ok, i’m gonna take the big leap and go for the first board- i’m only 16 but have ordered many customs and work at a shop, so i know a lot about boards. what are the bare essentail tools, do i need a planer- or can i rent one from some place locally. i figure surform, sanding screens, planes, calipers?and some extras. also what’s a good shape to start with? a single fin retro style? a shortboard/mini gun around 6’6" which would fill a void in my quiver or any others? i know its probably in the archives but the search function doesn’t work very well- oh yeah what about a shaping racks? are there any cheap ways of getting around it? thanks, dave
You will be able to find a list of tools, info on lighting, etc. Get some material on the subject as well. Books, or if you can afford it get the JC shaping 101 video, and JC glassing 101 videos. There are links to them on the resource page. Good luck.
the archive sucks…plain and simple, it will not search correctly. i’ve tried, i do everytime before i post- so could anyone else take some time to help me out personally?
Here is a link to a list of tools from the archive. Not all of them listed are necessary. I would suggest to start with, get a close tolerance blank. Check out the clark catalog and find a blank that fits the dimensions, rocker, thickness, foil, you want to ride. If you do this you can get by with some simple hand tools: Handsaw, surform, block plane, drywall screen and foam pad, and tape measure. There are no absolutes to shaping. Once you do a few you’ll figure out what tools would help you out, before you go out and spend your flow. Again, I would suggest you get the JC Videos. They are general but will give you a good idea as to what to expect. They will also give you some good information on concepts like planeshape, rocker, foil and their relationship to one another. But since you work in a surf shop you probably know all about that stuff. Good Luck. http://www.swaylocks.com/discussion/archive/index.cgi?review=4693
the archive sucks…plain and simple, it will not search correctly. what seach term(s) exactly did you enter?
Here is a cheap rack method. Take two 5 gallon buckets, buy a bag of quickcrete, and three 8’ 2x4s (get the cheap stuff). Cut your 2x4s to desired height a little lower than waist high. Cut two per bucket (4), screw them together so you basically have a 4x4. Mix your concrete and split the batch between the two buckets. Stick your 4x4 in the middle of the bucket, get a level to make sure your 4x4 is perpendicular to the floor. Let them both set up. Once they are set cut some 2x4s so they make the shape of a U. The bottom board should be about 8 to 10" long and the two pieces sticking up should be about 8 to 10" long (you are basically making a small football goal post, the depth of which all depends on what kinds of boards you are going to shape. But 8 to 10" should do you good). Screw your U shape on top of 4x4, then wrap with padding and or carpet. That’s it. What I like about these racks is that when you put your blank in them on rail you can rotate the racks in opposite directions and it clamps your blank down when doing rail work. It would be a lot easier to show you, it sounds hard but it’s not. You could always get some saw horses, but they will overlap your planeshape, and might be a hassle.
The honest guys who take someone at their word and try to help, or the sh-t talkin’ 5 year olds who find their way onto every board on the internet? Some of them even persist after being exposed. Is there some way to oust 'em?
thanks noodle!!! that’s exactly what i was trying to do- i asked for some advice because on my computer the search will not function correctly, maybe it’s because i’m running an ibook and not some computer influenced by a dictator. the thing is, i know what i’m doing somewhat in a shaping room. but i need advice on what type of board to start out on, and tools and shaping racks. mike d. did an excellent job helping me, anymore advice just shoot- mahalo.
ok, i’m gonna take the big leap and go for the first board- i’m only 16 > but have ordered many customs and work at a shop, so i know a lot about > boards. what are the bare essentail tools, do i need a planer- or can i > rent one from some place locally. i figure surform, sanding screens, > planes, calipers?and some extras. also what’s a good shape to start with? > a single fin retro style? a shortboard/mini gun around 6’6" which > would fill a void in my quiver or any others? i know its probably in the > archives but the search function doesn’t work very well- oh yeah what > about a shaping racks? are there any cheap ways of getting around it? > thanks, dave Dave, Mesure twice…mesure again, then cut once. You can’t put it back once you take it off. Be very carful and work slowly and in a calculated way. (especially if you are working on a close tolerance blank.) Most of all have Fun! If you know alocal shaper I’ve found them to be forthright and willing to help than in the old days where you had to sweep out the shop for a year befor you were even allowed in the factory work area. JC video’s are a good referance. This is just general ifo as all others have given good tips. JC
ok, i’m gonna take the big leap and go for the first board- i’m only 16 > but have ordered many customs and work at a shop, so i know a lot about > boards. what are the bare essentail tools, do i need a planer- or can i > rent one from some place locally. i figure surform, sanding screens, > planes, calipers?and some extras. also what’s a good shape to start with? > a single fin retro style? a shortboard/mini gun around 6’6" which > would fill a void in my quiver or any others? i know its probably in the > archives but the search function doesn’t work very well- oh yeah what > about a shaping racks? are there any cheap ways of getting around it? > thanks, dave Allow me to translate: “I think I’m a stupid little kid. However, I think I’m an expert because I work at a surf shop and own a quiver of boards. I’m gonna build my first board, and even though I’m an expert, I have no idea what kinda board I want. I know it takes a lot of reading and practice to learn this stuff. I would read the archives, but Swaylock sucks. Could somebody take a few days and write down what kinda board I want and how to build it?” You aren’t who you pretend to be. Whoever you are, I don’t care. Get lost.
Why would someone pretend to be something they are not? It makes no sense. Now the next time a so-called beginner wants info, people will think twice about taking time out to help. I guess I’m the supidest one, for wanting to share info with some kook about something I love to do, build boards. I’m gonna go take a shower now, I feel dirty.
No amount of reading or video tapes are going to take the place of mowing one yourself. It is not going to be perfect, so one key to success is not to expect it to be. I’d start with a funboard shape, say 7’6" to 8’. You can make more mistakes with a larger board and get away with it ‘cause you’ve got lotsa float. Go to a shop and take some measurements on various sticks: width 1’ down from the nose, 1’ up from the tail, at the middle, at the wide spot. Measure the distance from the wide spot to the middle to see if its forward or back. You’ll find that there isn’t a whole lot of variation or that just a little variation makes a large visual difference. Template: steal it from the blank. Trace the curve onto a piece of masonite, cut it out and smooth the edge with a surform. Put 2/3s of the curve from the tip on one side of the masonite and flip it over put 2/3 of the curve from the tail on the other side. Now you’ve got the the curve for an 8’ blank on 5’ piece of masonite. Cool huh!! Skim the crust off the blank. Not too deep, only about 1/8th of an inch. Now its clean and white and the basic shape of the blank is still there. Put your selected widths, measured from the stringer on the bottom (the top has too much rail to rail curve or dome). Connect the dots with your masonite template. Do the other side the same way making sure you use the same portion of the template for both sides. Cut out the outline with a handsaw. Make damn sure you’re making the cuts vertical or you will end up with dips and doodles in the outline. This is the most important part of getting the outline right. It took me 5 boards before I got this down. Adjust the thickness by cutting the bottom. That keeps the denser foam close to the deck where it will help resist pressure dings. Steal the rocker from the blank. Try to take it down evenly. A little bit at a time using long strokes from nose to tail. Check each pass. If you take too much off on a portion of the bottom, the finished board will have a visable warp. This will get you started. I’d stay away from power tools until you’ve done two or three board and have a feel for foam. Take your time. A couple of days isn’t to much. If you screw up, turn your fun board into a short board. If you’re still screwing up turn it into a kneeboard! I have made at least 100 boards and they still don’t look as good as the pros, but they work. There is nothing, I mean nothing, like paddleing into a wave for the first time on your own stick…Even a total failure is a success 'cause you know what not to do the next time.
Allow me to translate:>>> “I think I’m a stupid little kid. However, I think I’m an expert > because I work at a surf shop and own a quiver of boards. I’m gonna build > my first board, and even though I’m an expert, I have no idea what kinda > board I want. I know it takes a lot of reading and practice to learn this > stuff. I would read the archives, but Swaylock sucks. Could somebody take > a few days and write down what kinda board I want and how to build > it?”>>> You aren’t who you pretend to be. Whoever you are, I don’t care.>>> Get lost. Noodle…don’t hold back on this guy…tell him what you really think! JC
you are far from dirty, mike d., you’re just generous in a real non-cynical way. it’s funny that it would be you and Noodle in this thread, because i think both of you are among the sharingest (if that’s a word) guys here, i’ve seen you guys actually go to work for people a bunch of times. you guys are goodwill ambassadors, Noodle just likes to keep the grounds a little cleaner, if you get my drift. go turn off the water, you don’t need it.>>> Why would someone pretend to be something they are not? It makes no sense. > Now the next time a so-called beginner wants info, people will think twice > about taking time out to help. I guess I’m the supidest one, for wanting > to share info with some kook about something I love to do, build boards. > I’m gonna go take a shower now, I feel dirty.
let’s say someone coming to the archives for the first time wants to search for a thread just like this 'first time shaper’one (not knowing it exists, of course). looking at this thread, what would be the ideal approach or search strings to get your archive search tool to zero in on it? does it look at subject lines first or at all. or does it go straight and only to post content. i’d like to sharpen my archive search skills, if possible. thanks!
many thanks, for those who helped me. its sad that you guys have to vibe a guy over the internet. i was looking for some help because the search page doesn’t load as i said before. hopefully you’ll get out into the water soon, because noodle and the others sound like they really need it. i’m getting the blank this weekend and going to start hackin soon after. i copied a template from a board that i would like, (aprox) and have all my tools in order, the shaping racks being built. wooohoooo i’m stoked.
Ramon, good question. My experience is that it looks at the subject title first and then the content of the post(s). It will pull up the entire thread. You can type in multiple words to narrow your seach. I find that the more words you type the better. I typed in “first time shaper” and “beginning shaper” and I got a bunch of threads on the subject. One thing to keep in mind is that the server is pretty slow with returning results (it is after all searching through 15000+ records.). One last thing for a refined search – click on the archives link at the top of the forum and you will get a search form. There is a line in the form that reads: Messages containing any/all of the following keywords: if you choose “all” that means the search will only return results that contain all of the words you enter. hope that helps,
Dave, I usually let things like this slide cause I really don’t have the time to get involved – but your attitude is so laim and passive aggressive that I have to respond. This is how I saw things unfold: you posted a legitimate question. Mike D posted a legitimate response, suggesting you look in the archives. (a very common suggestion around here.) You wrote back and said that “the archive sucks…plain and simple, it will not search correctly.” Well, in case you didn’t notice, you were the one who “vibed” first – no one vibed you out of the blue. Vibes of any sort are quickly responded to around here – usually with a vibe in return or just as commonly, good will, as you saw with some of those very gracious answers to your original question(s). I got into your question because a faulty search mechanism on my site is something I want to know about. I asked you what you typed in but you didn’t write me back. I still don’t have any real sense of the kind of problems you are having with the seach function. I still want to know what is going wrong for you – so please write back here or me personally and explain what is happening when you try to search. Just in case you think the search function still sucks you should know that in three years time and 16,000 posts later, I haven’t read ONE POST from a person having dificulty with the search function. Finally, welcome to Swaylock’s>>> many thanks, for those who helped me. its sad that you guys have to vibe a > guy over the internet. i was looking for some help because the search page > doesn’t load as i said before. hopefully you’ll get out into the water > soon, because noodle and the others sound like they really need it. i’m > getting the blank this weekend and going to start hackin soon after. i > copied a template from a board that i would like, (aprox) and have all my > tools in order, the shaping racks being built. wooohoooo i’m stoked.