| Finish work on the shaped blank often becomes a pitfall for many shapers. Usually this is because they overshape the board. There are two kinds of overshaping. Normally this term refers to the excess removal of foam from a blank, such as when a shaper uses the wrong blank for a given design. |
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This usually means that the denser, stronger foam beneath the deck crust is mowed away because the foil or deck rocker doesn't conform to the desired shape or thickness. A far weaker board is the result; the conscientious shaper strives to use the right blank with the proper rocker for the job (usually the glasser gets the blame for a mushy, delaminated deck). The other type of over-shaping originates in the tendency to keep fussing with and touching up a shape that is, for all intents and purposes, finished already. Some are compelled to even the table legs until the table is fit only for a Japanese tearoom. Others simply don't want to admit that the board is done, perhaps due to some innate streak of perfectionist stubbornness. Don't overdo it. Remember that every time you apply a tool to the blank, there should be a deliberate purpose. Even soft, worn screen takes off some foam with every pass. So, if you don't really want to remove foam, resist the urge to keep fussing with it. Whittling something like a polyurethane blank is far different than molding and re-molding it as if it were clay. Deliberate use of and control over the fine tools applied in the last steps is the key to finishing a really clean shape. These skills will take time to master, so don't be hard on yourself if the lines are a bit muddy. If it were as easy as building a soapbox derby racer, then everyone would routinely make their own boards. |
1. [See Video, Step 6] Place the blank on the racks, bottom side up. Using a sanding block with 60- or 80-grit sandpaper, proceed to fine-sand the entire bottom. Try and remove any coarseness or scratches, but don't reshape what you have already formed.
2. Redefine the tucked-under part of the rail so it has roughly the radius that you want. This could well be the trickiest part of the entire shaping process, as this area of the rail affects so much of the speed, leverage and overall temperament of the board. You can use a Surform or 60-grit sanding block if you like; I usually use a small Surform with a really old, dull blade -- it is more sensitive and less apt to tear the foam. A regular Surform will work in much the same way if you run it backward. The cut will be easier to control and won't be as coarse. This is a good time to go and take a look at one of your favorite surfboards. Study how the rail wraps from the deck to the bottom edge and see where it zeros out near the fins and rolls into rounder softness at the nose.
3. After you are satisfied that the amount of bottom rail radius suits you, use a sheet of medium-worn 80-grit screen to blend it gently in with the rest of the rail. Take care not to let the screen bite unevenly, or to put too much pressure on the middle of the rail, as you may change the position of the apex and, thus, the shape of the rail. You may find that you'll have more control of how the screen bites if you apply a smaller area by holding the sheet with your hands and fingers only about 3 or 4 inches apart. Sometimes you may need to turn the board up onto its rail and fine-tune (with the screen) any seams, or make other small adjustments to suit your eye.
4. Gently trim down the bottom stringer with a sharp block plane, being careful not to bite into the foam and shred it up. You may need to blunt the tip of the nose with a sanding block (60- or 80-grit) so it's square or flush.
5. That's it! You're done. All that remains is to measure out your dimensions if you want to record them and set your fins. Draw light pencil lines to connect the dots for the front fins, and put a dot on the stringer where you want the rear of the back fin to be set. This normally varies from 2 and 3/4 inches to 3 and 3/4 inches on tri-fin surfboards, but you may want to take the setting from an existing, proven board. Sign the board with a soft pencil, if you like.
6. Don't forget to clean up the shaping bay if it was lent to you -- that way you may be invited back.
Remember to number it "001" when you're finished. Video: Larry Haynes
Windows Media: 2.18M
