First of all let me say that I’m sure this question has been pounded in the ground a million times before so I want to apologize beforehand for the repetition. I was told by a friend that you guys could probably help me so here goes. I want to shape my first board but I really don’t have any first hand knowledge about shaping. I was hoping some of you might be able to point me in the right direction by volunteering some suggestions about books or videos that may be available. Or, if any of you professionals want to pass along some of your expertise, I would greatly appeciate it. I don’t want to turn this into a job of anything like that. I just thought it would be a fun and rewarding thing to do. Thanks, in advance, for your help.
Welcome to Swaylocks Newguy. JR is right on as to the vid shaping 101 and the book. Lots of useful info in both. You also may want to check out a new shaping tape from Damacus Productions not sure of the name, something like Master Shaper Series. Features Jim Phillips and is supposedly VERY detailed. Pricey but probably going to be worth every penny, going to get my copy soon. And not to mention, you have tapped into an unlimited and very unselfish bunch of craftsman right here. ANY question you might have regarding shaping or glassing or anything really can get an answer from these guys. Good luck and keep us posted. ed http://www.damacusproductions.com
I learned my stuff from three sources. 1) The guy I bought my blank and fiberglass from. He was cool and always took the time to answer my questions. So this means learning from firsthand experience. I feel that this is by far the best way to go about getting started. If you know of a local shaper call them up and feel him out and see if he might be willing to trade some knowledge for a case or two of the good stuff. 2) There is a book simply titled “Surfboard”. Extremely helpful but a tad vague in certain instances. 3) The internet. At the time I started (6years ago) there was bits of info hear and there. Some good tips on a certain site, some good tips on another. I just took whatever I could get and ran with it. NOWADAYS, pretty much all you have to do is type any subject into the search feature here at Swaylocks. GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN