So, this was the task at hand: To shape and glass our own board.
the challenges: Living in Israel, which meant: no close tolerance blanks that a backyard shaper could afford due to high shipping costs from Europe and US. and almost no guidance besides a DVD the coolest shaper in Israel (10x Hani) and this forum
now that I’m done complaining I will like to begin this photo journal of our efforts to shape a board starting from an empty whorehouse and hoping to reach the open water by the end of this journey.
I hope help other backyard shapers find solutions for shaping without the wonderful support of shaping oriented shops and websites and to repay my debt to all of those who helped so far and the ones who I will meet along the way.
In the next few days I will start uploading the pictures I already have so far and after that I will update as we go along.
[img_assist|nid=1049071|title=cutting to fit|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75][img_assist|nid=1049072|title=Welding the racks|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75][img_assist|nid=1049073|title=Basic rack shape|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
[img_assist|nid=1049070|title=The working space and metal bars|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]Week 1,
when we welded some metal bars into a shaping rack.
why not wood? well, we had metal bars and a welder, we didn’t have wood and nails. so we used what we had.
Well… it seems that learning to post photos on swaylocks is an inherent step in surfboard shaping.
I hope these will come out better:
[img_assist|nid=1049074|title=Checking for fit|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
[img_assist|nid=1049075|title=Placing some insulation|desc=we used heavy duty shipping nylon and mattress foam |link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
So, this was the task at hand: To shape and glass our own board.
the challenges: Living in Israel, which meant: no close tolerance blanks that a backyard shaper could afford due to high shipping costs from Europe and US. and almost no guidance besides a DVD the coolest shaper in Israel (10x Hani) and this forum
now that I'm done complaining I will like to begin this photo journal of our efforts to shape a board starting from an empty whorehouse and hoping to reach the open water by the end of this journey.
[/quote]
Sounds like a real challenge! I'm glad you chose an empty whorehouse, anyway, LOL! Keep us posted.
you guys really stoked me up to keep posting, so here it is.
here’s week 2 this week we continued the preparation as we completed the racks and prepared the the outline template
we used a 5’ 8" soul fish (not the one in the picture which is a 6’ 1" modern fish) from pravda surfs DVD “Surfboard shaping and design for beginners” the DVD is very helpful
but having to download Adobe freehand to print the templates was a drag
[img_assist|nid=1049079|title=Here is 5'8" soul fish template|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
The last comment was long so here are a few pictures un a single post.
what are you watching?
well, we had to cement the racks as sand would not hold them in the 4 gallon paint buckets we used. while waiting for the cement to harden (which was finally left to harden for a week) we cut the printed template onto some plywood and marked it. [img_assist|nid=1049080|title=cemented rack ready for hardening|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
[img_assist|nid=1049081|title=placing the template tiles|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
[img_assist|nid=1049082|title=cutting the outline|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
[img_assist|nid=1049083|title=the marked outline on the plywood|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=490|height=640]
note our surfboards and wetsuits on the right end of the picture dramatizing the constant dilemma on a stormy weekend: shape or surf.
Great post! Remember that after you have cut out your template, you are only half way there. It is critical that you sand the template edge to be sure you have a smooth curve; no dips or wows that you will pass along to the blank. Don’t trust your eye too much. Put the template on edge and “roll” it back and forth on a flat surface. You will feel the flat spots or bumps real quickly.
we cut out the template using a jigsaw and sureformed it only two pictures this time, I do have pictures of the whole process but I think this is pretty self explanatory.
[img_assist|nid=1049084|title=cutting the outline with a jigsaw|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
[img_assist|nid=1049085|title=The final outline after being sureformed sanded and marked|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=490|height=640]
one possible mistake though, too much cement, you could easily use half, you’ll regret it when you have to heft those around, put in car, loan to friends,etc.
I’m definitely looking forward to watching you progress, and taking notes the whole way.
I noticed you cut your template with a jigsaw, yet, I also notice that everyone I’ve seen do it, cuts their blank with a hacksaw. Is there a reason for this? Jigsaw too rough for the foam, causing tear-out? They simply do not have a jigsaw?