Ok guys i need your help.I just move into my new apartment and i have a lot of space to try and shape my first board.all ideas would be greatly appreciated.. 1.how do i start this mission.? 2.how good are the greenlight kits? 3.what tools do i need?
Atta boy! 1. Take a class (Brookdale's next one is in August) or hook up with a mentor at Greenlight. If you can't do that, get a few videos and watch them over and over and over. Not youtube stuff... real instructional videos. 2. Greenlight has all industry standard stuff. You can request certain blanks/resins/cloths, and they'll adjust the price accordingly. 3. Tools are acquired over time. If you're doing one board, you only need the minimum. If you plan on getting into it, you'll need more down the road. A rack is a must. Do some research and build one for yourself. Hand tools: start with a decent planer, surform, sanding block with hard side and padded side, a few grits of sandpaper, a square, a tape measure, a hand saw, a mini block plane, and a good quality dust mask. Post back when you want to start glassing... Some people will question the need for an electric planer. I strongly advise investing in one. It's a tool. It won't go bad. You'll have it for many, many years if you take care of it. Learn to use a planer, starting with your first board. Don't wait to hack up your 10th board with a planer, when you could already have 9 boards under your belt with it by then.
hey thanks mon..yeah i have been watching alot of videos unfortunately they are the youtube ones..haha
Where do you live? If you're in FL, Melbourne is a good place to start. You can find a factory and get blanks. If your in the North east Greenlight will be able to supply. If you're in mid atlantic, WRV, Greenroom, and Wrightsville glassing all have blanks. Plan your shape and material. You gotta figure cost for materials and tools. You don't wanna get to a point and not have the right tool for the job. Keep the first one simple. Checkout swaylocks.com for more online help. Don't worry your first board will probably look like sh!t and surf like a brick. It ain't rocket science so have fun and learn from your mistakes. Glassing is still my handycap. There are a million ways to make a board and no one way is right. There is only right for you. ie. Dane Renalds cutting the tail off with a hack saw and then re-glassing it(works for him).
If you are in the Monmouth County area, Greenlight is a good source for materials and advice. Last August I enrolled in the Brookdale course. I learned a lot more than by watching instructional videos. Plus the hands on experience of building a surfboard in the class was the best. The first board I made looks great and rides real well. I am in the middle of completing my second board. I find the most challenging aspect is creating good template to work with.
haha thanks man.i live in the North east.i was thinking of going with Greenlight only problem is i didn't know if i should just get the blank from them or the complete shaping kit?i'm stoke man whatever it comes out to be i'm sure i'll have fun..
Hey , You've already gotten some good advice. Here's mine: The power planer is something you really should have. It is an amazing tool for shaping a blank, and make many difficult steps easier. Consider shaping a poly blank for your first rather than EPS. Its easier than EPS, more forgiving, but the real reason i would use poly is you will get the full experience of shaping, using a surform, coarse grit, fine grit, seeing the blank eventually look sparkly like fresh snow. Get a kit if you want, but educate yourself enough ahead of time to know all of the tools, materials you need. At that point the kit becomes kind of irrelevant, but might still be a good option.
I'll give you the advice I give to everyone who asks... don't *****foot. Go out and buy everything you need. The good stuff. Get a GOOD planer, buy a couple nice blanks, sanding blocks all that crap. Build racks. Don't waste time and resources "trying it out before you commit monetarily". Your first boards might suck, but they will Definitely suck if all you have is a rasp and sandpaper. Its like a tatoo. You will never be satisifed. You are not going to be able to shape one board and quit. Its almost like a constant frustration, but a good frustration. Its like that one more wave you wanna get before work. If you are worried about spending too much, don't even start shaping at all. Make your first board something unique. The retro fish has been beaten to death. I'd suggest not messing with bottom contour on your first. If you plan on glassing it too, strongly consider rounding all outline edges. Finally, please wear at least a dust mask and glasses when you shape. Everyone worries about resin fumes (you should use epoxy) but breathing foam dust is probably worse.
