I’ve been lurking for a while. This is a geat group. I had a two week vacation from work coming up and have decided not to go away on an exotic surf trip (terrorism, market losses, family issues). So what do I do to get my big surf fix of the year? I’ve decided to nurture my soul and rather I will use the time to surf everyday, as much as possible, all day when it’s good, everthying from San O’ to Rincon and put in lots of H2o time here in SoCal as possible. Try new spots and just have fun. I will also use that time to design and build my first board… something that I’ve put off for quite some time due to my heavy workload. My first board will be a longboard/noserider: 10’ long with a 19"nose, 23.5 middle, 16 inch tail, 3.5 inches thick, and classic volan glass. I want to do a glass on fin to complete the old-school style. Classic weight foam and nice wood stringer also. Maybe a tail block. If I want this, otherwise, retro-type of board, to manuver and handle well and be responsive for it;s size then are there any special tips in shaping the rails, or should i stick with 50/50 rails? Rocker? Bottom shape (like a subtle vee or nose concave) Should I thin out the nose and tail a little. This is my first board so I want to keep it simple but have lots of ideas that I need to clarify as far as the design. I’ll check out the resources and archives and drop into one of the supply places and pick up the blank and supplies. I don’t really know what I’m doing but figure I’ll jump in with both feet. Any special tips would be appreciated. Is two weeks (in between surf sessions) a reasonable tiem for this project – including glassing (which I’ll also do myself). I’m starting from scratch so any advice is apperciated. Any thoughts or advice or web pages to help with logo design? mahalo!
Get the Shaping 101 and Glassing 101 videos. A little extra tail rocker will help your board turn and nose ride better. And yeah, checking the archives is a real good idea. Good luck and keep asking questions, there are people on this site who know WAAAY more than I do. Cheers, Scott.
Get the Shaping 101 and Glassing 101 videos. A little extra tail rocker > will help your board turn and nose ride better. And yeah, checking the > archives is a real good idea. Good luck and keep asking questions, there > are people on this site who know WAAAY more than I do. Cheers, Scott. I highly recommend the 10’1"Y Clark foam blank in Classic or SuperGreen weight, has great rocker!
Nat - Great idea! I’d like to second the 9’1" Yater blank recommendation. With limited tools (i.e. you don’t even need a power plane) this blank should yield what you’re looking for. I’d say keep the nose flat in contour (both rail to rail and rocker) stick with soft down rails (maybe a little edge in the nose if you want it to nose ride) and perhaps a little vee in the tail and you’ll be in there. I’d keep the nose thickness - again for nose rides. Check one of the Peck Penetrator reissues - they have some thick noses and forward rails. IMO, a box will add a lot of versatility in different conditions but glass-ons are nice too. Good luck and hope to see that baby in the water soon!
In all seriousness… Shaping 101 is a good start. Do all reasearch pssible to ensure the closest tolerance blank. Some think this is not good for beginners. Their thought is that more foam enables the beginner shaper to correct mistakes. I think that a close tolerance blank lets the beginner take more time on other aspects of shaping. TIPS: Skin the blank with a shallow cut with an electric planer or skin it with a low angle Stanley block plane(it will also be helpful in shaving the stringer. Make lots of measurements and double check to make sure the measurements are the same of both sides of the stringer(basic principles of symmetry but youd be suprised at how many guys screw up on dividing up an inch). Important hint if you watch shaping 101. JC describes how to make guide posts for your rails, well, don’t use those measurements for your longboard what ever you do. The rest of the video will help you out quite a bit. If you don’t feel comfortable roughing out your rails with an electric planer, do it with a sureform. Everyone tries to get “dragon skin” to continue the rail shaping(I like the stuff but is over-rated), you can use 36 grit sand paper and it is cheaper. **BIG TIP… Befroe you start shaping the rails, make sure that your foiling is completed. I know JC says that to keep a good flow going he never 100 percent of the previous process—try to get as close to 100 percent as possible in this case of foiling and thinning(hopefully you won’t have to do much). Check the thickness un and down the board on both sides and make sure you are going to start the rails with a good symmetrical starting point. Tons more tips will help but you’ll have to search the archives or ask specific questions. I have confidence your board will make it out in the water. However, especially if your shape turns out good, let a professional glass shop glass your first board. Glassing is a bit trickier and many here have expressed their gratitude towards those unsung heroes. However, there is quite a stoke to be gained after completing a board from start to finish. Good luck. Steve PS. What I consider esentials. Proper lighting, a shaping stand, handsaw, surfform, Stanley low angle block plane, and abrasives, and a tape measure, a right triangle…lots can beaccomplished with just those tools… But a complete list of tools is on a Swaylocks thread somewhere. Room for one more tip. Skin the blank and foil it one day. Come back the next day and continue as you feel comfortable. It won’t take days to finish your first board, it is just good to take a breather every now and then. You would be surprise at how many compromised risk are taken when anxiou to creat your first shape. Let the glasser make the margaritas…
Steve: If you were rewriting the script for Shaping 101 (for longboards) what modifications would you insert for the the segment after rockering and foiling. How would you generalize the rail layout procedure you follow on a longboard. I know this is not a simple question, as there are many variations of longboard rails these days. How about a “modern longboard”, 9’0" all around shape. Tom>>> In all seriousness…>>> Shaping 101 is a good start. Do all reasearch pssible to ensure the > closest tolerance blank. Some think this is not good for beginners. Their > thought is that more foam enables the beginner shaper to correct mistakes. > I think that a close tolerance blank lets the beginner take more time on > other aspects of shaping.>>> TIPS:>>> Skin the blank with a shallow cut with an electric planer or skin it with > a low angle Stanley block plane(it will also be helpful in shaving the > stringer. Make lots of measurements and double check to make sure the > measurements are the same of both sides of the stringer(basic principles > of symmetry but youd be suprised at how many guys screw up on dividing up > an inch). Important hint if you watch shaping 101. JC describes how to > make guide posts for your rails, well, don’t use those measurements for > your longboard what ever you do. The rest of the video will help you out > quite a bit. If you don’t feel comfortable roughing out your rails with an > electric planer, do it with a sureform. Everyone tries to get “dragon > skin” to continue the rail shaping(I like the stuff but is > over-rated), you can use 36 grit sand paper and it is cheaper. **BIG > TIP… Befroe you start shaping the rails, make sure that your foiling is > completed. I know JC says that to keep a good flow going he never 100 > percent of the previous process—try to get as close to 100 percent as > possible in this case of foiling and thinning(hopefully you won’t have to > do much). Check the thickness un and down the board on both sides and make > sure you are going to start the rails with a good symmetrical starting > point. Tons more tips will help but you’ll have to search the archives or > ask specific questions. I have confidence your board will make it out in > the water.>>> However, especially if your shape turns out good, let a professional glass > shop glass your first board. Glassing is a bit trickier and many here have > expressed their gratitude towards those unsung heroes. However, there is > quite a stoke to be gained after completing a board from start to finish.>>> Good luck.>>> Steve>>> PS. What I consider esentials. Proper lighting, a shaping stand, handsaw, > surfform, Stanley low angle block plane, and abrasives, and a tape > measure, a right triangle…lots can beaccomplished with just those > tools…>>> But a complete list of tools is on a Swaylocks thread somewhere.>>> Room for one more tip. Skin the blank and foil it one day. Come back the > next day and continue as you feel comfortable. It won’t take days to > finish your first board, it is just good to take a breather every now and > then. You would be surprise at how many compromised risk are taken when > anxiou to creat your first shape.>>> Let the glasser make the margaritas…
Steve:>>> If you were rewriting the script for Shaping 101 (for longboards) what > modifications would you insert for the the segment after rockering and > foiling. How would you generalize the rail layout procedure you follow on > a longboard. I know this is not a simple question, as there are many > variations of longboard rails these days. How about a “modern > longboard”, 9’0" all around shape.>>> Tom This is kinda a general answer and I am not trying to get out of this one. It is just like you said, …it isn’t a simple question." Tom, it really wouldn’t be much different than JC’s other than it would explain why you do certain things and measurements. I am so typed out today and can’t articulate right now. In short, I would have more detail. Perhaps JC only waned to show the basics in 101. I talked to Carl Ackermann ans said an advanced video might be on the way. Take care. Steve
My older Bro has a 9’0" that is pretty much like a 9 foot short board, rides like one too. This board will will come off the bottom and swing up at the lip like a board two feet shorter. The rails on this board are as thin and shaped the same as your average 7 foot big guy performance board, only they go to a 50/50 to slightly up rail in the last 18" or so inches of the nose. It is a great board with a full longboard style outline. Does this help, or am I rambling? Scott.
I’ve been lurking for a while. This is a geat group.>>> I had a two week vacation from work coming up and have decided not to go > away on an exotic surf trip (terrorism, market losses, family issues). So > what do I do to get my big surf fix of the year?>>> I’ve decided to nurture my soul and rather I will use the time to surf > everyday, as much as possible, all day when it’s good, everthying from San > O’ to Rincon and put in lots of H2o time here in SoCal as possible. Try > new spots and just have fun. I will also use that time to design and build > my first board… something that I’ve put off for quite some time due to my > heavy workload.>>> My first board will be a longboard/noserider: 10’ long with a > 19"nose, 23.5 middle, 16 inch tail, 3.5 inches thick, and classic > volan glass. I want to do a glass on fin to complete the old-school style. > Classic weight foam and nice wood stringer also. Maybe a tail block.>>> If I want this, otherwise, retro-type of board, to manuver and handle well > and be responsive for it;s size then are there any special tips in shaping > the rails, or should i stick with 50/50 rails? Rocker? Bottom shape (like > a subtle vee or nose concave) Should I thin out the nose and tail a > little. This is my first board so I want to keep it simple but have lots > of ideas that I need to clarify as far as the design.>>> I’ll check out the resources and archives and drop into one of the supply > places and pick up the blank and supplies. I don’t really know what I’m > doing but figure I’ll jump in with both feet. Any special tips would be > appreciated. Is two weeks (in between surf sessions) a reasonable tiem for > this project – including glassing (which I’ll also do myself). I’m > starting from scratch so any advice is apperciated. Any thoughts or advice > or web pages to help with logo design?>>> mahalo! Nat: First of all enjoy your vacation time!As for your board project,I agree with the others-get a 10’1"y blank.(I personally prefere Walker blanks).Also,what type of surf will you be riding most of the time?If point waves,I would not bothet with putting in nose concave.For the rails,you might want to go with 50/50 with a bit of edge in the tail area and don’t wory too much about rocker-the natural roker of that blank should be sufficient.Have fun!