Front shoe assembly looks the same to me. Spare parts became Clark Modifieds. Yes compared to the P20 the F is way better all around. The best homemade modification I ever saw was done by someone here on Sways who use a starter bendix. Don’t remember the title of the thread. It was a few years back.
Just letting you guys know I got the adjustment knob unstuck. I used a pump plier and wrapped the knob in tape to prevent scratching. Once it became free it was a breeze to turn! I think it just built up corrosion or something inside from not being used in years.
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Also, I will be replacing the blades. Should I just stick to the steel blades? I don’t want to be injured by a carbide blade shattering.
HSS steel will last a guy doing a few boards a long long time. On the other hand I’ve been told carbide never need to be sharpened. I’ve heard a story or two about carbide shattering, but do not know of a first hand report of such a thing. I use HSS in a Skil. They stay sharp a long time on foam and stringers, but if I were doing lots of wood, they wouldn’t last any where near as long.
Alright so I picked up a new Milwaukee 6078 today for $160 but I don’t know if it was the best decision. I’ve read that they are fine as long as you’re very careful. I was going to get the 5540; however, I feel like the 6078 is way more versatile plus it has a dial where you can limit the RPM. Anyways, I would’ve never guessed this thing weighs so much!
Ryan,
I love those Milwaukee’s.
That’s all I use.
Got a whole quiver of 'em.
Sand, polish, grind.
Solid tools.
Don’t worry about the weight.
Makes for Popeye arms. HAHA!
Barry, I can’t wait to get those popeye arms haha.
I’ve been researching routers and I am a bit lost at what I need. I want to be able to use the router not on other projects not just surfboards so I want something with decent power… I’m assuming that eliminates trim routers, correct? Now, how much of a difference is there between like a 1.75 hp vs 2.25 hp router? It seems like everyone likes the porter cable routers but they are a bit pricey. Also how neccesary is it to paint your shaping bay blue? Will it really make that much of a difference for a beginner like me?
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Ryan,
Can’t go wrong with a porter-cable.
I route most of my outlines with mine.
Also use it for routing single fin boxes.
1/2" shank size.
Never could make my trim routers work so well.
Shaping room preference is just that.
Had green.
Had every shade of blue.
My current room is the natural color of my sound board.
Just need some contrast.
Don’t buy glossy paint.
Flat colors are the best.
Thanks for the good info Barry. I have another question for you since you have a lot of boards under your belt. I’m going to be using an opaque pigment on atleast one of my boards and I was wondering if a sanded finish will make it look like crap. From reading other threads polishing epoxy seems to be hard/pain to do. If you have pictures to show the difference that would be very helpful:)
Regarding Routers: I love my Rigid 42011 Trim Router. If you look closely in Barry’s pic above you will see he has one too. Easy height adjustment, slow start so it doesn’t try to twist out of your hand and speed control. Love this little guy…one of my favorite tool purchases. The new model number is the R2401 https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/trim-router You can buy it here: http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-1-1-2-HP-Compact-Router-R24012/100337039# I’d say this is the ultimate router for fin systems like Fusion ProBox etc…
Yeah I retired the cheap Ryobi.
The Ridgid is a far superior tool in many ways.
The little spot light is good for my aging eyes too!
Easy to adapt for Future Fin routing.
got one too
Can someone confirm that I should use a plastic spreader for glassing? My blank is PU and will be glassed with epoxy.
yup, sounds good
I’m not kidding on this one. Disposable spreaders! Cut to length! Buy a pack for $12.00 You’ll get a hundred from one pack. so $0.12 each. Cut to length about six inches. They have a slight curve to them. Use one side to spread, and the other side to pull off. Throw away after.
Bali Cut-to-Size Ivory Crown Louver Set 3.5 in. Vanes (9-Pack) (Price Varies by Size)
Model # 68-3057-31-3.5-60
Internet # 204247775
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$11.97 / each
I already bought spreaders everysurfer but I’ll definitely give it a try when I need some more. Also thanks for the quick replies. I’ll be posting some pics of the project soon. It’s going to be a replica of a 5’8" shortboard shaped by Richard Price. It’s old and I love it so I thought I’d try to duplicate it. Wish me luck I’ll need it:p
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Finished shaping the first board today. I wasn’t too happy with the rails but they always give me trouble. The F-30 planer worked out great actually! It was my first time using a planer and I was able to cut pretty well around the nose with it, which surprised me. This board won’t be getting glassed until I finish the other two blanks because I think it’d be better if I shape them first then glassed them after. Here are some pictures of the build so far!
