…or so I hope…
Making this right now for a 192 lbs friend who plans to score some serious Guéthary waves. It’s 8’2" x 19 1/4" x 3 1/4" with some belly in the nose area flowing into deadly flat and a slight touch of V in the tail.
…Balsa, which is the foam choice?..
…and why a V between fins in a gun?
Great board mate.
I’m doing a semi gun at the moment.
This is the shape3d image, with a little decal my friend wants sprayed on it.
Hi Reverb! The foam is Techblankfoam (TBF). It’s a spanish company that’s distributed in France by Viral Surf. That foam is by far the very best I have shaped in a long time, extremely hard and still light. This 8’5"G blank also has a great foil, it was a pleasure to shape, as was the one I shaped before (8’5"M, suitable for minimal type boards). Complete line of blanks include: 6’1"S, 6’4"S, 6’5"S, 6’7"S, 6’10"S, (shortboards); 7’3"MG (minigun); 7’4"E (Evolutive, Hybrid, Big Guy); 7’9"M (minimalibu); 8’5"G, 8’5"M; 9’8"L (Longboard).
About the “V”: the board is a single fin, so I’m putting just a very slight touch of V in the tail for better rail to rail transition and also to help keep the tail in the water at high speed.
Hi Lavz! You should PM that to Chipfish, I’m sure he will like that decal very much… What are the board’s dimensions?
Hey balsa.
Yeah chip would be frothing.
Dimensions are: 7’2’’ x 19’’ x 2 3/8’'.
One of the better boards I’ve shaped so far.
I’m really pleased with the outline, foil and rails… I’ll get pics up when Im done.
L
i like it balsa. so sleek & a nice diamond tail too. a beautiful template for a singlefin.
Yeah, V under legs and just in front is good for keeping the board in the water and easy banking when going fast. You can lose it out the back, makes little diff there.
Your dimensions are better than my Plumeria 8’er, as it’s thicker to resist breakage, and narrower for easier banking in bigger surf.
As expected surf gets glassier, some shapers add double concave underfoot, but for gnarly big waves, keep it simple V with soft rails in front of front foot.
Thanks for your words of wisdom, Lee. It’s hard sometimes to explain to people why you don’t add any concave: concaves have become so common in most bottom configurations that people seem to frown at a simple, flat to V bottom. “Listen, how many glassy days do you think you will be riding with this board? Wind and chop are much more common in big waves. Let’s put some belly up front. You’ll thank me later…” When waves get serious, simpler is better, IMHO.
WHAT…!!!
We have a foam company at our country??? Since???
I must contact them. I’ve just found they are at CastroUrdiales, next to Bilbao. Quite far from here but…
Any chance to know some prices???
http://www.viralsurf.fr , Neira. You will find prices for blanks sold here in France. That should give you some indication and it might be a little bit less in Spain. Again, that foam is very good. You should try it.
…Balsa, my man, yeah a V in front yes, I dont understood V between side fins…but this one sports a single so its ok…
…I dont know about these foams…
thanks
Well…150€ for a 9’8" longboard blank is not cheap, but it’s affordable.
I love the template/plane shape. It reminds me of a single in I use to ride in the 70’s at the north shore. That board was a 7’6".
Tried new stuff yesterday: looks like rice paper but comes in 4" wide rolls with a wood print. Laminates OK:
Beautiful mate! Looks like another superb board… im jealous! 
That fakie wood stuff is brilliant!
Love your work B.
Ant
Thanks, Lavz.
BTW, rolls are 4’ wide, of course, not 4"… I mistyped…
Aha!!
The wall paper rolls with wood imprint. I’ve seen them in hardware stores. Once I asked the owner to give to me a piece for tests but he didn’t agree. He asked me to buy the whole roll and I quit.
I guess you had to wet both sides for lamming it, hadn’t you??
Neira, it ain’t no wallpaper, it’s much thinner and lighter than that. Pretty much like rice paper, actually.
I laminated it like fiberglass, not wetting the blank first, and it worked OK. I should have used the squeegee rather than a brush, though: chasing bubbles would have been easier. Also, maybe lighten resin with some styrene next time to make it more fluid…
LOVE it !!!
I want to use it for fins . [I wonder where I can get hold of THAT in Perth ?]
hey , did you have to cut it and remove a strip for the stringer to show , or HOW did you do that ??
cheers ,
ben
keep experimenting , and PHOTOGRAPHING the experiments , please , Bill …that’s what makes this place INTERESTING…