Polishing

Friday i will polish the Long(ish) asymmmetric… been a long week of other stuff and will be so good to finally get that board finished. Very excited to ride it.

10ft triple stringer Gliders

John is my business partner from Natural Path Building Solutions, our eco-building company. John doesn't surf but is fascinated by surfing and boards, helping me out with the recent Blood Sweat and Tears when the epoxy started to kick before the jigs were set.

Having broken one learner board (he is 6'2" 18 stone, all muscle) we decided the best thing was to build one. So John and I are going to make a 10 foot triple stringer glider each... under my watchful eye (and rescuing hands if needed) he is going to hand shape, glass, sand polish his own first surfboard. The first unbroken wave he rides will be on top of a board he created. I think that is going to be pretty unique and special...  first job is to make some templates... 

PS Thanks to Chris Hartop for organising the foam.

Pinlined…

This board is kind of special… it’s one of those i have done everything on myself. Most boards I get the very best craftsmen to glass, sand, gloss and polish; it’s what they do every day and they do it better than me, so my customers get the best possible finish, the strongest possible board… but my own I like to do myself, and the relationship you have with the board is definitely enhanced… the way you sand it reflects the way you shaped it, all the subtleties maintained, the tinted freelap, the pinline not trying to hide the bleed but highlighting it… This one just feels extra special, perhaps because it reflects my new train of though on asymmetry, but in a long(ish) guise… I truly can not wait to ride this, hopefully next weekend…

80 grit…

Just been attacking the “Longish” with 80 grit… sanding really is an overlooked art… so easy to sand through and create a weak point on the rail;. I like the way Daz has been showing me to do this one, he calls it an  Australian Hot coat… just do the rails and fins… then finish with a gloss coat. Hope to have this one ready for pinlines  and ink by the end of the week with any luck.

Go west

Florida bound…

1 x 6’6 Atlantic POD

1 x 6’5 Orca

Sorry no time to take pics but hope to get some from the U S of A in due course. Had a special box made up to keep freight to a minimum… then wrapped them in other older cardboard and straps for added protection.

Hot

Today’s hot coat on the asymmetric long(ish)… laps only. These will be sanded back before a final gloss coat… all in the interests of reduced weight but equal strength.

Going to be a logo free deck with a little ink on it…