Is it wrong to “finish” a board when you know you could do a better job?
Some will, some won’t, some might. some don’t care. some care to know they have done everything to the best of their ability. I think that answer comes from within each person.
Only you know.
If you were a perfectionist , you’d probably never be pleased with ANYTHING in life …because NOTHING is ever perfect !
If you want a board to ride because there’s waves , then you’ll probably finish it, and go surfing… and maybe find out that the board still works fine.
If , like me, you’re not a professional shaper, and are not having to sell the boards , you will probably adapt to HOWEVER the board ‘turned out’ [I’ll have to on my …er …“bonzer” , I know THAT !!] and perhaps be a better surfer for it ? [or at least , a more adaptable surfer who is not afraid to try new designs , and not worried about what people ‘think’ about you as a surfer / designer / shaper / person …
That’s three “ifs” , no “buts” , so far . So, here’s a but …
BUT whatever you do , have fun !
ben
Is there such thing as a perfect wave? Has anyone ever made a flawless board?A guy I know that has been sanding boards for over 30 + years once told me “they all work.” My opinion is like some of the others on here. Build it and ride it!
Hell, I learn from my mistakes and have a “few” finished boards in my shed to prove it. Now that I got me going I think I will go out and finish that 8’1" I started on Thursday night. Sure hope I don’t screw it up! J/K
Of course we all want to hit the water asap! But is there a trade off for accelerated gratification?
If you build the best that you can I see the following benefits:
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the pride and satisfaction you did your best.
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you keep something out of the landfill. A well built board can last a life time or more.
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the board will probably ride better.
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higher resale value
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you will become a better craftsman/board builder if you continue to push your skills.
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patience is a virtue.
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you may have Swaylock’s lam on that board so it’ll reflect all of us (LOL)
8 is there ever a reason to not try your best?
you can’t give 110%. you can’t do better than your best. if you give your best effort, then that is as good as you can do. then. later on, having learned from your mistakes, you can do better. that is your new best. but you couldn’t do any better than your new best. either. until the next time. if then.
it’s also important to know when to stop. when to leave well enough the hell alone. there is a limit to our ability to percieve imperfection, which is tempered by experience and internal wiring. once something is at the point of…as good as you can get it…leave it alone. any further work on it will only lead to it being less than your best effort.
how does one know they could do a better job.
if you are just slappng some shit together, then that is something other than what i’m talking about.
sometimes you have just done the best you could. you WISH you could do better. but you can’t. you’re all worn out. the lighting is bad. you have to meet a deadline. you’ve done the best you could.
that also is different from just slapping some shit together.
the difference is integrity.
Quote:
the difference is integrity…
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And experience. It’s funny but when you do something enough you learn what not to do as well. Energy becomes efficiently used and you only put into it what you know it needs. That’s when you become a “master”.
I have only made 6 boards so I am no pro. I poured my heart and soul into each one. Each one has flaws, some that I see every time I look at the board. Believe me I did the best I could possibly do on each one. I wish they were all show room perfect but that just didn’t happen. Like was said previously sometimes you have to cut your losses and accept the finished product rather than chase the board into oblivion trying to correct every flaw. The best thing about it is they all surf fine.
It sounds to me like you took it as far as your skills would take you, in which case you didn’t stop until there was nothing more you could do. That’s what I am talkin about!
Aquafiend…
I wrestle with that question every time I make a board. I often end up answering with more questions.
When is it OK to stop obssessing with the shape and glass the damn thing?
It’s a freakin’ surfboard, not a pattern for some sort of spaceship component, right?
I don’t really need to take out a micrometer and check for rail and thickness symmetry - isn’t the glass job gonna get it all goobered up anyway?
It can become like a bad haircut or the story of the guy who tried to even out the legs of a chair - chasing mistakes can lead to more and leave you with a board thinner than it should be.
Ever hear of “diminishing returns?”
How much time can anybody really afford to check and recheck a shape, glass, sanding and gloss/polish job?
How much is an hour of your time worth?
Sure a board is nice when it’s all new and shiny but unless it’s a display piece, it IS going to get waxed up and ridden. Deck dents, rail dings, etc are bound to occur eventually.
Sometimes I’ll rough sand a gloss job and ride it before getting too carried away with wet sanding and polishing.
I’m just a hobbyist and can take as much time as I want. I try not to let myself get away with saying “that’s good enough” if I know it really isn’t. I can only imagine what the production guys are up against when they’re getting paid by the piece.
My last board had a tiny flat spot on the template. I thought," I’ll fix that." Started working away on it with the screen. Looked good. Took it outside and held it up against the sky and I couldn’t believe it. The worst rail line since my second board. Not worth the time to laminate it. Cut it in half and it’s becoming my first paipo board. Sometimes I’ll finish them ninety percent and then see how it rides before glossing or fine tuning the fins. Sometimes they come out like the image in my mind and I’ll finish it. Those are not always the best surfing boards, though. Mike
Good enough isn’t good enough.
If you try to do better than “good enough” you just might surprise yourself.
Drew