A friend of mine recently snapped his favorite board, a 9’8" stepdeck (which coincidentally says “Jim Phillips” on the bottom!) and asked me to try to shape him a copy (I’d offered to make him a board as a birthday present and this was his pick). I’ve never attempted a stepdeck and am wondering if anyone out there has tips to offer, ways NOT to do it, etc… Thanks in advance for any help!
A friend of mine recently snapped his favorite board, a 9’8" stepdeck > (which coincidentally says “Jim Phillips” on the bottom!) and > asked me to try to shape him a copy (I’d offered to make him a board as a > birthday present and this was his pick). I’ve never attempted a stepdeck > and am wondering if anyone out there has tips to offer, ways NOT to do it, > etc… Thanks in advance for any help! Just shape it and turn your rails then come back before fine sand and remove the meat in the nose after. I have shaped a few and it’s easy to blend in the step after your rails are turned. Mark out where the step is to start and with the planer closed move to the step from the nose opening the blade stopping at your marks. Then come back and do cross cuts to blend in… When cross cutting hit the stringer at a angle so not to blow out the wood… Or tell him a thinner overall LB will feel the same?? That way you don’t have to glass and sand it to??? I hope that helps good luck…
A friend of mine recently snapped his favorite board, a 9’8" stepdeck > (which coincidentally says “Jim Phillips” on the bottom!) and > asked me to try to shape him a copy (I’d offered to make him a board as a > birthday present and this was his pick). I’ve never attempted a stepdeck > and am wondering if anyone out there has tips to offer, ways NOT to do it, > etc… Thanks in advance for any help! It’s no accident that your friend’s stepdeck broke. I’ll bet a dollar to your dime that it snapped across the step. Step decks were the first attempts during the '60s to lighten the noses of fat longboards for turning. Todays higher performance longboard strengths rely on minimizing nose foil to the tapered thickness required for the nose not to snap, and no more. From the nose, step decks thicken to a thickness, then hold that thickness for a couple of feet. Then the foil steps up to a normal thickness. The thinned out neck, right in front of the step receives lots of torque, being a couple of feet from the nose… right where you’ve removed lots of stringer and foam. If you shape a normal longboard, then remove deck material, two feet from the nose… it’s an accident waiting to happen. You could use classic foam and three stringers, and shape an extra thick longboard. Then glass it EXTRA heavy, just like the original step-deck longboards. Such a board would probably have enough strength not to snap, but it would perform like the original step-deck boards… just better than an old wooden skeg, round bottom pig. Seeing that the only reason for step decks is looks, you might wanna talk your friend into ordering a normal performance longboard. Merry Christmas!
It’s no accident that your friend’s stepdeck broke. I’ll bet a dollar to > your dime that it snapped across the step. > Step decks were the first attempts during the '60s to lighten the noses of > fat longboards for turning. Todays higher performance longboard strengths > rely on minimizing nose foil to the tapered thickness required for the > nose not to snap, and no more. > From the nose, step decks thicken to a thickness, then hold that thickness > for a couple of feet. Then the foil steps up to a normal thickness. The > thinned out neck, right in front of the step receives lots of torque, > being a couple of feet from the nose… right where you’ve removed lots of > stringer and foam. If you shape a normal longboard, then remove deck > material, two feet from the nose… it’s an accident waiting to happen. > You could use classic foam and three stringers, and shape an extra thick > longboard. Then glass it EXTRA heavy, just like the original step-deck > longboards. Such a board would probably have enough strength not to snap, > but it would perform like the original step-deck boards… just better > than an old wooden skeg, round bottom pig. > Seeing that the only reason for step decks is looks, you might wanna talk > your friend into ordering a normal performance longboard. > Merry Christmas! Thanks Noodle & Rob for the comments, much appreciated. Actually the board snapped almost exactly in half, way back from the step (we’ve had big waves here at the Cliffs!) so I don’t fault the stepdeck for that. I would be happier making him a standard board but what-the-heck its a present so I don’t feel like arguing him into something else. I did order a triple stringer blank already as my buddy has broken several boards (including one I loaned him!) so I think he needs the extra wood. The heavy glass is a good idea too, I was thinking double six top & bottom with a knee/stomp patch on the deck. Thanks again and Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas all you Swaylockers!
Thanks Noodle & Rob for the comments, much appreciated. Actually the > board snapped almost exactly in half, way back from the step (we’ve had > big waves here at the Cliffs!) so I don’t fault the stepdeck for that. I > would be happier making him a standard board but what-the-heck its a > present so I don’t feel like arguing him into something else. I did order > a triple stringer blank already as my buddy has broken several boards > (including one I loaned him!) so I think he needs the extra wood. The > heavy glass is a good idea too, I was thinking double six top & bottom > with a knee/stomp patch on the deck. Thanks again and Ho Ho Ho Merry > Christmas all you Swaylockers! go ahead and go for it!I currently have a stepdeck, and have had nothing but for years, and never did one break, and i have ridden waves in the 10’plus range on them.all were glassed with volan, most being double 6 top, with knee patch, and single 6 bottom.finally,stepdecks DO work as intended and feel so good.for longboarding, i’ll take a stepdeck over anything else.
The one big mistake is to make the step itself too dramatic. Start with a gradual decline in thickness at the break of the step, then taper it more severely as you move towards the tip. The weakest stepdecks are the ones that carry nearly the same thinness from the tip all the way back to the step. It makes a weak spot right at the step, as you can imagine. Also, don’t use a deckpatch that ends right at the step. That’s another weak point. Either run it just past the step, or stop 6 or 8 inches before the step.
The one big mistake is to make the step itself too dramatic. Start with a > gradual decline in thickness at the break of the step, then taper it more > severely as you move towards the tip. The weakest stepdecks are the ones > that carry nearly the same thinness from the tip all the way back to the > step. It makes a weak spot right at the step, as you can imagine. Also, > don’t use a deckpatch that ends right at the step. That’s another weak > point. Either run it just past the step, or stop 6 or 8 inches before the > step. Sounds like sage advice. I’m trying to copy the board as faithfully as possible and it has a fairly subtle stepdeck, unlike some I’ve seen which have a noticeable ledge… hadn’t thought about the deckpatch going that far up though. Certainly would add some strength… Thanks and Mele kalikimaka!
Sounds like sage advice. I’m trying to copy the board as faithfully as > possible and it has a fairly subtle stepdeck, unlike some I’ve seen which > have a noticeable ledge… hadn’t thought about the deckpatch going that > far up though. Certainly would add some strength… Thanks and Mele > kalikimaka! I have a stepdeck shaped by Doug Haut in Santa Cruz. He calls them bumbs. I wanted mine to work like they are designed to work. The rocker is suppost to flatten out when you are on the nose. I had mine glassed with 10 oz. top and bottem. This makes the board strong but allows it to flex. The step starts about 1/3 of the way back from the nose. Mine is 10’6" and has only one stringer that is 1/4 inch. Putting 3 stringer in a stepdeck is not getting all of what the board can give you out of the board. I know it was started to make the nose lighter, but once they found out that it also alowed you to put more rocker in and still get the nose rider that you would get from a flatter board, they found that they had a key that would open some great doors. If it snaps it snaps who wants a board that is not surfable but it will not snap? not me.
A friend of mine recently snapped his favorite board, a 9’8" stepdeck > (which coincidentally says “Jim Phillips” on the bottom!) and > asked me to try to shape him a copy (I’d offered to make him a board as a > birthday present and this was his pick). I’ve never attempted a stepdeck > and am wondering if anyone out there has tips to offer, ways NOT to do it, > etc… Thanks in advance for any help! Keith, what label was it wearing, if it is a Surfboards Hawaii Model “A” or triple A, it would snap infront of the offsets. Regular stringers don’t tend to snap on the step, (I don’t let the step go out to the rail line). John Price had a loft full of snapped Model A’s that he never wanted the public to see again. I like thin boards, so I don’t too often make myself step decks, but for bigger guys the lighter nose on a thicker board, livens up the for them.
Keith, what label was it wearing, if it is a Surfboards Hawaii Model > “A” or triple A, it would snap infront of the offsets. Regular > stringers don’t tend to snap on the step, (I don’t let the step go out to > the rail line). John Price had a loft full of snapped Model A’s that he > never wanted the public to see again. I like thin boards, so I don’t too > often make myself step decks, but for bigger guys the lighter nose on a > thicker board, livens up the for them. Allright…Jim Da Man is back.Damascus is getting your video on D.V.D…shipping all over the world…R.B.
The one big mistake is to make the step itself too dramatic. Start with a > gradual decline in thickness at the break of the step, then taper it more > severely as you move towards the tip. The weakest stepdecks are the ones > that carry nearly the same thinness from the tip all the way back to the > step. It makes a weak spot right at the step, as you can imagine. Also, > don’t use a deckpatch that ends right at the step. That’s another weak > point. Either run it just past the step, or stop 6 or 8 inches before the > step. This was the bane of the original Surfboards Hawaii steps decks, the top lamination had one piece of cloth cut short at the step and the bottom lam was cut short at the same place, lots of flex, lots of snap, crackle and pop.
Keith, what label was it wearing, if it is a Surfboards Hawaii Model > “A” or triple A, it would snap infront of the offsets. Regular > stringers don’t tend to snap on the step, (I don’t let the step go out to > the rail line). John Price had a loft full of snapped Model A’s that he > never wanted the public to see again. I like thin boards, so I don’t too > often make myself step decks, but for bigger guys the lighter nose on a > thicker board, livens up the for them. Hi Jim - it’s a South Coast board 2+1 setup w/ nice color & pinlines. Not sure if you shaped it but the name is spelled the same so I figured it might have been one of yours. Prob. 5-8 yrs old I’m guessing.
Hi Jim - it’s a South Coast board 2+1 setup w/ nice color & pinlines. > Not sure if you shaped it but the name is spelled the same so I figured it > might have been one of yours. Prob. 5-8 yrs old I’m guessing. 2 stringers about 6" apart? Long step, 46"?
2 stringers about 6" apart? Long step, 46"? It’s a single stringer, various panels of blue on the deck, and I haven’t measured the length of the step but it might be that long…
It’s a single stringer, various panels of blue on the deck, and I haven’t > measured the length of the step but it might be that long… I have 2 step decks in the glass shop now. Both are 11’0",one is ala Triple “A”, 3/4" balsa center stick, with 3/8" cedar offsets, clear volan. Theother is a “Copy Cat”, very Nollish, but with my own take on it, 1" balsa center, colored botdecktom, clear volan deck. I get the “Giant Work”, Brewer has me doing 4 “beasts” out of the 12’3", with the most forked rocker imaginable. The tails are glued with about 6-8" of extra rocker and the blanks have 3/4" t-band offsets. After skinning and just barely cleaning up the bottoms, I then knock off all that extra rocker from the deck, fortunately the tail is about 3 1/2" thick after cutting to length, so I can tune it to a reasonible configuration. As pops used to say “the devil hates a coward”
I have 2 step decks in the glass shop now. Both are 11’0",one is ala > Triple “A”, 3/4" balsa center stick, with 3/8" cedar > offsets, clear volan. Theother is a “Copy Cat”, very Nollish, > but with my own take on it, 1" balsa center, colored botdecktom, > clear volan deck. I get the “Giant Work”, Brewer has me doing 4 > “beasts” out of the 12’3", with the most forked rocker > imaginable. The tails are glued with about 6-8" of extra rocker and > the blanks have 3/4" t-band offsets. After skinning and just barely > cleaning up the bottoms, I then knock off all that extra rocker from the > deck, fortunately the tail is about 3 1/2" thick after cutting to > length, so I can tune it to a reasonible configuration. As pops used to > say “the devil hates a coward” Good grief, who’s going to ride those things? Sounds like a lot of work. By the way I just got your shaping video for Xmas and am learning a lot from it. Lately what’s been giving me the most grief is stringer work up by the nose – even with a spoke shave it gives me fits. Happy Holidays!!