My Dream Quiver
Home Depot Surfboard Project - A surfboard shaping story - Part 1
There is a shared ritual for anyone who puts their hands on a surfboard for the first time. First, you’ll feel the smooth contouring of the rails, then sight down the stringer, dance our finger tips over any bottom contours, flip it over a few times and then ask: “How’d they make this?” These days, all you see are cookie cutter, CNC replicas of surfboards being mass-produced and sold at the same price they always have been, if not more expensive than they were! I’m certainly not opposed to this technology, I can appreciate the business aspect and I love to read about new materials and advancements. However, because of this, I feel that the surfboard industry has lost some of the romance it once had when you knew your board was truly hand crafted and made for you. However, there are still pockets of “traditional” board shapers/builders that are keeping the craft alive in dark alleys, basements, and garages all across the world. My hope is that my writing will be enough to inspire some of you to become part of the long tradition of shapers and innovators and do your part to help further the art and technology of board building.
To be honest, my interest in shaping really peaked at the worst time. Clark Foam had just closed their doors, putting the surfboard industry in a panicked state. Prices on everything related to surfboard manufacturing skyrocketed and board prices ended up following the same trend. Discouraged that supplies were so hard to come by I almost gave up…that was until I walked by the insulation department at my local Home Depot! I spent $11 bucks on two sheets of Owens Corning pink insulation foam (think pink panther), one 2″ and one 1″ sheet. Then I made a stop at a local Marine Supply Shop and bought some West System Epoxy with a fast cure hardener.
Stay tuned, and you’ll find out how Home Depot and Shaped a cool Fish.
Part 2 of the Home Depot Surfboard Shaping Odyssey Thing Continues Here.
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hmmmm this seems really interesting
Any update on this or am I just an idiot?
…and I’m an idiot.
Wow! I love the pink color…this is such a cool project too!!! Keep them coming Shaper.
Always have wondered about the possibility of doing this whenever i was in home depot or lowes. Awesome.
I think this artical will inspire a lot of people. Handshaping boards is a great way to save money as well as to let your creative roots shine. I am making an alaia and it’s one of the next best things to surfing. Your making the most esential part of a surfers life, his board. I am going to make a retro fish once I finish my first project. I am very excited that you can save 500 bucks have fun and result in a new board. You also find a respect for surfing that you never had before which is responsibility. You take responsibility when you don’t pay a ton of money for a board you will also take responsibility when you dont leave the board you made in the back of your truck because your afraid of it being stolen. You have nothing to lee and everything to gain, go make one!
question: is it eco-friendly?
A) it’s made from recycled insulation
B) insulation is nasty crap in the water (if the board cracks or breaks)
I’ll go with A.
Free Firewire board? pulease!
Hey Everyone,
Thank you all for the kind words and interest in this project. It is currently in the process of being glassed and I’ve just been a slacker lately and have just been too lazy to go get it from the shop. I’ll get the finished product out soon but until then try making one for yourself…check out some of my other homemade projects as well and as always, tell a friend. Thank you again.
- Shaper
Your other stuff is pretty cool too man, very creative! I like the camera housing and I especially like the carbon fiber Aviso article…screw Firewire, how can I win that board?!!! Keep it coming brother
Part II of this series is even better. I love the pink color and the shape is great, I can’t believe it is just homedepot foam!
To hell with winning a Firewire, Im heading out to Home Depot with the wife’s credit card and starting my own fleet of pink panther shortboards, funshapes, retro fish and longboards. Im coming after you SurfTech! WOOOOOOOOOO!
super cool
What about Gasing?
I freind has built a few of these from EPS insulation..One of the problems with the material is that it off gases and will expand, he recommends putting ome sort of vent in it. similar to Fire wire surfboards, you know like the one I should win..right?
i made a pint size one of these in speech class for my how to..granted when i mixed the resin all the windows were closed and i think i got the whole class hopped up on fumes.
I wonder what the density is compared to a normal pu blank?
At some point, getting consistent performance may have to trump artistry. Not to mention, shapers, instead of haveing to pump out tons of boards, can now spend their time making better boards.
hey man,i have a questions on your fish. i saw you said that you spent $11 a sheet on the insulation and i was wondering if it was a 4×8 sheet. i bought a sheet of the pink foam a while ago and tried to shape a board. i tried to put a stringer in it, but i screwed it up pretty bad.when i bought the foam it was like 30 bucks at home depot. and that was the 4′x8′ sheet.
This caught my attention more than anything you’ve written so far. I’m just curious as to how much this whole project costs when all is said and done and you have your board?