Nothing like putting on that hot coat onto the board to make everything click in my head! Chasing all the shadows on the shaped blank with sandpaper, making sure the glass is wet throughout (particularly on the double-layer deck), blending the laps from the bottom onto the deck, using a ‘baste’ coat to fill in the lap line… the hot coat doesn’t lie! The good thing is that I can match all the little problems I see on the board back to some tip or step that I didn’t quite understand fully at the time or that I misunderstood or that I plain forgot to apply.
Number one is mostly done - still needs hot coat on the bottom and then a good sanding throughout - and it’s taught me a lot. It should ride pretty good as the shape and rails are nice, but it’ll likely develop the odd crack here and there and maybe even start to delam at some point. No worries! This has been an awesome learning experience and I can already picture number two coming out much better. Gotta make sure I write down some notes for myself before I forget everything…
Thanks to all of you who’ve helped me these past couple of days and to all of you who’ve asked and answered so many questions in the archives!
I’ll post some shots once it’s all said and done…
Santiago
PS - It could be the biggest POS and I would STILL be stoked to surf on something made by my own hands. Now when’s the weather clearing up again?
I love reading about someone else’s stoke on their homemade board…what it’s all about, for me at least !
good on ya mate !
ben
p.s. - is Santiago still the capital of Chile ?
I can remember learning that when I was 11yo, and ,for some unknown reason, having to learn the 50 states and their capitals [in America]…and this was at school in Sydney, Australia…go figure !
… I wonder how many americans knew / know how many states are in australia, and their capitals…or even where Australia IS ?? [Going by ‘The Simpsons’ butchery of our accent , that is !!]
Good job, a good feeling of accomplishment. I’m waiting for the rain to let up and the temperatures to get warmer so I can hotcoat my first glass job. I have been reading your post and trying to follow some of the tips. I had to do my glass job outside because of the smell , my wife would have killed me. Yours looks much better than mine, I had a little wind blowing my laminates moved around when I began, and sticky lamm gloves catching the cloth and dragging it !!! So I have alot of clean up. Pooled areas, drips, thick resin on the rails !!! I’ll post mine when I’m done. DR
Now the fun part begins. SANDING. ITs great riding your own board!
Chip. Most Americans know Australia is a small country in Europe. Vienna is the capital. Hell of a long drive to the beach. What’s the capital of Rhode Island? Quick. Mike the Seppolian.
Well done Jimmy, catch a wave for me. Have much more fun with the next one.
Everyone knows it’s Esperance, oops, sorry, Providence. (What do you expect from a newly green carded rocky mountain high?) (And sorry, no, I can’t name all fifty states and capitals. I am learning though!)
Thanks Ben. Yep it’s still Santiago down in Chile as far as I know… have an uncle and a cousin that live there coincidentally. I’ve never been. Australia… isn’t that where the crocodile hunter is from? Wait, forget it, too many idiots over here for you to shoot back at me with! I do have a ball cap from new years eve 2000 at the Sydney opera house that was gifted to me… but sadly that’s as close to your part of the world as I’ve been.
Nice! Yea the smell is pretty powerful… I’ve been at it in the garage but it just permeates the whole area… now that I’m done I can open up the window in there and air things out (had been keeping it closed to keep the temperature up a bit).
Definitely pay attention to the whole ‘basting’ the lap line thing… man that would’ve made a huge difference before I put on the deck glass. Still, it’s not looking too shabby for a first try.
Thanks rooster. Hey you have any of those fish templates still lying around that I read in another one of your posts? That’s what I have planned for #2… something in the 5’11 - 6 range…