filled in the rocky beach area with sand from the Lagoon. The water use to come right up to the rocks at mid tide and over the rocks at higher tides. Hank loved it because he could hang 20 off the front seat…
Ben.
…i do all the steps…years ago i was doing the leash plugs even…
…some glass photos…
reverb
HerbB, I just wrap the blank in “several” layers of that plastic stuff with air bubbles (sorry, i don´t know the name of it). If you use enough of it, it really helps preventing damage to the blank. When you put it in the car, use foam rubber to cover everything that might damage the blank, drive slowly, beware of bumps in the road, tight turns and take it easy on the break, and your blank will be fine!
I usually glass my own. Send a couple to the shop but if you want stuff like cloth inlays etc it starts to get a bit expensive and its more fun to DIY anyway. Now if only I could find some grom who could do a good sanding job for twenty bucks I’d be laughin’ and not scratchin’!
When I started to shape I would send out the good boards to be glassed because I did not want to screw them up. Screw-ups I glassed myself. Boards for friends I sent out because they were paying for it and I didn’t really like the glassing process. Then, I discovered Swaylocks. The site motivated me to do it all and I get much more satisfaction from riding boards I made start to finish. When I first found this site I asked Mr Jensen to make me a set of wood keels for a fish. He was too busy at the time. I still wanted the fins. This forced me to make my own. Very satisfying. Thanks again, Paul( I’d still buy a set). Now I glass boards for friends. They don’t look professional? Too F–in bad. Ask someone else. Most of the time their stoked and watching a friend ride a board you made is second best to riding it yourself. I encourage young guys to make their own from start to finish. Glassing is a lot of work and an art in itself. Not as fun as shaping, but you gotta take the good and the bad. Pain and the pleasure in my view. Mike
I glassed my boards from the start(4 months ago) and i’ve made 4 boards that im extremely pleased with so far. All the information to do a quality job is here. You just got to poke around (sorry bout the grateful dead lyrics in there) so why not do it yourself! Better quality in my opinion because you care about it so much more. Just do the research and do it! I almost enjoy glassing more than shaping.
George