Ready to build my first board

General Discussion
1

Hey guys

I’ve been reading the archives for a while and I’m about ready to start my first board. I’m building racks tomorrow for my garage. I won’t have the money for GREAT lighting right now, but if I am going to build another board I will invest in some lights for the sides of the garage.

Anyway here are a few questions I couldn’t exactly come up with perfect anwsers for…

I’m 5’11, 160lbs… Jersey shore waves (typically 1-3ft and kind of weak, unless there’s a storm or a nice swell comin’ in)

  1. 6’0 fish, 2.75" thick with 2 glassed on fins, straight on … sound about right for my size/waves?

  2. Should I purchase a 6’2 or a 6’4 blank and shape it down to a 6’0, or should I get as close to 6’0 as possible with my blank choice?

  3. What is a good place to buy E-cloth… (Fiberglasssupply?)

3.5. How much cloth should I purchase?

Fiberglass supply lists their Ecloths in 3.7oz and 5.6oz weights…

4.Should I purchase enough 5.6oz for top and bottom, or should I consider purchasing 3.7oz and doubling it up?

I’ve heard nothing but great things about Resin Research and Greg L. I decided to purchase my resin and all that good stuff from them…

  1. How much should I buy for my first board? Two boards?

I’ve heard mixed opinions about using an electric router on the first board. I have a steady hand and I’m fairly confident with woodworking tools, but I understand foam is a completely different beast.

  1. Am I better off sticking to a nice long 2x4s with different grit sandpaper screwed in, a surform, and basic planer?

I think that’s it for now. I know they’re total “newb” questions but I want to be 100% sure on these things before I order something wrong! If I can build my first board and make it surfable, it will save me enough money to buy a nice wetsuit this season! If theres anything else I should consider before my first board, let me know! Thanks :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Scott

2

You need to worry about the other demensions width, thickness, overall foil ect…not just the size of a blank. Always go as close to the final product as possible-that way you don’t overshape. Also give yourslef a little room since this is your first. Figure 1/4" off each side and assume you’ll loose another 1/8" of the thickness when fine sanding it.

Light source.

People shape w/ out the “proper light source” all the time. People shape outside, under trees, ect. You need to keep a close eye on the foil(thickness flow) and the rails to make sure they are even. Take the board and slowly move it around-back and forth under your light source. You’ll be able to pick out bumps and discrepancys( mark them w/ a pencil and then do your deed).

Have fun! Its alot of work but definately gratifying to create something special that helps you walk on water.

3

Nj is seeming to get a bit of a following on here, which is good, that board is way to big for you, i ride in NJ and yea something like 5 10 and in those dimensions will be fine and float you almost as well as a 9 0 log. keep it around 20 1/4 wide

4

I figured 6’0 might be a little big. I ride my snowboards very short (153, I have a 155 for cruising but it even feels too big, I’ll go 151 next season)

Thanks for the tip!

5

hiya Scott !

and good on ya mate for taking the “leap” to make your first board …the first step in a fun journey

I dunno if this helps , but one thing I noticed with my latest fish , making it the same length as the ‘original’ [read ‘stripped’] blank , was the extra nose rocker , compared to my other fishes , makes it ride better [for me , in my waves, anyway ] …no more nose rail catching .

you could always leave yours 6’ long fronm a 6’ blank , and go thinner [not narrower , thinner]

are you using eps foam , or polyurethane for this board ? [this will effect how MANY layers of fibreglass cloth you use , and ,I think, how thin the blank can be …I have read that eps is ?more buoyant? than polyurethane ? maybe , I’m not sure ?]

Epoxy made my mal lighter , which I liked .

Are you going to make the [?wood?] keels yourself ?

most of all , as Larry said …have FUN , eh ?!

Take your time with it , relax [you can , with the extra time epoxy allows you for glassing].

Keep reading through old posts here …there’s some good helpful stuff ! And, feel free to ask more questions …there are some very knowledgeable people here [I am not one , I am still learning , but like sharing what I hope I have ‘learnt’, anyway !]

cheers ,

ben

p.s. - I used a sanding block a bit wider than the width of the board , for the bottom , and a surform , a sanding block , sandpaper sheets and sanding screen / gauze , for MOST of my boards …

6

Ah jeez. I forgot to mention that

I’m going to try and go with an EPS , stringerless blank.

As for the fins, I’m actually reconsidering the glass-on or using a future fin set of sorts. I’m trying to ignore the fins for now ,and get a basic shape going before I even start to toy with that.

I guess thats a new question. What is suggested… glass on, or fin boxes? I kind of like the idea of using a quad fin setup with boxes, where i can remove 2 of the fins if need be, but that will probably cost more money/trouble huh? Trying to keep it simple as I can. This is going to be my “poop wave” board by the way, so I’ll probably never take it out over 3’ ish

Sounds good on the tools. The time I have, I’m just worried about consistancy. I guess once im comphy with hand tools I can mess with the electric stuff!

If I got a 6’0 blank and cut it down to 5’10, that would essentially flatten out the rocker a little more if need be, right? Perhaps I’ll do that. hmm.

Thanks for the tips guys. keep 'em comin, i’m still shakey! haha

scott

7

hi again Scott !

have you seen / drawn out a template or two you like ?

I haven’t used stringerless eps , but I DID shape a stringerless polyurethane blank once . I got lots of weird bits [bumps] in the deck and the bottom , because I didn’t support the blank enough . So, make sure the whole blank is supported is all I’m saying.

fins …go with what you feel most comfortable with doing [this is only my opinion, and bear in mind that I definately am a plugs / finbox / systems guy]. If you are just riding it in under 3" stuff [12" to a foot] , then yes …glass on wood twin keels should be fine for your waves . [I don’t know how easy fin systems are to install in eps …I would imagine much the same as with polyurethane foam , maybe ? ]

It all depends on if you WANT to play with fins a lot , or not really . And also I guess how confident with a holesaw or router you are . [Or, in my case … stanley knife , masking tape , chisel , and sandpaper …‘caveman-style’ ].

As you say , do the blank templating cutting out , ‘rockerising’ and shaping first .

And don’t rush it .

Well, I hope this has helped …

all the best !

ben

8

I haven’t seen a template anywhere in particular, but I have a good idea what I’m looking for. I have a feeling I’m going to end up outlining a board picture from somewhere (perhaps the resources section here) in photoshop, bringing it to kinko’s and having it printed to size, and transfer that to either a peice of masonite or directly onto the foam.

I’m confident with any wood tools, but since it’s foam, I may opt for the caveman style as well the first time. I’ll be sure to build strong sturdy stands, too. Instead of sinking them into sand, I’ve considered putting them in buckets but with cement in the bottom. I have handcarts all over the yard so moving the buckets isnt a big deal and it just doesnt seem like sand would be very sturdy–if it is, surely not as much as cement! :slight_smile:

As for fins, I suppose I will try and cut out some of my own fins and if I can’t come up with something I like, I’ll most likely buy a future fin of sorts. If I’m gonna buy glass-on fins, why not kick it up a notch and go with the box…at least if i hit something it’s just a fin and not my cherished first board, right?

Now to find a good EPS stringerless blank… i was hopin to get some feedback on those kinds of Q’s! :-p

Scott

9

If you’re gonna go with the image and kinkos route, check out this site. They’ve got higher resolution images of Al Merricks than most places on the web.

10

you are the MAN thank you so much thats exactly what I needed

Now I have some idea what kind of rocker to go for too :stuck_out_tongue:

11

Aloha, neighbor…

If your never gonna ride it in bigger than 3 ft…go wide as you can comfortably but under your arm… 22 inches is not too wide. 5’10 to 6’0" sounds about right… get a blank as close to that as you can find…I don’t know about stringerless…I like stringers. But if you go with a bigger blank, you can push the template to the nose for more nose rocker… simple way to get some extra kick in the front… make the adjustments in the tail is easier than in the nose because there’s less to do… tails are always flatter…

Get your cloth from Fiberglass Supply. Buy no more than 7 yards of 5.6 oz for two top and one bottom…plenty of strength over 2 lb EPS… the extra yard is for glassing your fins…which I hop you do. Better drive properties, which fish are known for…

You can shape EPS with or without a planer…I always say, get a planer, and learn to use it from the get go… While you’re learning…learn everything…pigments, pinlines, cutlaps, swallow tails…do it all…It’s just one big experiemnt, right?

A first-timer can glass an EPS 6’0" with 6 oz cloth all around with less than a gallon per board. Get a one gallon set (?) and watch your waste and you’ll be fine. You’ll need to get (or make) fin rope, a roll of rosin paper for the floor and for a template (fine for a first project) some microbubbles for sealing the foam, 50 and 80 grit paper for shaping, a sheet of 80 grit screen for fininshing, a sanding block that has one firm foam glued to one side, a surform with a microplane blade, (a round microplane for the swallow is a nice tool, too, if you can swing it), a couple of dust masks, a brand new pair of cheap sicissors, a roll of masking tape, some graduated buckets, a plastic spreader, some waterless had cleaner, 2 4-inch disposable natural bristle brushes, rags, a roll of masking tape, sandpaper from 80 down to 600 for the glass (get the good stuff and save another trip to the hardware store), a few razor blades, a stick-on leash plug (hey…for waist high surf don’t be so proud)…I’d buy my fins if I were you… they’ll be perfectly foiled and symmetrical, and save you a LOT of work for your first board.

Stay sober, put on some music, and have fun…you’ll only make one “first board”…

12

thanks for the tips, i really appriciate that. if you’re in monmonth you’re not super far from me… i’m in lacey township (ocean county) if you’ve got nothing to do I’ll trade you one of the least known amazing surf spots for some over-the-shoulder advice or help on my first board :-p

Scott