Haven’t posted here in a while, or all that much total, but thought I’d throw up a picture of my first board, in its early stages. Visiting family in Canada, and doing a couple boards while I’m here. Spent one week here, then the past week in France and Italy, so this board is going pretty slowly…
5’10 x 21 1/2 x 2 5/8
Just based the outline roughly on another fish of mine, shortened it by 3 inches, drew it up, cut it out with a bandsaw, skinned it with a power planer, and did the rest with a sureform. Gotta start the sanding tonight, and hopefully start glassing tomorrow.
though your photo doesn’t show it, shaping will put foam dust EVERYWHERE. And it looks like such a nice room, though with LOTS of places where de-dusting will be a hassle. I shape outside… no cleanup issues there.
There was a thread (yesterday?) about the ideal workshop. My first thing for such a room is Easy Clean Out. I’d like to be able to simply run the hose and wash everything out. Maybe a little compressed air to blow out shelves, etc.
Dad wasn’t too impressed, but I cleaned it up pretty well. Plan to throw plastic sheets over the gear along the far wall and over much of the tool bench before getting into the next stage.
What are the dimensions , and what fin [?single?!] will you be going with ?
good to hear from ya mate ! …how’s the surf been in Japan lately ? and have you met “Yoshio” yet ?
ben
[while I’ve got you there …would you mind at all posting on the "what does a board cost You to make " thread , please ? …I’d be keen to hear the materials cost breakdown …
Haven’t been in Japan for 2 weeks now, so I can’t say firsthand how the surf has been during that time, but got some pretty large surf the weekend before I left. Spent a couple days sleeping in my van above a right reef that was picking up every drop of swell, and minimal crowds (for Japan). No other goofy footers out (??). Unbelievable weekend.
Had one great day of surf here in Canada, and a few other small days. First day out it was COLD though. Had a rough session in a 4/3, boots and gloves, and had to pull out the 5/4 hooded Q Cell the next day - in late July! Has gotten warmer though.
Been surfing nothing but the 6’1 Mandala canard quad that Manny made me, and I am absolutely loving it! It’s my first fish, and the speed I was getting on the left point I was at a week and a half ago! Amazing…
Don’t know exactly what my board has cost me, but it will be a lot more than subsequent boards, since I’ve bought a lot of tools, built the racks and calipers, etc. I’ll check out that other thread for you.
As for fins, nothing is set in stone, but I’m planning to make keels similar to your #12 template but probably a little smaller. Plan to go parallel, double-foiled, and make them out of pine. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Actually, I’d like to get a little input on that - how THICK should keelfins be? Should I glass them a couple times before putting them on the board, then double-glass them on?
Thanks!
Haven’t met Yoshio yet, but was thinking about going up to where he is for a bit this fall. Hopefully I can manage to make that trip.
Nice looking board. Ignore Chips request for a single fin on that fish. He’s from Australia. Make him build his own and be the test pilot of a single fin fish. Stick with your wooden keels idea. Even if you use Chip’s template. Mine are about 3/8 inch at the base with most of the thickness in the leading one third then tapering. I’ve had good luck with double foils straight up with no toe in. It all works though. Manny’s boards are unreal. Mike
Nice looking board. Ignore Chips request for a single fin on that fish. He’s from Australia. Make him build his own and be the test pilot of a single fin fish.
" why you little !!! …"
(and , 8 years later …)
dog [diddly] gone it [diddly] , Mike … just when I was thinking I could con someone into being my “crash test dummy” , too ?!
I guess a single fin on the deck of the board WOULD have been a bit uncomfortable when you paddle, though … [we’re from australia , right ? we do everything "upside down’, eh ? heheh ]
ben
[actually , “Rooster” IS a very good choice of name for you , Mike !! …keep up the good work !]
Don’t most people tend to put the thicker part of their keels toward the TRAILING edge? Looks that way from shots of plywood - more plys toward the back… Maybe not.
Finished sanding the board tonight, but only went to 80 grit. Figure the resin will bond to it better that way anyhow.
Sorry chip, can’t go with a single on this one. With the width of this board (21.5) and tail width (17.0), and also the way I surf, seems to me I’d need an awful long single fin. Think I’ll stick with the wooden keels.
One more (stupid) question : when someone says fins should be 1 1/4 inches from the rail, I assume this means the leading edge, no?
I line the fin up with the tip which is usually 1 1/4 inch from the rail. The trailing edge of the fin. I believe Mr. Thraikill was refering you to the trailing edge,too.
Hey Susei, Yeah I was there like two years ago got some great hurricane surf. I even built a few boards up there too . weather was tough to glass , lots of humidity . The resin got cold and was hard to work with . You may want to use u.v. resin to glass . Trick- keep your resin nice and warm like you were in Hawaii . wait till a nice sunny day (not in nova scotia fog) and whip it together . If using regular resin make sure room stays nice and heated.For hotcoating bang off a little hotter. Once the resin or room gets cold you lose. I found that the problem was that all the resin that gets sent up there is usually bad by the time it gets there (it gets cold in those 16 wheeler trucks ) . They usually send up old resin from the east coast anyway. Did you know that Harland (owner of Kane Karden -Pacific surf glass lives near Lawrencetown beach) for a 12 pack he probably will help you ! Petey
Interesting how well you cleaned up. I mean, not a speck of dust anywhere, and your rack covers - which should be COATED in it - are spick and span clean. Not saying you didn’t shape the board, well possible you did. It just was NOT done on those racks, unless you took a picture of AFTER you cleaned up every last resemblance of foam dust.
You’ve officially lost it Bryan. Everything was done right there, in that position, on those racks. Might not show up in the picture, but there was quite a bit of dust still on 'em.
