I’ll try to keep my questions to a minimum and rather document my builds this time around.
This will be a cruiser for the lady, maybe I’ll add a little more volume in the nose, we’ll see. Fin setup will be single. For my last boards, I foiled them out of ply that I had left over from when I built my van. This time around, I’ll try some glass fins.
Anywho, I know that hulls and stuff with boards of this size was/is the shit these days, but I’m rather looking for user friendliness with this one. So my questions for this build concern the bottom design. I might also have a question concering fin placement, but that’s not due until I actually finish the shape.
I was thinking of doing a belly up front and I know that a single fin profits from vee in the tail, though a slight one might suffice due to the small tail. Would it be fine if I left the main part flat?
The bottom should LOOK flat, but not actually BE flat. There should be a very slight curve, both in length and rail to rail, in the area you described. It’s very subtle, but has a significant effect on ride quality.
"The bottom should LOOK flat, but not actually BE flat. There should be a very slight curve, both in length and rail to rail, in the area you described. It’s very subtle, but has a significant effect on ride quality. "
Gotta dig this up after barely touching the blank.
I chose a blank that’s 21 3/4 wide for a board width of 21 1/2. I know that that’s a close call, but when I put my template on the blank and wanted to draw the outline, I had to find out that one side of the blank is narrower by halb an inch.
Is this within production tolerance? I mean half an inch isn’t exactly nothing when it comes to surfboard width.
If it’s for a girl a 21" width or even a 20.5" width for a midlength is still plenty. You’ll just end up with a sleeker template. I’d keep the nose rocker, too, 'cause (IMO) most girls don’t do that well with really low nose rockers.
First off, blanks are typically off here or there as a rule. At least they have been historically. I think now days stringers are straighter and blanks are more precision than ever… still, 1/2" off center seems pretty far off.
That said, the blank itself is OK, it’s the stringer that was misplaced off-center. Since it’s a single fin design here is an idea… and this is assuming you are using a box type fin - position your box to one side (the wider foam side) of the stringer. Now position your outline template using the center line of the box as your midline reference.
I’m not sure if that will solve the problem of not having enough foam width or not but it might lessen the amount of outline reduction necessary. You might find that by slightly narrowing the widepoint but at the same time slightly widening the rather pinny tail you will maintain the same volume and maybe even have a more balanced outline. The comment about the ‘ears’ is in reference to the forward section being proportionally wider than the tail. By keeping the forward ‘ears’, narrowing the middle and widening the overall effect might make for a more aesthetic template.
Anyway if it works out, you’ve killed two birds with one stone - you now have a workable fit of the template to the blank AND you’ve solved the problem of having that weak spot where the stringer typically gets routed out during fin box installation. I am a fan of structural fin box installations where possible - Mini-stringers on either side, double stringers, or offset box placement to maintain stringer integrity… One of the photos shows a Phil Edwards Hobie with an offset glass-on fin so it’s not necessarily about the stringer integrity.
Anna from the Ukraine wants me… She contacted me thru this this thread…she looks really good in the photo…I like John’s photos too… Anna from Ukraine is better looking than John… …
Thanks for the suggestion John, but I am a bit concerned that board just won’t come out good. I know that there are always some variances, but a tad more than half an inch in the center just seems to much for me to be able to get a good board out of this.
I am in contact with the shop to see if they can do something for me, but until now they are pretty ignorant and barely even answer. We’ll see. Might contact Marko directly to see what they have to say.
J, the problem is not that the stringer is off set the whole length of the board. It bends in the middle. If the stringer were just off by half an inch for the length of the board, I could work with that.
Well, what have you done about your stringer situation? Did you strike a new midline for the blank? A curve in the center stringer has been a common occurance, from the beginning of the foam era of surfboard construction. Curious minds want to know.
Thanks for your interest Bill, I’ve been a little slow to answer here the last couple of days, as I’m leaving for morocco on monday and been busy finishing the 5’10 twin pin as well as figuring out what to do with this one.
I actually was able to cut an outline that is acceptable. However, it took me way more time than with the other few boards I built until now. I drew lines every 6 inches for detailed measurements and went forth and back measuring and adjusting.
I’ll add some colour today and start glassing too. I’ll take some pics and post them as soon as I find some time.
Cool! Like Bill I was wondering how it came out. I liked his stringline solution, I think a laser level might work too. I’m a big fan of improvising to make it work. And a fan of wavy stringers! LOL
(apologies in advance to those who have already seen the image below, it is directed to the o.p. in response to curved stringer issues)
