Its been a year since I’ve made a board. Haven’t even been doing much ding repair this past year. Have a blank sitting waiting to be turned into a step-up barrel board. Severely lacking motivation.
Mako - seems like last I remember you were suffering from some shoulder issues (or was it knees?) but the kids were keeping you busy with boards & dings.
My own enthusiasm waxes & wanes but I have so many unfinished projects usually one of them will nag at me & force me eventually to clean up the shop a little & pick up some tools again.
it gets a little harder each year, but I still enjoy building & riding my own boards. I hope you find your motivation, you build nice boards.
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@mako224 I am coming off a 4 year hiatus where I spent more time working on the sailboats than the surfboards. After helping a couple other people with board design work lately, I found a little gas in the tank to do a build. I had to cut down into a block of EPS foam to get at the bigger piece I wanted so now I have 3 blanks sledded/rockered (2 short and 1 long) with one short blanks outlined and on the stands. I like your boards too and the advice you give on the forum.
Lemat—-Still doing amazing 1st class work. Good to hear you are still at it.
Deck under vaccum
I glue with an epoxy thickened with cabosil.
I use anti root fabric as cheap peelply release film. Not an obligation for gluing 0.6mm wood skin but it help protect vaccum bag and allow to move it to wrap rail well. I like to wrap wood far on rail for strengh and sometimes use thicker stiff wood.
Edit unpack
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Made a 4’11" for one of my grand-daughters who is about 6 yo. Was supposed to be ready for Christmas but then I found excuses to do other things so she’ll have to wait a bit (since it’s a surprise, the wait won’t be too hard…) Board is a mini-mini-malibu shape with the most important thing for a 6 yo girlie: unicorns, everywhere.
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Also very nice.
What are the dims here? Love it
Finally got time to put some glass ons on a 6.8" twin fin that is taking almost 3 months to finish.
cheers and good waves.
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Thanks…6’0 x 23 3/4 x 3. EPS 2 lb blank
Shoulders have been an ongoing issue for a few years. Kids have grown up. Oldest has a career and still surfs when he can. Youngest works in a surf shop and rides what they sell and has people making boards for him.
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3D printing adapters to allow slinky hose to hook up vac and tools
Making a practice rail from EPS rail bones (it’s been a while since I banded a rail…)
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You have a remarkable board there, sir.
The 3D printed fittings worked fine. The rail piece was small enough that I had to add more in the middle to realize the deck curve and also was difficult to hold/clamp so I ended up one-handing the planer. Working on a board should be much easier.
First board shaped! Agave blank made by a local guy; outline is from my uncle John “Ike” Eichert’s template from early 1960s; fin cut from a panel laid up by my cousin, who glassed professionally for decades; got some shaping tips from a local professional shaper that rented me a bay for a day; the rest done by me with hand tools over about ten afternoons, using one of my uncle’s 1960s foam boards as reference. Turned out a little shorter, narrower, and thinner than I would have liked, but considering the difficulties of the twisted and inconsistent agave blank (including termites in the nose), and my backyard setup, I’m pretty happy with it. Will be professionally glassed soon! (8’6" x 20 1/2" x 2 5/8")
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Rode one of the boards your Uncle John made in Nipomo and sold at Central Coast surf shop. Probably would have been ‘96 or ‘97. Was the first board over 9’ I had been on in many years. Was completely “old school”. Really regretted selling it. A 9’2 sat in CCS for a few months. Should have bought it and hung on to it. When I sold my 9’6 Ike’s brother came up to Oceano from Santa Maria to take a look at it. Wish I had met John somewhere along the line. I just wasn’t around Five Cities in the right time frame. And rarely went to Paso except to pass through on the way to SC.
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Awesome. I always enjoy hearing from people that owned one of his boards, and tell him about those connections when we talk on the phone. I hope to make a proper longboard based on his shapes, with a narrower tail. I also finished a documentary about him and all his innovations if you care to watch it. : ) 24 Cota | IKE Surfboards documentary
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