Hey all; been reading through current threads and the archives avidly for a solid few months now trying to work out the details for this summer when I think I might be able to flow the cash to get basic tools and some blanks and play with 'em a bit. My hand got a bit forced just now when my beater (reeeaaaaly a beater) longboard suddenly showed a savage delam/foam compression line across the middle after my last surf.
I was just going to fix some of the numerous holes/leaks that I’ve had covered with aluminum tape for a while and been slowly eating into but this was the last straw and I stripped off the glass today. So now I have a big bulky blank that has seen better days and that I would like to reshape into a slightly sleeker longboard that can still deal with pretty small weak waves, as that’s often when I bring it out.
So firstly, it’s got a fair amount of twisting warp to it. Any thoughts on ways to possibly reduce that warp before shaping? Or do I just have to sand it down in such a way as to thin it out and get it relatively straight again?
Also, the board has an old center fin box and glass-on sidebites. I’d like to eliminate the sidebites (read: cutting disk and an angle grinder) and make it either a single fin or - preferably - figure out how to stick in a fin system (I’d rather futures but I have an extra set of fcs fins, so…) so that I have the option of single fin or center w/ sidebites. I am considering changing the tail a bit also; it’s a big square tail that I was thinking about converting into a rounded pin… that would make things more complicated though, as the fin box would likely then be too close to the tail. Thoughts?
And the final issue that I’m considering right now comes with the fact that it’s a thrashed old rehabbed blank: most of it came off pretty clean but there are a couple places where foam pulled out a bit chunkily due mostly I think to it’s being crap and water damaged in those areas. One rather irritatingly on the rail close to the tail; one out in the middle of the deck. Should I just shape around these deformities and then use a masking tape mold and some micro-ballooned resin to fill them up to the right level? Or is there a fantastic trade secret to apply to this problem…?
…I did consider cutting it down a lot more and ending up with a chunky egg that I would attempt to make into a bit of a small-wave machine to make up for the loss of the LB. So I’m still open to that, but first I’d like to address the possibilty of maintaining as much of the length/width/thickness as possible and maybe still being able to get my toes up and over for those little cheater Strauch fives…
Thanks a ton for any help. This site has opened my eyes to the possibilities of shaping, and what the hell this is as good a time as any to muck about a bit with it!
The board has a fair amount of rocker, as you can see, and fairly significant double concave through the middle smoothing out to a mainly flat tail around the middle of the fins. A noticeably spooned nose too.
the second attachment really shows the warping I’m talking about… ugly…
Microballoons work well and can be trimmed at the kick(before they get too hard).
That crap delam sponge foam has to go. Hopefully the area is’nt very large because filling will add lots of weight and create stress points.
Thanks screwfoot! I like the idea of trimming the microballoons at the kick… that’s a good call. I guess the same really as that perfect time to trim a cutlap, where the glass just slices easily but the resin holds it’s place. Never thought of doing it with microballoon-ed resin.
Yeah there are a couple areas of delam sponge that are… extensive… but not too thick in most cases, so hopefully not too much of an issue.
I am planning to shape the blank, then fill the holes up to the shaped point rather than filling then shaping…
Anyone have any thoughts on the warp? (should’ve mentioned it in the subject…)
This post reminded me of the late 60s when we used to strip longboards and reshape them into short boards. About 1995 or so I stripped a windsurfer I found washed in on the beach and reshaped it to a longboard with decent results. The sail hole in the middle was a problem. About the only way I could get the surface even was to first fill with cabosil set off cold, smoothing as it hardened, and then lay a piece of wax paper over the top sort of like the sun cure fixes we use now. There was still a slight dent where the hole was filled, but when we colored the top it wasn’t easy to see unless you looked at it from the side. Probably better ways to do it now but your story reminded me.
HBSnake that is classic! …makes me feel a little less ridiculous for doing this knowing that at some time in some place people were stripping windsurfers. That’s awesome that you guys would fill in the mast hole and just give’r!
I think I may have a picture of us stripping it back in my files and after it was reshaped. Was a messy job but easier then when we did it to longboards back in the 60s.
If you see it on your comp I’d be interested to see it! … noticed today that my fingertips are all quite tender, even through rockclimbing callusses, from all the gripping and pulling and cutting of ages-old glass last night.
From the looks of that blank, after you shave off the crap surface foam, you’ll have lost 3/8 to 1/2 inch. Can you live with a blank that thin?
I’ve reshaped a few, and my take on it is that well, the blank was free, so if at some point it doesn’t look like it’s gonna be good to go, then straight into the can it goes, with no regrets, and no loss. Just a little more practice, and smarter next time.
From the looks of that blank, after you shave off the crap surface foam, you'll have lost 3/8 to 1/2 inch. Can you live with a blank that thin?
Hola Honolulu; I think it will still be thick enough; not 100% sure yet (won’t be 'til the glass is on and I’m paddling it really) but it was a REALLY thick beast of a small shite wave longboard… I never got an accurate measurement of it’s thickness before as I don’t have any large calipers, but I am estimating the blank now that I’ve cleaned it up, chopped it down by a bit over a foot and started some rough shaping of the concaves/new foil that it’s still around 2 3/4 at the thickest point. …I’ll try to get an actual measurement, see if I can jury-rig some kind of arms onto my little calipers…
it’s looking better now, I’ll stick up a few photos of the progress I made today.
…I think I’m going to go the whole distance unless it gets to looking like it’s really really a lost cause. Mainly for the experience; I guess I’d rather sod it up right and proper this time around and then have that extra knowledge to apply to when I get my hands on some actual decent blanks. It’s true though, if it really seems like it won’t work at all then I’ll pitch it.
So here is the start of today’s basic progress. I cleaned up the blank a bit more, then there were a few places with really bad damage; a zone along the back right rail and a super deep wound that had been filled by pouring raw straight resin in, a bit 1 1/2" deep crevasse. I cut this out and turned it into a rectangular hole. You can see it in the photos below.
The photos show the original (more or less) shape of the board, then the first cut made, taking down one half of the nose. Shortened quite a bit to eliminate teh shite foam up around the nose. The last of the three stages shows the rough-cut new shape, with altered tail (to be a rounded pin, still to make a resin/wood tail tip to get a slightly pointier tail).
After this I did considerable cleanup, cut out the old broken leash plug, cut away the bruised broken segment of the rail that you can see by the tail, and used micro-balloons and resin to stick fresh pieces of foam into these holes and fill out the rail again. Then I did some rough shaping, but I didn’t take any photos of the state it’s in now as it has a long way to go yet before I feel any pride in the shaping efforts I’ve made.
There she goes.
The warping is no longer an issue, I’ve just trimmed it all down. Still curious about the other questions though.
I’d love comments on the shape as it’s forming up here… thoughts, criticisms…? Input on what you think the bottom should be shaped like?
So here are the newer photos of the shape progressing; it’s looking a bit more like a board now. BTW, screwfoot! Trimming the microballooned resin was a huge help in the filling process for sure; the blank is a bit further along than these photos show now, and after these photos were taken I filled all the small holes with microballoons/resin and trimmed as you said. It was super easy to trim the microballoons off clean at the surface, even following rail/concave contours.
Again, I’d be interested to hear anyone’s .02 on the shape. Potential epic flaws? Suggestions? I’m almost ready to glass it now, it’s come further than these new shots show. I’ll see if I can stick some fresh shots up tonight of where it’s at now.
So here are the newer photos of the shape progressing; it’s looking a bit more like a board now. BTW, screwfoot! Trimming the microballooned resin was a huge help in the filling process for sure; the blank is a bit further along than these photos show now, and after these photos were taken I filled all the small holes with microballoons/resin and trimmed as you said. It was super easy to trim the microballoons off clean at the surface, even following rail/concave contours.
Again, I’d be interested to hear anyone’s .02 on the shape. Potential epic flaws? Suggestions? I’m almost ready to glass it now, it’s come further than these new shots show. I’ll see if I can stick some fresh shots up tonight of where it’s at now.
Ah it worked that time. There’s a more recent view. Since this were taken I’ve cleaned up the rails some and added a resin tailblock (just opaque dumpy white from slightly microballoons, nothing fancy - bit of a rounded pin).
Any comments on this shape and what would improve it or what might be horribly wrong with it would be greatly appreciated. I’m not certain what the measurements are in from the nose/tail but the board is overall 8’1" and clocks in at approximately 2 3/4" thick. Widest point… guesstimate but around 22".
Also if anyone happens to look at it and think “oh that makes sense for _________ conditions/waves” then I’d love to hear it… my first shaping foray beyond rebuilding/repairs, so I’m not 100% certain what anything that I’ve done to this will really do in comparison to the rest of it.
One thing I’m wondering… with the search function out it’s a bit tricky, I’m sure I could find this quickly if I could search… but what kind of distance from the tail should I put the sidebites? I’m going to install FCS plugs (let’s not get started on why I shouldn’t use FCS plz, I’m using 'em 'cause I have fins kicking around that will work, once I get onward and shape more this summer I’m going to see about other systems. Plus I roughly know how to install them) and run maybe M-3s on the sides, with a large center fin. Any input on positioning? I was just going to line 'em up with the nose as far as toe-in goes… I’d be stoked on any input in that area as well!
