Sorted....

Drove to Mallow on Monday just gone. Met Paul from Glide Surfboards who hooked me up with everything I needed to make the board and was full of helpful advice and tips.... (cheers Paul - will hopefully be down again soon to collect more materials when this one works out!!)

I made up my template, on a piece of 1/4 inch ply and transfered it to my 6'9" blank and have cut it out. So length currently stands at 6'7 1/2". Forgotten Width but will update with that.

Paul has recommended that I shouldn't do the glassing in the attic, to which I am inclined to agree as I haven't even opened the resin yet and its starting to stink out the house. So I have to find somewhere else to work ...

Shaping Stands

I have got in touch with Paul from Glide Surfboards (www.glidesurfboards.net) and have arranged to head to Mallow early next week and pick up materials. Really looking forward to it now. So getting myself ready. Have picked up a few basic tools and threw together a set of shaping stands. A bit rough I know but it is far better than using the backs of chairs that fall over when you least want em to!! I have set the stands in a small bit of concrete in some buckets so they are mobile. (I plan to do my shaping in a shed nearby and to do the glassing upstairs in my attic). I just need to trim the "handles" on em and stick on some foam. Made the racks from 3 x 15ft lengths of 3x2 timber plus two metre lengths of M10 threaded bar and bolts. Total cost 22 euro. I'm sure it'll do the job??

The Inspiration

So this is my fiance's 70's Fish, (6'4" x 21 1/2" x 2 5/8") Spider Murphy. I hope that my first board will have somewhat similar characteristics to this one. I'm hoping to make some adjustments to it by putting a little bit more volume up the front of the board.

I mostly longboard, but this board is a beaut. Easy to paddle and very stable, and just an easy all round board to surf. I have wanted to buy my own retro fish, so with funds at an all time low, I've decided to make one instead. Hopefully it won't be money down the toilet!!

....and a noob to the blogging world too.

For all those die hard bloggers and those who are grammatically pedantic, I apologise in advance!!

About two or three months ago I posted a question, looking for information on shaping surfboards on www.boards.ie. I got some very helpful replies and someone suggested that I should create a blog so some could follow my (very slow) progress... well here it is. I hope to get this board made by the end of the summer, and have it ready for the winter swell..... fingers crossed!!