The Next Generation

General Discussion
1

in the last 3 years since i scaled my business back and decided to work from home , ive been spending way more time with my sons …

the oldest boy in that time has been discovering my power tools 1 by 1 …

first up he discovered my drill coz i was using it heaps to set up , "screw goes , screw goes out " i would hear him singing as hes playing with it , then hes joining bits of wood together , then he realises he can build something , so he asks to build a work bench for himself , so i point to a pile of scrap wood and say have a go …

ok , so its rickety , and it was built by a 7 year old , but we still use it to this day so it functions …

then he discovered my jigsaw , started cutting off the scrap bits after i had cut fins , then discovered the circle maker and i eventually got him cutting fins out …

then he wanted to play with my router and write his name in a piece of wood …

when he discovers a new tool he just gets fixated with it till hes exhausted all possibilities …

so not long ago he wants to play with my planer …

na , no way , "your not hacking into wood with it , its for foam and light stuff "…

he asked for an old board to work on with it …

no way "your not hacking raw glass with it " i say …

its great to have the kids close by , but they can really get in your face when your busy sometimes …

so im doing some resin work and he asks me about 2 ex team longboards that have been jammed in the corner of the ding bay , both snapped and beyond repair with glass peeled off and bits missing …

i say yea they can get thrown out …

he asks if he can cut them up so the pieces fit in the bin …

" yep you know what to do "i say …

so he drags them into the shaping bay and i hear the jigsaw running , he cuts out the boxes on one and i see him walk past with a few pieces to the bin …

next i hear my planer running and its hitting something hard , i freak and bolt around the corner , theres half a board on the stands and there he is with the planer cleaning up where he had cut with the jigsaw …

i yell out “STOP , what are you doing ?”

he pulls the half off the stands places it on the ground next to another piece from a different board and says " look dad i can get the back of this board and put it with the front of that board and i can have my own longboard you were going to throw them away anyway "…

im standing there thinking , wow im gonna give the kid some credit for this one…

i offer to help with planing a clean join line ,then he says " no dad coz you always take over , i want to do this myself , you can only help if i ask !" …

so i stand there and watch him , while he trys to plane , then i get a " dad can you hold this so i can use both hands to hold the planer "

every day after school , and on weekends hes there asking more questions , sometimes im busy so i tell him to go ask nick the guy who does our repairs …

so the other day im watching him glassing it up and im thinking wow hes really doing this so i go get my camera …

hes since discoverd my sander as well and already knows the pain of the sand through ,hes even got the whole vac bag thing fully worked out , but ive been most impressed with his independance and his willingness to handle power tools , hes just turned 10 and when i was his age i would run if someone started up a loud tool that looked dangerous …

i wish i had taken pics from the begining , but honestly didnt think it would ammount to anything …

but now i can see a real board with all the curves in the right place , so i will keep a few more progress pics coming and see what the final result is …

he managed to get an 8’-1" out of two 9’-2" s …

one amazing thing about what happened was the 2 boards are about 12 years appart in the original production dates and yet the 2 halves had exactly the same rail profiles and thicknesses …

hes been longboard crazy lately with all the pro action weve had over here , and he really looks up to some of the team guys (oh no!!!) so hes stoked to have 2 ex team boards as his own …

now its got me thinking , if they turn out this good , i might have to talk the Mrs into a breeding our new work force …

after 3 years of hearing the various discussions with customers and team riders ,and hearing the sales pitch many times , and then between answering the phone , checking invoices and marking off all the stock that has arrived , pricing things up and making signs , and now actually getting his hands dirty in a big way …

im actually gonna claim im proud of the little guy …

i think hes got take over plans happening …

keep you guys posted with update pics …


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2

That’s a beautiful thing Bert.

Sounds like a great kid. And great kids usually are the products of great parents. You should be very proud!

Cheap labor to. He can be your sander!

One question, though, where’s his respirator?

Drew

3

epoxy resin …

so many exhaust fans in the place , you cant close the door when there all running …

i can sand a board and not get dust above my waist …

good ventilation and resin without solvents makes for a way more comfortable work enviroment …

regards

BERT

4

i might have to talk the Mrs into a breeding our new work force …

Now THAT’S classic!!!

I’d be seriously proud.

5

Thats amazing! He looks like he does really great work. I’ve spent the last 10 years working with 12-13 year olds and I’ve sendom seen one to be able to pay so much attention to detail. Where he cut in the new balsa looks great. At first I couldn’t tell where it was joined.

6

Bert, this is awesome. I’d be turning cartwheels. You must be so stoked for him. And hey, liking the longboards ain’t that bad!!!

My boys have been in the workshop with me since they could stand. They don’t know crap about surfboards yet, because I hardly do, but we’re all good carpenters. They’ve got their own tool boxes & belts and they drive lots of screws for me plus build their own toys. Cars, airplanes, boats… everything’s wood. They’re 5 & 7…but no planers or routers for a while still :slight_smile:

7

That’s awesome Bert. Your kid probabaly shapes and glasses better than me. I just can’t get over those little shaping racks…its unreal. I hope to see your kid in swaylocks one day.

Rio

8

Hey! that’s great Bert. It’s a wounderful thing when you come home and your tools are spread all over the floor and there’s a whole pack of sandpaper gone, but hey! he built himself a new skateboard. There was another time that I bought 4 sheets of plywood for some new cabinets, I came home from work, the sheets of plywood were gone but I had a new skateboard ramp in my backyard made out of this really nice birch ply decorated with Volcom stickers. I was really pissed off at first, but my wife came out, gave me a beer and I just grabed my skateboard and joined in. Kids are amazing! I even got my daughter to work sander and use the drill. I can’t wait till they start driving, F#######k!!!

Manuia! (to your health)

Poe Rava

9

Hey Bert,

Beautiful thing to share mate!

My son could care less about the water or anything associated with it. You and your boy will be tight for many years and he may teach you a few things along the way that will bring big surprises. Nothing like having a fresh mind around – only one bit of advice from this end. Help him build good protection habits. Some kids tend to be very cavalier with toxins. NO need to be harsh, a gentle reminder and a good example go a long way.

Livin’ the dream, Rich

P.S. have a look at Trace #3 and tell me what you think it needs mate. I’ve gotten some great rides on on it but when I take of on a steep wall and try and set the rail it doesn’t hold. You know what happens. I have some thoughts about fin changes (possible additions etc.) but I’m still brain storming.

10

Bert,

You are one lucky man! I am very stoked for you and your son.

Last month I was in the garage building my new glassing racks. As I was tightening down the carriage bolts I heard a ratcheting sound on the rack behind me. “Whatcha doing?” I asked my 3 1/2 year old. He said, “I’m helping you dad.” With a big grin. He picked up the socket wrench from the bench and just started tightening away. I had the biggest Chesire Cat grin for the rest of the day.

I guess all those plastic Bob the Builder construction sets have payed off.

11

I was so stoked when my son’s followed in my sandy footsteps and then they took an interest in the shaping room and I was so proud ! I think I know how you feel !

Stevo

12

Ocean water can be a better than adhesive than glue. I don’t think my dad and i wou;d be half as close as we are if it weren’t for riding waves. He shaped a board in 1969 35years later i start shaping my first board

13

You’re a lucky man Bert. And your son is a very lucky guy too.

I hope he knows, if he’s having fun now, and he sticks with it, he can have this much fun for the rest of his life.

What a thought. Make sure he knows.

And in the end Bert, you will both have the ride of your life.

14

Nearly brought a tear to my eye! well done!!!

15

Very very cool. My oldest girl has no interest in surfing. She likes to cut up wood and hammer it together, though. Whatever the current fantasy is. Huck Finn’s raft, dog house, time machine. My youngest daughter wants to surf and help me build a board. She doing Jr. Life Guards this summer. Next, is the board. I’m a hack. Your kid is lucky he has a real board builder to encourage his interest. Nice, Burt. Mike

16

your right rich about learning things from him …

he has this logic that blows me away , and comes up with variations of ideas that would never have crossed my mind , i quite often talk out loud when im problem solving , so he hears the problem as im going over it , and then from nowhere he makes a suggestion and has the answer …

hes so far ahead of where i was at his age its scary …

and dan , your right about his attention to detail ,i remember getting my car resprayed when he was about 4 years old , he came with me to pick it up … as im talking to the panel beater / spray painter , the boy is walking around the car and pointing to defects in the paint work , saying " this bit is rough, and that bit is no good , and here , and here , and there " hes walking around the car picking up every bit where there was a paint chip in the old paint work but hadnt been properly puttied and primed before the new coat …

the guys who had done the job couldnt believe that a 4 year old could even comprehend a level of quality let alone notice what was what …

being a perfectionist has its good and bad side , my one challenge at the moment is helping him to understand peoples limitations and to deal with mistakes and mis understandings others have …

hes like a walking computer and remembers every input , he expects to high a standard from others and gets totally angry at what most would consider an insignificant thing, so while its a good thing to set high standards i always have to remind him to respect the space of others …

the most ironic thing is they are a reflection of us , so they teach us more about ourselves than we could other wise realise …

heres the latest , he wanted to do new wood in the deck where the 2 halves joined , but i talked him out of it …

i just told him to do a few extra patches of glass instead , so im already teaching him dodgy shortcuts , hes got the whole thing sanded now and it needs a few sandthroughs fixed here and there , im curious to see how he finishes it …

im making a point of keeping my distance now , im almost hoping its not perfect , coz hes always giving our ding repairer the tital of Mr Dodgy , so even nick is eagerly awaiting the finished product , hoping he can pass his title on to the new factory grommet …

we had a great surf together this afternoon as well , perfect waist high waves , small enough for him to be out the back …

hey hows the difference in colour between 13 year old epoxy and 1 year old epoxy ??

i really never took that much notice before , coz its wood you expect it to be a brownish tinge …

regards

BERT

17
Quote:

Hey! that’s great Bert. It’s a wounderful thing when you come home and your tools are spread all over the floor and there’s a whole pack of sandpaper gone, but hey! he built himself a new skateboard. There was another time that I bought 4 sheets of plywood for some new cabinets, I came home from work, the sheets of plywood were gone but I had a new skateboard ramp in my backyard made out of this really nice birch ply decorated with Volcom stickers. I was really pissed off at first, but my wife came out, gave me a beer and I just grabed my skateboard and joined in. Kids are amazing! I even got my daughter to work sander and use the drill. I can’t wait till they start driving, F#######k!!!

Manuia! (to your health)

Poe Rava

Should’ve done what my dad did… well, actually, he didn’t do anything. I knew better then to touch the wood he was going to use… I use all his tools now and put them up EXACTLY where they belong.

And I’m driving too… wow, what a coincidence…

I don’t know where I was going with that.