The Real Surf Backyarderz ... who are you?

[Cpt.Caveman]

If you could count the one board I've made myself (was an epic fail), list me in the newbies

I'd love to do it again, a mate of mine who runs a ding repair business offered me to use his shaping bay overnight to shape a board. Great bloke, all tools provided etc.

Just trying to decide what I might like to shape first

[Natho]

There are also the seasoned pros:

- Feral Dave
- RMS though he doesn't t post here anymore
- Simon though he doesn't post here anymore.
- Hayden though he doesn't post here anymore
- Rich Q
- Josh

And a few others but I can' t remember their user names yet.

[newjackstudio]

I have been making boards in my garage for ten years. Maybe over a hundred boards?
Always a reader here, rarely a poster.
Just moved into the mother in law's and am sans workspace....

hanging to get my own workspace again!!!!

[Beerfan]

Im definately in the noob class. I've made 5, one was smoking, an unreal board. The rest have been a mix of fun and horrors!. I have an egg that is almost done, and an eps grovelling shortboard that almost ready to glass. Just need time and money to finish them.

[newjackstudio]

Cheers!

I have a blog where I record some pics and impressions of boards I have made for myself, mates etc..

http://jellyjam-pedro.blogspot.com.au/

Goes back a ways...

That 'special' fairy?? Nope, he is still on the payroll!

makes less and less of an appearance though...Ha.

[newjackstudio]

Thanks mate. Aprreciate the kudos.
Yes. I handshape all and am quite addicted to that side of things. I really enjoy the processof shaping.
And I also do all the artwork, glassing etc. I don't think the every day surfer knows how much of a bastard of a job sanding a surfboard is!!! They are very unappreciated.
I have never tried to make a living out of it. As you would know...There's just no money in it if you want to build a nice quality board...
Anyways. Good to chat with some like minded masochists!!!
Really need to find another space though!
Cheers

[diggerdickson]

wingnut great thread mate, you would definately put me in the noob stage of shaping, ive produced nothing good yet The main issue for me is getting the rails right, once that is achieved Im well on the way to producing a underperforming dog

Im about 7 boards in, but ive only glassed 3 of them, one was a nightmare, the other good, and one I sold which turned out magic, I love glassing, though Im messy at it.

On my travels coming up I hope to work in the industry, sorta got something lined up where I will be a dogs body in a factory and work the shop, hope to get enough experience there to work my way around oz, dont care about coin so I suppose im looking at getting into the right industry

Im using the fup fairy logo on the bottom of any board I shape now, though I have to get some more logos printed off before I go, I also have a small D D logo which goes up on the nose.

Wingnut, ive got a trophy that pridmore once organised for ya mate, its a shapers challenge trophy, I reckon you should have it for a while as you seem to be carrying the torch well, you will know when its time to pass it to someone else.

[damo666]

I don't think the every day surfer knows how much of a bastard of a job sanding a surfboard is!!! They are very unappreciated.

Absolutely, I hate the sanding bit!! On the plus side, my two little blokes (6 &10) now look at all the boards in shops with a new appreciation.

Yes, happy to add myself to this group. I'm 4 boards down, so still at the absolute beginner level!

[ric_vidal]

Haven't touched a board for well over a year for a few reasons, that may be about to change though.

Even stepped into the dark side with a Surftech, not disappointed though as was probably an important step. The JD, well that is another story entirely…

Never had a huge problem with shaping, just took it slowly, not saying some weren't 'different' results. Biggest motivation was to do something different anyway, hard to get most shapers to step outside their comfort zone.

I think sanding is probably one of the easiest steps, even if it is the noisiest, dustiest, sweatiest pursuit. Same as the rest of board making, all about processes. Follow the processes and it is quite straight forward. Helps to have a decent sander to do the rails.

RichQ and I know a guy who regularly 'production' sands short boards in about 15 minutes, and does a bloody good job.

[diggerdickson]

15 minutes, wow, thats quick, anyone want to make a instruction vid of sanding for the newbies who are getting into it, it seems there is a nice crew of guys who cant sleep for dreaming about rails, concaves, ( for me its rails plus a v in the tail followed by bloody deep channels ), it keeps ya up, it gets the blood boiling, and on the flat days its the perfect cure to no surf. Im sure the guys would love it.

[diggerdickson]

Wingy
Happy to be included in the list - But Huie - God Love him is so far from a backyarder - more of an artisan
Kayuu is very very handy as well

Will post my attempt at a Bonzer tomorrow, welcome to catch up for a beer and chat soon D

saltman, a bonzer, man that must be fun, i sorta did a template for a bonzer, but underneath I thought of doing something different, starting up where the concaves start as normal leading into a single curved channel through a v and a flute between the fins, Saltman would love to see you put a thread on the bonzer build, those boards have always fasinated me.

[ric_vidal]

... Helps to have a decent sander to do the rails ...

As in a piece of equipment (i.e. right pads or machine) ... or do you mean a competent person?

Sander/polisher:

Grind, plugs with 40 on a hard pad. Quick grind of the dam area around the tail rails.

Got to think about the pad selection, think it was… straight into the flats with 120 on a medium pad with an interface pad on. Interface pad is about 12 mm thick and softer than the pad, not as readily available. Pretty much just up the board doing figure 8s and flip it to do the other side. Hit any high spots as necessary but don't overheat. Don't touch the rails.

Think we then follow-uped with 240, same as above, basically just taking the scratches out of the 120 made.

After the 240 we moved onto an eccentric sander as it removes the big swirl marks. Straight to 240 grit and move onto whatever grit you want. Pretty much shouldn't be any shiny spot left.

Rails were done initially with a quick run around using the big machine, just to take down the area of overlap. Thereafter it was straight into it with the eccentric and 'colouring in' (taking off the shine), work from one end to the other feeling with your hand. Follow up with 240.

Even a board to just 240 done properly is going to look pretty good

I used to hand sand rails quite a bit just using the pad as a backer, then follow on with sandpaper cupped in my hand.

Fine tune the whole board with soft 3M pads to get the scratches going the same way.

If the board is tidily glassed and filler coated it should be a fairly straight forward process.

[Jorgo]

Sure enjoyed reading the trials and tribulations of making that first, second or in my case 20th board.
At 57 and surfing for all but ten of those years I always wanted to make boards. First one was a cut down, re shaped mal that had a half inch redwoord stringer that I had to chisel out with one of my dads chisels at age 12. Glassed it too. Since then and never with a proper shaping bay i've made another 19 - some qtr glassed myself in the early days in my parents garage with the constant cries from my mum about that "damn resin smell" that lingers for weeks. I actually like the resin smell.
Anyway the last one I did is actually posted on here in the Logs Alternatives - in the "Show us ya Guns" thread.
That one shaped on my back deck - and now its my wife, not my mother who complaints about foam dust - and I complain about poor lighting.
Couldnt glass it in that environment - soI have a guy at Pottsville who does a bang up job as you can see.
So not quite newbie - but certainly still and always learning. Lovin some of the tool tips and improvisations.

[diggerdickson]

is there a ride report yet, any chance of a pic of the engine room mate

[scot]

I guess you could add me to the newbies list.
I have done 2 boards.
First was an eps from scratch using a hotwire for the rocker, outline and railbands.
Vac bagged some balsa on the deck and carbon rails.
I spent way too much time reading on swaylocks
It ended up a bit small for me so its hanging on the wall at home till my young fella gets big enough to ride it.

Next one was a machine cut poly that I glasses with epoxy. I finned it as a quad but I dont think I got them quite right so it goes good but not great.
I still have enough eps for another board and I have a 5'7 preshape that a friend gave me. Will do a board for my son when I get some spare time. He's not quite ready yet so no rush.

Scot

[ric_vidal]

That's pretty much what I do ... the last line is the key ... IF the lam is done right ... filler seems fairly easy in comparison, for me, it seems to be getting it better before then ...

Have seen some absolute diabolical 'professional' fillers. All about piece work and time to taken to make a buck.

... I'm finding that the laps onto the deck do not 'disappear', that is, there is still a visible (not raised) line where the lap ends after filler coat and sanding ... it's only cosmetic, and looks like like it is just the difference between one layer of cloth and two ... just wondering if there is a trick to getting it to 'blend' and "disappear" ... ????

Tricky question Wingy without knowing your processes. May have something to do with the manufacturer of the glass itself or how wet your laps are i.e. more resin left in the weave may make it more obvious. I used a 2oz once and it was a volan glass so ended up a bit greener, so was obvious.

Unrelated but another tip, I guess, double hit your filler coats. Pour a small amount of filler resin on the deck and squeegee it onto the flats, this will fill the weave a bit and doesn't need much. Then brush resin around your rails top and bottom and concentrate on getting a good amount around the nose and back foot area of the tail. When this has just gelled off enough, but still sticky, filler coat the deck normally.

This will give you two layers of resin where you need it the most – rails.

Bottom is a slight variation. After you tape off the rails, just do a pre-fill of the area INSIDE your rail lap to level it out that little bit more. Then paint resin around your tail & plug area. Don't do the area of the laps beyond in front of your fins (more or less). Let it gel as above and filler as normal. This does the same thing, gives you more resin to play with when you start grinding away.

The other thing, don't overwork your filler coat. Pour it on the length of the board, diagonal strokes across the board rail to rail, one way then the other then just finish with feather light full length strokes the length of the board and leave it alone. The more you play, the more you remove. It will settle nicely and be pretty easy to sand as a result.

Enjoy!

[pirate_agenda]

.

RichQ and I know a guy who regularly 'production' sands short boards in about 15 minutes, and does a bloody good job.

guessing the the laminator and fill coat guy are doing 1 hell of a neat, tight job for him!

PS, thanks for the tip in this thread re the eccentric sander. I'd never really thought to use one. but just picked up this morning and sanded the rails (which i normally do by hand). my elbows and shoulders are thanking you. A lot faster too.

I reackon on a good lam and fill coat, I spend about 45-60 minutes sanding normally. Using the eccentric this morning on the rails i did the whole board in 35 mins!

[ric_vidal]

.

RichQ and I know a guy who regularly 'production' sands short boards in about 15 minutes, and does a bloody good job.

guessing the the laminator and fill coat guy are doing 1 hell of a neat, tight job for him!

Well at least one of the laminators does, no idea about the rest, not sure who's doing the fillers, but that should be the easy part. Needless to say, the guy is a bit of a machine and very experienced. Doubt he spins them at that speed regularly.

Let the sandpaper do the work, no point just generating heat. Fresh sandpaper is cheap compared to physical effort.

Eccentric are the 'go' for finishing, nice if you have some dust extraction built in to the machine too.