Here is a link to my most recent longboard. This is the biggest one i’ve done, what a blast! The dimensions on it are 10’4" 17 3/4" N, 23" W (centered), 14 3/4" T and 3 1/2" thick. I used a 10’5"S blank, carved out a nice nose concave added a little tail rocker to the already good amount the blank has. The V starts gradually about 6 inches behind the end of the nose concave and and has good amount between the fins and runs off the tail. The guy i made it for rode it this weekend and was super stoked, he said it turned with ease. The oustanding glass work was done by Bryan Caldwell at Island glass on the west side of Oahu. I went crazy with the pics because this is the first board i’ve had any custom color/glass work done on. I also did my smallest board while working this one, It is a 6’ performance shortboard single to double concave for my brother in law as a gift for getting his high school diploma equivelency. Cant wait to pick it up! Aloha 808 Shapes http://home.hawaii.rr.com/makani808shapes/10-4webGallery/104board.html
808 Shapes: Where did you purchase the template for the side bite fins shown on the newest board?
Nice one brah…How did u do in he Toes meet? Was nice meeting your family at Ala Moana the other night… FD
No template, just the standard 2+1 set up. 16 inches or maybe it was 16.5" up, 1 1/4" off the rail toed in 1/8". I’ve never used templates for fin settings, am i missing something? Aloha 808 shapes http://home.hawaii.rr.com/makani808shapes/10-4webGallery/104board.html
F.D., I ended up getting 5th in my division. Didnt surf as well as I had hoped in the final, but I am stoked because my good friend i grew up with on Kauai, Alika took first in our div. China’s LB meet coming up this weekend at Queens, pray for surf!! Aloha, 808 shapes http://home.hawaii.rr.com/makani808shapes/10-4webGallery/104board.html
808 shapes Well, it’s just that I thought a shaper had to have a template to put in the holes for the side bite fins. How do you get the two holes for the side bites lined up on each side perfectly?
Howzit 808 shapes, would that be Alika Grady? I did a couple of boards for him a couple of years ago. Aloha from Kauai,Kokua
Nice board. Looks like good quality throughout.
I measure out where I want my fins and draw a line. I put the plugs (FCS) on the fin so I can line up where the center of the plugs are - make a mark. Remember that for FCS the outside fin line is offset 1/8" from the center of the plug. I drill a ilttle pilot hole, then holesaw (with large pilot) the rest. I used to just use a screwdriver to pop the core out (don’t use the fiberglass as a fulcrum!) - but I ended up having to buy a bore bit to do a repair, so now I use that. It can definately be done without a template, and after you do a few there really is nothing to it… but I did screw up once and offset 1/8" in the wrong direction, so maybe it is smarter just to use a template. just my 2 cents
Rook Thanks for the info
Silver, Sorry guess i misunderstood your question yes there is a fin jig from FCS or you can make one. As shaper i dont need one unless i’m going to glass boards. I dont do the glassing i just put the fin marks on them and the glasser does the rest. I helped glass and set fins on a couple boards when i was in high school way before FCS, not my cup of tea. On Oahu we are lucky to have alot of good glassers that have reasonable prices, so it makes it easy for us that cant or dont have a place to glass. Aloha, 808 shapes http://home.hawaii.rr.com/makani808shapes/
Kokua, Yup, that would be Alika Grady. He and i went Waimea high school together along with alot of other west side and south shore surfers. Most of us rode Mike Wellmans growing up and alot still do, Infact Wellman made all my shortboards for about 17 yrs until i started shaping last year. I consider him my biggest influence as far as shortboards go, I spent hours in the shaping room with him when i was in high school while he was shaping my boards. I’d have to say my longboard influence comes from dad Kenny Tilton, i’ve been longboarding for about 5 yrs and he made my longboards up until recently, ofcourse i’m doing my own now. So much fun riding your own creations. I miss Kauai but am lucky to even be in Hawaii. I’ve got 4 1/2 years left before i retire from the Air Force and stoked i get to spend it here and hone my shaping skills and doing my own R&D. Aloha 808 shapes http://home.hawaii.rr.com/makani808shapes/
Nice board. Excellent fabric inlay. The nose and tail seem a little narrow; how does it ride? Why did you make it a a tri fin? A 10+ foot board screams for a single finbox or glassed-on.
that inlay mat. is very nice.
J, I thought the same about the dimensions when i first saw them but thats what he ordered and it came out unreal, in fact it came out so nice that i plan to build myself one just like it eventually. He ordered it with the 2+1 set up so he can ride it as a single or a 2+1, versatilty and experimentation is what he was after. He said he surfed this weekend and totally dug it, said it turned with ease and the waves were tiny this weekend on the southshore of Oahu. hopefully i’ll get to try it sometime. Aloha 808 shapes
Howzit 808shapes, you’ll be glad to know that Mike Wellman is still building great boards for the people on Kauai. Aloha, Kokua