BACKYARD SHAPERS

[diggerdickson]

Hey guys, I think there are a few of us know that like to pretend that we shape, when really all we do is muck around with a planner and get covered in resin, everything from our eyebrows (man that stings, I was under the board tucking the lap and it dripped onto my head, hair, eyebrow, I know where safety glasses, thinking of even getting a shower cap, could call my boards the shower cap factory, haaaa) to our toes.

Ive been thinking that maybe we could start a thread where we could post our stuff that we are working on in one area. It would be great to see your pics guys. ive just glassed on a fin, bit of a mess but nothing a hell of a lot of sanding wont fix, had to try to learn to do it, once this one done wont do another glass on fin for quite a while, but it on the back burner till I get a hell of a lot better.

Once Ive taken a photo will definately post it here.

Also we could just put all our thoughts on what we would love to make in this thread as well, try to encourage each other, I just bought a ozito sander polisher and cant wait to use it on this board, only cost 99 bucks from bunnings.

Let me know ya thoughts guys, if you dont want to put the pics in the one thread then thats cool.

[Beerfan]

This has since been finished, just waiting to glass. 6'6'' x 20 1/2 x thick as!.



This one's ready to have the rails shaped. 6'2'' x 19 3/4 x 2 5/8ish, Marko EPS.

When i get some cash i'll glass em both.

[purple pyramids]

i have a farrelly blank sitting in the attic, waiting for thursday week when my holidays start.
i noticed that the guy next door has a shaping stand. so might see if i can use that. planning on using handtools, we'll see how that goes.

haven't decided on shape yet. i already have a diamond tail quad and a rounded pintail thruster (both kneeboards). maybe try a fish.

i need to fix the camera first.

[diggerdickson]

After completing the first filler coat I got my sander polisher out and dug in, had a blast sanding the board and almost enjoy that more than the actual shaping of the board, it was a total blast, the dust, the smell, playing with power tools, and sanding the shape back into the board left you with such a good feeling. No sand throughs but due to lumps that I created around the glassed in fin and some poor lap work had a hard time sanding it to what I think is good.

I think sanding the board has tought me more about the previous glassing and resin work I did on the board than anything else I have done. It showed me where I need to improve.

Wish I could post pics, Ledge gave me a hint on how to do but it didnt work so I cant be bothered, its just easier to post them to my facebook page.

Put on the second filler coat today on the deck, will do the bottom tommorow night after work, then its just a wet and dry, bit of a polish maybe and completo. Though I do need to put a leash plug in and im freaking about doing that.

[dUg]

compsand #1 roughed out this arvo.

[diggerdickson]

on ya dug, looks good mate, cant wait to follow this one

[dUg]

on ya dug, looks good mate, cant wait to follow this one

cheers digger.

there's some more pics in the other thread on the build. It'll have to sit for another week now... but daydreaming about what I'm gonna to do it next will be a welcome distraction at work.

[Trev]

Hi guys. Here's Digger's finished product. And looks damn good, too.
Well done Digger. Just right mouse click and pick "view image" the second one to see the nose.

[diggerdickson]

thanks for posting that trevor, I took the photos at night so no one could see the lawn, lol.

[Quangers]

That is awesome!!!
Well done mate

[diggerdickson]

thanks dan, I know where the mistakes were made, but I learnt so much, Im looking forward to the next one so I can correct what I did wrong, but Im happy with this result, a bit more care with the cutting of the glass and tucking edges and I will be half way there mate. im starting on the next one next weekend, a shorty, cant wait, already got ideas for it floating in my head but have to build the piture before I start.

[Quangers]

When are you going to christen it?
I love that plan shape - looks a real classic.

[diggerdickson]

Its actually going to my boss's grandson. He is turning 10 on the 14th this month, so will just hand it over, I just covered costs, nothing else. The kid doesnt surf, just 3 times a year on holidays on soft boards, so I rolled all the edges, nothing hard, and Im hoping he gets hooked. I can remember as a grom going on holidays and borrowing a board ( well it was just lying around at the caravan park so I nicked it for the day). From that one day of surfing ive been surfing ever since, so if he gets stocked them Im heaps happy.

Next one going to a lifelong friend since about 5 years old, then the next one after that will be mine.

Quangers I would love to surf this thing, at first when making it, something didnt seem right, but Ive now falling in love with the board, its 5'11 and 2 1/2 by I think 19 at widest point, I reckon she will just cruise and give that nice and easy feeling. It will be hard to just hand her over but oh well.

[Beerfan]

Nice work digger!!. I don't know how you can make a board for someone else, it'd drive me nuts to finish it and give it to someone else without at least surfing it!!!!

[dUg]

Yeah nicely done digger, love that little kick in the nose. Looks fast as well... hips are well back!

I gotta say though... glassing in a fin that big scares the b'jesus outta me. Not for the faint hearted.

[Trev]

Yeah nicely done digger, love that little kick in the nose. Looks fast as well... hips are well back!

I gotta say though... glassing in a fin that big scares the b'jesus outta me. Not for the faint hearted.

Hey Dug. Not that I'm gonna do it anytime soon (I hope) but can you explain why glassing in a fin is any more difficult than glassing in a fin box?
It seems to me the degree of difficulty would be about the same as once in service, both are subject to the same stresses.

[dUg]

Yeah nicely done digger, love that little kick in the nose. Looks fast as well... hips are well back!

I gotta say though... glassing in a fin that big scares the b'jesus outta me. Not for the faint hearted.

Hey Dug. Not that I'm gonna do it anytime soon (I hope) but can you explain why glassing in a fin is any more difficult than glassing in a fin box?
It seems to me the degree of difficulty would be about the same as once in service, both are subject to the same stresses.

I don't have much experience with boxes... but it's pretty straightforward - router out a fisting great hole, fill with resin / roving / q-cell and shove in box. FCS plugs can be comprehensively cocked-up as well ( and boy, have I made a dog's breakfast of a few ) but in general if you have the jig and the right tools ( a SHARP router bit helps A LOT ) it's not a hard job to do fairly well.

Glass on fins are messy as buggery. Lots of shapers I've talked to use hot melt glue to tack the fins in place - but with bigger fins on Mals they fall over. You also need heaps of roving ( strips of cloth ) layed along the line of the fin, which all love to trap air bubbles in, and the resin goes all over the place and you spend hours sanding it to get it anywhere near smooth. The final insult is when you're happy with it and you get it out in the water, the tin either cavitates and buzzes, or snaps off at the base on your first bottom turn.

Like I said... not for the faint hearted.

[tiger]

Nice work Digger, good to see one completed. Great effort for your first. There's a few little outline wonks, but they are symmetrical so probs just transferred from your templates.

As far as glassing on fins, it really doesn't get any easier than a single fin. Plenty of room and time to do the process, and easy to sand. In some ways it is easier than a big finbox.

With multi fin boards it's a different story, fin systems are way easier to install. Plus the added benefit of fin(e) tuning.