good on you , Ryan !
great to see the board is started.
just one question …
Was there any particular reason you are choosing epoxy resin , instead of polyester , to glass a polyurethane blank ?
cheers !
ben
I decided on epoxy for a few reasons: Last time I did poly I pissed off everyone in the house because the smell was so strong and it lingered for days after, I like how pu shapes/feels, epoxy seems to be more environmentally friendly, and from reading many people love the pu/epoxy combo. We will see how it goes though and I’ll definitely give you guys a review on this combo!
Epoxy over poly makes for a strong combo.
For future reference you can get away with the Ultralight blanks when glassing with epoxy… This will save you some weight and still give you a solid, strong core.
Regular weight blanks plus epoxy are extremely durable
Right on Acqua! Thanks for the tip. Hopefully it won’t weigh too much since I’ll be using 4oz cloth only (didn’t think I needed any 6oz since all the boards will be under 6’1).
Ok… well I shaped the second blank over the weekend and I’m not happy with the result really. I knew from the very beginning this thing wasn’t going to turn out great by running into a problem with the template I made. Long story short the template came out too wide so I had to adjust the width by shifting the template about a half inch on each side while drawing the outline. I measured how far in I would shift on both sides but of course it still didn’t come out correctly. The nose on the left side(if you were looking at the deck) is sharper than the right, atleast to my eye. I’ve been contemplating on what to do but I’m still undecided. I was thinking about drawing up a new outline for the nose and somehow blend it in to the almost finished blank. I feel like this would be pretty difficult for me to do and I could screw this thing up even more. The other option is to just leave it alone and live with it but I know it’ll always bug me whenever I look at the board or someone else comments on the asymmetry. I’ll attach some photos to help give a visual on what i’m dealing with
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Does anyone think it’s possible to still make this board symetrical if I go over the outline with my planer to even it up? I already shaped the whole thing pretty much so there’s not too much room for error if I go this route. Any advice would be appreciated
One thing you could do is to measure each side to see exactly where you want to adjust. Run a line of tape next to the stringer and mark it every 6" or so, and measure on both sides of the stringer using a ruler with millimeter marks (easier to read on the fly than 16ths). It’s as likely as not that you’ll have high spots on both sides but at different points on the curve. Bring the wide spots down with a sanding block (or a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a flat piece of foam. Once both sides are within 1mm or so of each other you’ll at least be symmetrical. Then you can work on the curve itself.
One thing you could do is to measure each side to see exactly where you want to adjust. Run a line of tape next to the stringer and mark it every 6" or so, and measure on both sides of the stringer using a ruler with millimeter marks (easier to read on the fly than 16ths). I use a carpenters square to ensure I’m measuring at the same points relative to the stringer.
It’s as likely as not that you’ll have high spots on both sides but at different points on the curve. Bring the wide spots down with a sanding block (or a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a flat piece of foam). Once both sides are within 1mm or so of each other you’ll at least be symmetrical. Then you can work on the curve itself.
A sanding block and a little finesse is all you need. Time is on your side - don’t rush it.
Thank you Gdaddy but wouldn’t that just cause more uneven spots if I’m bringing down every 6 inches with a sanding block (wouldn’t flow)? That’s how I messed up the nose in the first place. I took a few passes with my sanding block to the right width; however, it created a sharper curve than the other side. Anyways I have measured every 6 inches and it’s symmetrical except for the nose and a little above the fin box it goes in. You don’t think using the planer to square up the rails is a good idea then?
Measuring to see exactly where your high spots are one thing - that’s just getting basic symmetry. Blending flat spots in with the longer curve is another thing even if it is closely related to symmetry. You’re going to use long strokes to do that, and endeavor to take only a little at a time to gently bring that curve to where you want it. Like anything else you’ll have to do some trial and error to get the results you want.
For nose and tail you might end up measuring at 3" or even 1" increments and go super light with the sandpaper. A little goes a long way. That’s why a sanding block is a little easier to use for that than a planer.
The pros will tell you the best way to fix wierd outlines is to take your time and get the outline right in the first place, and to refrain from overworking them when you’re turning your rails. Long strokes and all that. Really, there’s no substitute for working clean. Repair is always harder and more time consuming and yields inferior results when compared to working clean.
I’m a backyarder and my work isn’t that clean so it’s something I’m constantly working on, too.
To get rid of wiggles in the outline, use your ear and a long sanding block. Listen to the sound of sanding. An even smooth sound means the paper is making constant contact so it is smooth. If the sound has a “skipping” in it it means you are hitting high spots/ louder, and low spots/ quieter. It isn’t too late.
But I wouldn’t lay a shaped plank on the floor, or move it around to much. You are just asking for dents.
But over all, it looks pretty good. And it sounds like you had fun doing it.
Hi Ryan,
Nice boards that you are turning out, they look like they have been fun to shape and will be more fun to ride.
My suggestion on what to do with your rails for the second board - leave it, glass it, ride it. A few reasons for this as an option.
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The more you tinker, the less foam you end up with and you can always find imperfections with your boards if you are like me… The eyes are more accurate than the hands and I think it takes many boards for the hands to catch up. (I know I’m not there yet:). Chances are you’ll fix the rail issue but then end up with another imperfection like a flat spot and not be happy with that. Keep going and you’ll be further from the shape you wanted than you are now.
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For a short board, in terms of performance, it is rare that you are going to be relying on both rails at the nose at the same time. Usually you will be going rail to rail and rarely will you engage both rails at the same time. If the issue was in the tail, it would be different but as it is in the nose, it is more a visual issue than performance… And waves are not symmetrical either, you’ll either be surfing a left or a right at any given time (not both at the same time:) so an asym board may not be a bad outcome.
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Glass it, ride it means you get to try this one, chances are there will be other things you want to tweak next time anyway like maybe the tail, maybe width whatever, so ride this one, save the template… Then if you like it, shape it again and improve on it. You’ll find something you want to tweak in the process anyway.
Anyway, just my thoughts. Keep up the good work, it’s good to see a build thread on sways again 
Ugh… I just typed three paragraphs and swayslocks crashed on me, bummer. I will try to sum up what I typed earlier. Gdaddy, I measured thoroughly from nose to tail and to my surprise it was very symmetrical actually. A few off spots with the biggest being at the dip in the tail about 1/8" off. I think the nose just had two different curves somehow. One side just looked to be more of a straight curve. Everysurfer and Gdaddy, I didn’t want to use a block because I know I suck at it. I can listen to it knocking off foam and stuff but I always creat more high/low spots at either end of the spot i’m working on so it’s a never ending process. Thefishexp, I was about to just glass it but I’m very stubborn. I was determined to make this shape symmetrical and I felt like I could do it actually. I’m already feeling pretty comfortable with my planer so I decided to go the route. After a couple of passes along the rail for each side, I had a symmetrical outline to work from. From there I just did a few railbands and blended it all in. I’m actually very happy with the way this shape came out. It’s very similar to what I originally had in mind just a tad narrower.
Photos of the now symmetrical “RFD”
Not to blow this thread up with any more pictures but I shaped my last blank today. It’s a 5’3" mini simmons, let me know what you think!
Ok, I am at the glassing stage now and already have a question 
I’ve read online that you should use a filter to strain your pigmented resin. Now, I don’t feel like ordering filters online because shipping would be just as much as the filters alone but coffee filters seem to be very similar to those being sold online. Does anyone have experience using coffee filters to strain your pigmented resin?
Your local paint store will have paint filters