i’m a new member to sway’s, but have been reading the forums for quite some time now. the work i see on here is inspiring and really has given me the urge to create. i love surfing (i mean, who doesn’t?), and have a nice little collection of boards in my garage, but something is missing. i feel like if i don’t shape my own board soon, i’m gonna start to go insane. it’s like some part of me is dying to get covered in foam dust and dull out all noises with a planer. so, naturally, i’m going to give into those urges. this is where you guys come in!
i’ve only shaped a few handplanes in my day, and am currently working on an alaia (made from poplar, which i only recently found out is NOT the best choice for one). i’m anxious to get to foam, but i have no idea with what shape to start with. i know i’m going to mess up a bunch on it, which is totally okay with me. so i want something easy to shape, and something easy to ride, the better to understand the dynamincs and physics of a surfbaord. i would love to make my own fins (keels and longboard fins only though, i don’t want to dabble too much with thruster sets), but if boxes are easier, so be it.
i was thinking a fish or mini simmons would probably be the best bet to start, something with easier bottom contours and rails, but what are your guys opinions?
There are two basic routes to choose: A - shape something complicated with everything (tint, cutlaps, finboxes, the whole 9 yards) it will probably not come out real great but you will learn alot.
B - (My advice) shape something really simple; like a small retro twin fin fish, use glass on fins. Way easier and higher probability of success. A lot less $ and simple all around.
My $0.02 is based on my extensive board making history of 2 boards (lol), but that may be a good perspective for you. Good thing my first one was a little nano simmons, the second one (a 8 ft long board) is finally done after about 4 months and a few close calls. I'm currently making the fins for it out of plywood. The pros make it look easy but I was struggling to get a 4-6 wet out before the epoxy started to gel.....(lol part deux). Also of course the FAQ thread at the top is a must read, also would recommend getting some of the DVD's out there. Above all - plan, budget, measure twice, cut once, relax, have fun, it's a real stoke generator to watch a board take shape in your own garage. Bonus points too if it floats!
thanks for the input everybody. i’m really pumped to start shaping. got another question for ya.
what’s a good planer to get? i’d love a skil 100 or a clark foam planer. butttt both are way out of my price range. what’s a good planer that’s relatively inexpensive and will hold me over for a while until i can afford something better?
I used 35 grit on a 4x10 piece of plywood and a surform, for the rough stuff. It goes pretty quick (I was shaping 2lb eps). I did make a little hotwire to do the outline and rail bands, hooked up to a router speed control and battery charger, but you could just cut the outline.
…I think if you want the simple way, you should make something “rounded” with no swallow tails, no double concaves, no channels, no wings, no s decks, no sharp rails.
do a squash tail, follow the blank lines or with eps, do a relaxed rocker.
Have a smooth and clean outline; check it many times.
Develop and eye for the natural curves.
Learn what´s the best tool to use in a particular situation.
Just finished shaping my first board, still need to glass it. Mine is a 6’10" 70’s style semi gun. To me the most difficult thing was keeping the rail rocker without bumps/breaks while doing the Vee bottom. Flat bottom would have been so much easier. Word of advice, if you are shaping outdoors, never ever leave a piece of foam unattended without some type of weight on top… trust me, a gust of wind will come out of nowhere and the blank will start to levitate…
thanks everybody. i’m definitely gonna keep it simple for the first shape.
IamSAW, that setup looks crazy. i don’t know if hotwiring is for me just yet though. hahahha
also, regarding supplies. where do you guys get blanks and glass etc? i’ve been looking at foam-ez, and if i can’t get a blank from my local shaper, i was just gonna get one of there intro board building kits. sound like a good idea, or should i take a different route? it’s just the kit has a decent price (roughly $200). shipping would suck though, i’d imagine. i don’t know many other suplliers out there though.
thanks everybody. i'm definitely gonna keep it simple for the first shape.
IamSAW, that setup looks crazy. i don't know if hotwiring is for me just yet though. hahahha
also, regarding supplies. where do you guys get blanks and glass etc? i've been looking at foam-ez, and if i can't get a blank from my local shaper, i was just gonna get one of there intro board building kits. sound like a good idea, or should i take a different route? it's just the kit has a decent price (roughly $200). shipping would suck though, i'd imagine. i don't know many other suplliers out there though.
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PointsEast, tell us where you are located, it will be easier to help you locate supplies...
I agree about trying to shape something similar to a board you already have or a friends board you like, you don't have to duplicate it but it gives you points of reference. Keep that board nearby when you are shaping, feel the rails, take tons of measurements and then adjust them to arrive at something you are happy with. Most of all don't get discouraged if your first board is a little less than perfect, you will have a blast riding it and you will be ready to make another before it dries from your first session. Good luck,and post some photos of your progress.
Here’s my 2 cents: plan on spending about what you would spend on a new off the racks surf shop board. It will be a long term investment and you will save a lot in the long run building your own boards. I believe that the most expensive tool is a poor quality one because it will have to be replaced with the good tool when it gets damaged. I bought the Bosch from Home Depot (1594k I think it is). Very important: make some good sturdy racks and make sure they are level. You will also need some lights, good sandpaper and a small block plane or spokeshave for the stringer (make sure it’s very sharp). Sanding blocks you can make yourself out of wood and yoga mats. If you are going to glass it and sand it, get a glasser’s squeegee, good tape, some razors and a low rpm sander/polisher. Leash plug and fin box, you will need a router. It all ads up$$$. For blanks, unless you plan on ordering 8 at a time, try to find a local supplier. Glass and resin, same thing. Fiberglass is always cheaper by the roll.
Shape a 70’s style single fin. Can’t really screw that up. You can get an unmodified hitachi planer for about $100 new or $30-$60 used (eBay, craigslist, etc). You will still use that even if you get a modified on or an old skil later on. Good luck have fun!
RAND, i’m on long island, approximately 35 miles from nyc. there’s 2 or 3 shapers in the area who would probably sell me materials and what not, maybe even lend me a shaping bay for it. but i’m not too sure about that yet, at all. and i’ll def being posting a ton of photos. everybody here is so chill and encouraging when it comes to work, and i’m excited to see what i come up with.
Take a trip to the shop in Belmar and grab a surf down here. We’ll walk you through the whole board building process and answer all the questions you might have. That’s what we’re here for.
Always glad to share the stoke of building and riding your own boards
i’ll def come down one of these days. got scrape some cash together. school plus an unpaid internship is killign the bank account as we speak. i’m glad there’s a supplier nearby though. i’m stoked to start building, and hopefully i’ll see you soon dude.
thanks everybody for all the suggestions. definitely gonna ask santa for some tools so hopefully i can start shaping before the spring comes. i’d love to have a board or two done before the summer so i can show off my ‘skills,’ if there are any there. hahaha
