Ahoy Swaylockians, I am interested in colorful surboards. I like it all. Resin tints/Resin abstracts, resin panels, airbrushing, Foam staining, pinlines, and anything you can think of really. I would like to know what kind of color work my fellow Swaylockians enjoy the most and would appreciate any history associated with the technique. I have a general sense of what techniques were popular when, but considering I am 25, I dont have much to reference except for pictures and old films( which are totally helpful) I would love to hear from those who have a deep knowledge of surfing history or those who have lived through the progression of surfboard building and the colorful techniques used to beautify boards. Would be sweet to hear from anyone who also has an interest in the progression and history of surfboard color. I am building a board currently that was inspired from transition era boards. Am I correct in thinking that a crazy resin abstract would pay homage to that era? P.S. I also love clear surfboards too!
Some of the transition boards had “crazy resin abstracts” and some had floral inlays.
I believe that, historically, the first use of color probably was an opaque tinted gloss coat in order to hide defects in the glass work. Pin-lines probably originated also to hide not so good cutlaps. Then, with shapers and glassers becoming more talented, colors and pinlines became ways to enhance the beauty of a board, not to hide mistakes. Real surfing historians will chime in and say if I am right or wrong.
My personal preferences go to resin tints/abstracts, cloth inlays, tinted gloss panels. The board pictured that I made two months ago has all three: floral cloth inlay on top (with pin-line), yellow-tinted resin lamination (bottom), red-tinted gloss panel (bolt symbol).
(Pre-viewing my post, photos still appear upside-down and twice; what am I doing wrong?)
[Quote=balsa] I believe that, historically, the first use of color probably was an opaque tinted gloss coat in order to hide defects in the glass work.
[/quote]
First off, it’s either an opaque or a tint. Can’t be both. Tints hide nothing. In fact, they often make flaws look worse.
Opaque glass jobs were done on the first foam boards that Hobie built to hide the defects in his foam. He and Grubby Clark hadn’t worked out the whole foam blowing process just yet, so the first batches (1957-58) had solid color glass jobs. They were called easter egg boards. A friend’s aunt has one. I have posted pics of it, here.
Edit: I doubt Hobie’s early boards even had a gloss coat. It was probably done in the lamination, or just a second hot coat after sanding out.
i have not ridden it yet as I just recently acquired it and it needs some repairs before it gets wet. Not to mention it’s been dreadfully flat on the east coast for months.
Yea. Spinout Specials from what I hear. I would like to try one of the modern versions DeadShaper is doing though. Looks like a fun time to give it a go.
Hi SammyA. Sorry for the use of the adjective “tinted”, I should have used “colored”. May I respectfully point out that I made my first board in 1969 and that I know the difference between a tint and a pigment? Also, “a second hot coat after sanding out” sounds like a gloss coat, doesn’t it?
Anyway, I’m glad that you confirmed my intuition that colors were used primarily in order to hide what lied beneath.
Remember: English is not my mother tongue. I may misuse words, sometimes. Sorry for that.
