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Can You Believe It?
Another year is entering its finale. Summer's here, warm water and hot sun are thawing our cores, the crowds are flocking to the coast and everyone is deciding that the time to surf is here again.
If you tuned in last month, we would have given you pointers in shaping your own board, and this month we'll step-by-step you through glassing.
But we'll also be showing you that, just because you can't afford one of the glistening beauties on the racks indoors, it doesn't mean you'll be land-locked this season.
This Issue:
Pre-Loved –
Trade-ins, cash-outs, upgrades…whatever they may be, people offload all manner of boards on us for resale. It's a gold-mine-field out there!
I Smell Resin –
Laminating, sanding and finishing, we take you through the stages of glassing, following on from last month's foam-mowing 101…
Private Chambers –
Dan Chambers is one Sunny-Coaster doing it different. The area is known for its alternative, mellow, logging and fishing surf community. But Dan is taking it progressive, ripping it up like the next Kelly Fanningson…
"Suh-Mack!" The Sunny Coast may not be renowned for power in its waves, but that doesn't mean Dan doesn't throw power behind his surfing…
Catalyse
You may not want to land yourself in any sticky situations, but for those that feel inclined, glassing your own board need not be as daunting as it may at first appear. Beautiful resin tints and high sheen? Forget about it. But if all you want is to DIY and get a surfable result, there's no reason why you can't have a bash. Here's how:
- What's your poison? First up, a safety point: polyester resin is evil stuff. It'll wreck clothes and carpets, is no good for sinuses or lungs and can even give you the itches all over your skin. Wear gloves and a decent, filtered mask and work in a well-ventilated area.
- Picking threads. Different boards need different glass. A high performance board will need 4oz cloth, 6oz will give you more strength but more weight, and 8oz is as hard as nail, but only really suitable for traditional logs. Have a chat to your shaper and see what he recommends.
- The Resin. There are several types of resin for different purposes, but you'll only really need two, laminating and filler, and they're the same stuff anyway, just with the addition of wax and styrene. Again, your surf factory will help you with quantities and ratios. Make sure you also pick up some catalyst. This sets the resin hard, so is just a little important!!!
- Layering up. Glassing starts underneath. Once you have established the weight of glass you're going to be using, lay a sheet over the bottom of your board and trim, leaving a 1.5" overlap all the way around. Cut 'V's, nose and tail, to help you fold the cloth around.
- Laminating pt.1. Roughly speaking, you'll need around 750ml of laminating resin for a shortboard or 1.5L for a mal. Ratios of resin to catalyst will depend on resin brand, climate and a few other things, so check with your surf shop.
Slowly pour your resin over, smoothing out air bubbles and wrinkles with a smooth, soft edge, such as a squeegee. Wrap the overlaps around the rails and squeeze off excess resin. DON'T rub too hard though – this can result in pulling the thread of the cloth.
- Flip It. Once the bottom has dried, you're ready to start on the other side. Rough-sand the overlaps, being very careful not to sand the foam.
Lay your first sheet of glass, the lighter of the two if they're different, and cut to the apex of the rail.
If you have artwork, you can either draw onto the blank with oil-based inks or place tissue paper or similar on the blank before laying out the cloth.
As with the bottom layer, wet with the appropriate amount of resin, squeezing out bubbles and wrinkles.
- …and Repeat. The second layer of cloth goes on immediately afterwards and, like the underside, needs a 1.5" overlap with 'V' cut at either end. Likewise, pour on resin, squeegee out and wrap the overlaps.
- Fill 'er Up. Once dried, any rough areas can be sanded to even out and you're ready for the filler coat. The overlaps can be painted with wax and styrene. This helps the resin to soak into any visible weave and the odd scratch that may be present.
Tape around the rail and, with a standard, wide paintbrush, brush on a mixture of the laminating resin, wax and styrene and, of course, your catalyst. Again, it's best to see your supplier for exact proportions. Pour the resin on and use long, even brush strokes to spread out.
- Back-flip. Once the resin is tacky, peel off the tape. Allow the resin to set almost solid, flip the board. Again, paint wax and styrene onto any rough spots, tape up the rail just beyond the filler resin on the underside and brush on the filler coat.
Et voila! Board done!
- Finishing Touches. Use a razor or Stanley blade to scrape back any excessive bits of resin and sand the rail smooth, along with any areas that the resin may have pooled or dripped.
A Pro-Tec spray lacquer can also be used for a fairly easy, smoother finish. It's available from any auto hardware store.
You can repeat the filler process with a gloss resin if you're aiming for that ultra-shiny finish.
Putting the fin plugs and/or boxes in can be done at home, but it's best to take it to someone with the right tools and setup to do a proper job.
Next Month: One for the readers. A newsletter subscriber recently asked if we could enlighten him on fin variations in a controlled environment, so we will. Take one board and ten fins…here's what happens.
Classic Malibu
Cnr Gibson & Eumundi Rd
Noosaville
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Newsletter
:: November ’10 ::
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Seconds
Far be it for us to dissuade you from laying down the dollars on a custom-made board, tailored to your exact needs and desires but, with Christmas only 50-odd shopping days away, we thought it might be prudent to draw your attention to the lost puppies, the orphans of the surfing world: the second-handers
We receive all manner of boards from customers; some are relocating inland and looking for a quick sell, some are upgrading, others just have too many boards kicking around and are needing to trim their quiver.
Needless to say, 2nds come in all shapes and sizes, some clunkers that'd be better to strain your spaghetti with than surf, others are as close to new as they get. With a keen eye and a little patience, it's very possible to snag a bargain off the Classic Mal racks.
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Needles in Haystacks:
You're never going to get the exact board you want. Walking into your local retailer and saying you want a 9'4" blue noserider with side fins and no dings for under $500 just ain't gonna work.
So think about the elements you really do require; long or short, more volume, high performance and so on.
Once you've got a vague plan, set your budget. Some people expect something for peanuts, but, as a general rule, a fairly decent quality 2nd is usually a little over half the price of a newie. So, in mals, you'll be looking to pay $600-$800, shortboards, $300-$400.
Some shops will allow you to have a test ride. If this is possible, it's well worthwhile – a board that may not quite look what you were after may well go even better. Also, rather than thinking about the exact board you want, think about its application: is it going to fill a gap in your quiver or your surfing education? If so, then buy something of an all-rounder. This will give you more variety without getting too specific and, if you manage to score something of reasonable quality, will also hopefully give you a much better chance of financial return when it's time to move on. |
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Don't Judge a Book:
Boards get damaged all the time – it's just the way of the world. Buying a second-hand board, you're never going to be able to find an immaculate board with nary a scratch or ding on it.
But there's damage and there's damage.
Compressions, for example, look ugly but have very little effect at all upon the board's performance. Likewise, gunged-up, grubby wax looks hideous and will easily lose the shop a sale, but wax comes off, and underneath, you might just find yourself a pearler.
Major dings and water damage are things to keep an eye out for. Browning of the blank indicates water damage and makes the board much weaker in those areas. Inconsistencies in the stringer can show you that the board has been snapped at some stage.
This needn't be a problem if fixed well, but will drastically change the performance of the board if not done professionally.
If there is damage to the board, ask the retailer if it can be fixed for a nominal charge and work out a middle ground that suits you both, even if that means their providing the materials for free so that you can patch it up yourself.
If you're open-minded and prepared to compromise, there's no reason why you can't score yourself an absolute gem.
Take a browse through our current 2nd Hand Stock for a preview of some of the things currently in stock.
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Dan Chambers
- Chambers Music -
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A couple of months ago we introduced Zac Southgate-Smith, our rookie longboarder and next-gen ambassador.
This month it’s the turn of a junior on the other side of the spectrum; shortboard aficionado Dan Chambers.
Dan has been building his profile on the competition circuit for some time, entering local and regional events and surfing with gusto, causing heads to turn toward the unassuming young gun. Playing down his profile on land and a relaxed temperament in the water lead some into an unsuspecting complacency in heats. But Dan’s explosive energy soon wipes the smiles from their faces, leaving them in a wake of off-the-lip spray.
Dan's surfing belies the waves he calls local. In swells of substance, his technique comes alive
Dan started surfing at the age of nine, a friend’s dad coaxing him into the waves to accompany his son. Ironically, that friend stepped away from surfing for several years and it was Dan who drew him back into the fold.
Schooling on the Sunshine Coast, as with many of Australia’s coastal regions, is quick to encourage surfing in its pupils, and Dan has benefited greatly from it. His teacher, a keen surfer himself and qualified judge, provides expert coaching for Dan and his classmates and encouraged Dan to join Coolum Boardriders where he gained a taste for and experience of competition format surfing.
Dan is devoted to the thruster, the open beaches being better suited to lighter, swifter, more manoeuvrable equipment. But, when the Coolum breaks aren’t working and the points are on, he isn’t averse to taking out something with a little more girth.
“I found that, from surfing a log, when you get back on a shortboard it makes your surfing heaps better.” This open-mindedness diversifies his quiver as well, drawing longboards and fishes into the ranks and giving Dan the distinction of a far more consummate surfer as has been evident in his result tally.
“We had a schools comp [at Agnes Water] and I got fourth overall on a mal. I competed in the Sunshine Coast Private Schools comp and made it to the final, but just missed out on making the Sunshne Coast team by point-four of a point. I was spewing!”
Dan joined the Classic Malibu team almost two years ago through a mutual friend and CM staff member.
“I met Peter through him [the staff member] and started to talk to Peter about boards… I’m loving having the boards made custom. They go really well and are just what I want.”
Dan’s weapon of choice is his squash-tail. At 5’11 x 18 1/8” x 2 1/16”, the board is only a sliver to many, but Dan finds the shape to perfectly mirror his surfing and fulfil his needs. Squash-tails help maintain a little area and volume into the tail, maximising their utilisation of the wave’s power and, with the softer waves that the Sunny Coast provides, this is perfect.
A 5’9” x 18” x 2” rounded pin balances the equation, offering faster down-the-line surfing and excellent, smooth rotation through turns at speed.
Dan is learning the value of patience in heats, understanding that rushing and becoming flustered is detrimental to your end score. Local comps are giving him contest experience, but Dan’s eyes are firmly fixed on the horizon.
“I want to keep surfing heaps and do comps and see where they take me. I want to go as far as I can really. There’s a new course in WA based in surfing and the ocean and coast, so I’m really looking forward to doing that and keeping on doing comps.”
One thing is for sure: Dan lacks nothing in enthusiasm and motivation. Paired with his growing talents in the ocean, it is definitely a strong future in the surf industry that awaits him and it will be Classic Malibu’s little brother, Catalyst, that will take him there.
Next Month: Back To NZ: Kellie Hughes is another Kiwi making waves on Classic Mal boards and we get into his head to find out what makes him tick and where he's at in the world of surfing.
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