Surfing Waves

So i'm thinking of buying a blank just to have a shot at designing a shortboard, i'm guessing that being in the uk then homeblown is the best place to get my (polyutherane) blank from.

My question is, say i'm wanting to try and design a shortboard with specs... Length 6'4", width 19.25", thickness 2.25". What size of blank should i be looking at buying as a minimum, taking into consideration i aint ever tried this before. Is there a general rule to how much you should oversize your blank in relation to your finished product?

Would a 6'5" blank be too short, should i go for 6'7"?

It being your first board I would recomend giving yourself the extra space on the blank. This way you have a little more foam to work with. Just remember to make sure you don't over shape the board.

The problem with a longer blank is when you cut your shape out, if it is significantly shorter than the blank, the foam at either end will be softer and the rocker already in the blank will be altered. As a beginner however, the extra few inches will be of benefit and outweigh the negatives.
Generally, you are lookin for a blank just over the length of your final measurements (therefore the 6'5 would generally be considered the correct blank).
Make sure you leave space around the shape when you saw it out intially to allow for any bumps which are inevitable in a first attempt.

When I cut my first one out I tried to cut about an 1/8" outside the line. This way you don't slice into the foam you want to keep. Make sure you keep the saw straight up and down. Once you are done sawing it out block sand the sides so they are nice and smooth and you have more control taking it to the line.
Mr. Steve is correct that typically you want a blank as close to your measurements as possible,but it being your first board I would say give yourself the extra room.

thanks a lot for the info, much appreciated! Good info from both of you.

Just looking at the homeblown site again and as well as buying blanks, there's also a section for buying pre shaped blanks http://www.homeblown.co.uk/acatalog/Pre ... lanks.html

Would this perhaps be a wiser move at my stage, i take it all i'd have to do is minor tweaks to get the size spot on, then obviously work on the shape of the rails, and concavity of the board.

Just wondering basically, is it better to buy a blank, or is it a good idea to go for a pre shaped one to save a little bit of work time?

^ I wouldn't. It's much more rewarding to shape the surfboard from the rough blank than get it pre-shaped.
That's the whole point in shaping after all.

scuba steve wrote:^ I wouldn't. It's much more rewarding to shape the surfboard from the rough blank than get it pre-shaped.
That's the whole point in shaping after all.

Cool, thanks for that Steve, was just wondering what opinions you had on that, yeah i'll order a blank to try and do some work on over time, just a slow project i think. Ordered the dvd called Shaping 101 yesterday too. Aye it'd be pretty cool to make your own board, cheers for replying!

a 6'5 blank should work fine. Dont get a preshaped one its much better to do one straight that way you pick up decent experience. shaping 101 is a pretty good guide.

Do you have all the needed tools? If not no big deal its perfectly possible to shape a board using only hand tools just takes a touch longer

isaluteyou wrote:a 6'5 blank should work fine. Dont get a preshaped one its much better to do one straight that way you pick up decent experience. shaping 101 is a pretty good guide.

Do you have all the needed tools? If not no big deal its perfectly possible to shape a board using only hand tools just takes a touch longer

Not sure if i have all the tools, my dad has tonnes of stuff as he's a bit of a handy man round the house and he lives pretty nearby me, i'll just get what's needed as i go along, and after watching the dvd. I'm know he'll have the planer, sanding stone and calipers, saw etc...maybe i'll make him watch the dvd too as i reckon he'll have a good idea of what to do if i'm stuck! Yeah, 6'5" blank it'll be, got a 6'6" shortboard custom made arriving hopefully start of next week, will be studying that board in trying to make my own creation. Can't wait to start.

6'6" shortboard custom made arriving hopefully start of next week, will be studying that board in trying to make my own creation. Can't wait to start.

Yep thats what i did As for tools everything is pretty easy to get your head around just use the power planer gingerly as it is a foam eating machine

isaluteyou wrote:

6'6" shortboard custom made arriving hopefully start of next week, will be studying that board in trying to make my own creation. Can't wait to start.

Yep thats what i did As for tools everything is pretty easy to get your head around just use the power planer gingerly as it is a foam eating machine

thanks for the advise! I need all these tips just so i know what to be careful of, cheers!