After my planed surf trip to Barbados fell apart, I have a little extra time (and money). I have been interested in shaping a surfboard for years and I figure this is my opportunity- plus all of the work i see here is pretty amazing. Oldy’s “Journey of a Quad” thread was very informative (and moving) and really pushed me into action.
I have a lot of questions and I would really appreciate any assistance y’all could give.
Being that I don’t really know any shapers to walk me through the process, it seems like a kit (FoamEZ or Greenlight) might be my best bet. However, if I use a kit I won’t really feel like its ‘my’ board. I have been scouring the forum for the past few weeks and feel like I have a decent understanding of the process and materials involved, but i’m not sure if i have the skill or facilities to get a board done by myself.
If I do it myself, I am planning on using two sheets of EPS foam from Lowes glued together on a wood rocker template. I have pages of shapes sketched onto an engineering pad that I would like to do eventually, but i’m thinking of a 6’4" retro-style fish as my first. The spackling process confuses me (or even if its always necessary), but i think i get the idea. 6oz cloth on the bottom and 6+4oz on the deck with RR epoxy. I was also looking at Greenroom cloth and epoxy because they are local (Wilmington, NC) and the guys at the store were a big help the last time I was there. I have been reading up on the hot coating, but Im still not sure at what point you do the hot coat and what its purpose is. I also have no idea how a gloss coat is done. Facilities and tools might also be a problem. I have a feeling my girlfriend wouldn’t be too thrilled with me if i turned her small loft apartment into my shaping room and id prefer not to spend a week in my parents garage.
If anyone could help point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it. I noticed that a few of the posters are from North Carolina, so if there is a shaper (garage or otherwise) in the Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle, or Wilmington area that would be willing to show me first hand that would be great.
Keep up the great shaping and glassing, and thanks for any consideration.
i can give you an idea about the spackling. if you use eps foam, when you go to glass a lot of the resin will soak into the the board, making it heavier and causing you to use more resin. if you spackle the board, it reduces the amount of resin that soaks in, making the board lighter. it also sands nice and gives the board a smoother look like a pu board. i use finishing spackle, it’s light weight and bright white, not off-white like most spackles.
smedman- the “Project Frog” thread was exactly what I was looking for. really cleared up a lot of questions I had. Thanks
bizgrazy- ha- good point. On the other hand, its also a great way to find myself sleeping in my truck and my entire quiver (which i keep at her place) in a wood chipper.
I’m going to try to tack the progress of the board with pictures on the thread so people can put their $.02 in when i do something stupid. Im going to start next weekend with making a template, probably on roofing felt or masonite depending on the price. My goal is to get the whole project done for less than $300 including tools.
Admins- there should really be a warning on this site- “CAUTION- Entering this site my cause long term addiction to surfboard construction and be hazardous to your health”
Hey there Yankee surfer buy a blank some glass beg borrow some tools trash your parents garage…enjoy. All you guys that want to shape the perfect board in the perfect environment 1st time just have a go! I shaped my 1st on 2 saw horse’s in the backyard with no idea. Loved it. [ok it was a piece of shit]. Don’t be afraid. good luck.
Thanks for the positive support guys. Ive been on duty all week so i wasn’t able to get out and start shopping around for materials, but i did a good amount of research and planning. I have a couple of questions as well-
Blank- Im not sure whether i should buy a blank (ive been in contact with a few local shapers and they can hook me up with one) or uses Lowes EPS insulation. I would prefer to use the insulation, but Ive been told they only stock 1lb foam which is too light. When i called to find out the person who answered the phone had no idea what they were talking about and put me on hold for 20 min so i hung up. I’ll go in person this weekend.
Rocker- If i do go with the Lowes foam, should i saran wrap it to an old board and weight it down to get the rocker or cut slices with a rocker template and glue them together side by side. The side by side method would mean less foam to shape, i could get away with only sheet of foam, and i think the longitudinal strips of glue would add strength to the board. In a sense, they would act as a stinger (if my assumption that the glue is stronger than the foam is correct).
Glassing- I have decided to go with Greenroom cloth and resin because they are local (no shipping!) and i have heard good things about their stuff. I want to give the bottom a deep red color and i was hoping for some advice on how to get a nice even color. Will using too much pigment weaken the resin? I also considered painting the bottom right on the spackled foam and glassing over that, but I am worried that the resin wont get a good bond to the board that way.
Pinlines- As far as my pinlines go, I am planning to do that on top of my hot coat and cover it with kyrlon spray to protect it. It is my understanding that this is how …lost does all their graphics so i think it should work. Would a second hot coat over the pinlines be worth it?
Violent Exothermic Reaction!!!- Any advice on how to avoid this, its a new house and if i burn it to the ground im as good as dead.
I realize that this board wont be perfect (it may even be disastrous) but I want to put as much planning and prep into as possible. I’ll start posting some pictures as soon as i have something worth posting.
Rocker- If i do go with the Lowes foam, should i saran wrap it to an old board and weight it down to get the rocker or cut slices with a rocker template and glue them together side by side. The side by side method would mean less foam to shape, i could get away with only sheet of foam, and i think the longitudinal strips of glue would add strength to the board. In a sense, they would act as a stinger (if my assumption that the glue is stronger than the foam is correct).
hi im new here. planning on shaping my first in a bit, when i get the materials.
i was just wondering what you meant by the side by side method? i can’t quite picutre it. i’m really new to this so pardon my ignorance.
Basically what I’m planning to do it trace my rocker template onto a sheet of EPS 12 times. Than I will cut each of these cross sections out and glue them together side by side. Its kinda hard to explain without pictures, but I am going to Lowes this weekend to pick up the materials and start creating my blank the next weekend. I’ll post plenty of pics when I start working.
This is my first board too, but I think that this method will be better than gluing one sheet on top of the other and saran wrapping it to another board to get the rocker. The longitudinal gluing in the ‘side by side’ method will act like a stringer and add strength (i hope) and it will also give me a reference down the center. This is the plan at least, but if anybody has a better idea throw me some feedback.
They might appear to be more expensive initially, but you will find that your first boards will turn out better and be easier to shape if you start with a molded close tolerance blank. They are available in polyurethane (like Clark Foam - many manufacturers currently) and EPS. Marko or US Blanks are both sources for the molded style EPS blanks and they are both good quality foam.
For a first effort, IMO, a molded blank is really the only way to go. Just the stringer on a home made blank will be a headache. Anyone who has faced a big squared off rail knows what I’m talking about. Getting a decent deck dome and rail crown from a rectangular blank is so much extra work.
With a molded blank you would be able to get a nice shape with a minimum of tools. For a first effort, skip all the gluing, clamping, the electric plane, hot wire stuff and all that. Literally - a large serrated edge kitchen knife to cut outline, a mini plane for the stringer, a couple of sanding blocks (coarse and medium grit) and a soft pad with drywall screen could get you there.
Remember to get the correct resin for the foam you use… epoxy - either type, polyester - urethane only. To save on shipping costs, check what’s in stock at a local outlet or see if you could piggyback your blanks with one of their next orders.
PS - my recent buying experiences tell me that EVERYTHING - sandpaper, masking tape, brushes, etc seem to increase in price daily. Time is money but recycle what you can… jugs from the kitchen for mixing buckets, use cut up vinyl vertical blinds for squeegees, etc.
Yankee. I think the advice on just using a close tolerance blank is excellent. I you go the sheets of eps foam route, I think your over-thinking the rocker cutting. If you already have a board with the rocker you want, just measure it in a few places. Theres a current thread on how to do that, then as you foil the blocks of foam, take measurements and zero in on your desired rocker blending and smoothing constantly once your close. I honestly think the results will be the same.
oh i kind of get it. i missed the part where you’re planning to use a stringer… or are you? but yeah i know what you’re talking about. i was planning to do mine stringerless. i acknowledge the comments that a blank is better than getting a block of foam but the problem is i’m located in the philippines and i’ll have to make do with whatever’s available over here. it would definitely be more expensive if i ordered foam out of the country. just starting anyway so still gonna try to learn by experience. good luck on your board!
“…Basically what I’m planning to do it trace my rocker template onto a sheet of EPS 12 times. Than I will cut each of these cross sections out and glue them together side by side. Its kinda hard to explain…”
So you’re telling me that your surfboard blank is going to have 12 glue lines! Problem city…Foam and glue/stringers do not sand the same. You are going to have 12 high lines pissing you off with every move.
Listen to John ,Buy a close tolerance blank for the first board. trust me ,I’m gluing up my own now but it’s been a long road to get there…I’m not saying that you can’t do it. I just know first hand how much I learned on the first board and I’m glad I started with a close tolerance blank.
Thats a good point about the glue lines being harder to sand than the foam, I hadn’t thought of that. I think I am still going to try the Lowes foam though. Worst case scenario is I fail miserably, lose $25 worth of foam, a few hours of my time, and I buy a real blank from a local shaper.