Build A Surfboard Episode 2: Sanding

Learn to sand a shaped surfboard smooth from the famous Johnny "V" Voxlund in Haiku Maui.
Continues the saga begun at Build a Surfboard.

The major shaping with the planer is over. Now the fine work begins, smoothing and perfecting the shape by hand sanding.

There are fluorescent sidelights along the sides of the workshop at elbow height. They make any irregularity in the board cast shadows so it's very easy to see. In this video he's sanding long lenthwise facets in the board into smooth curves. He's using a sheet of 50 grit sandpaper wrapped around a 1"x5" block of wood.



In the second video he's working on the ends of the board.

Step 1 A Faceted Gem

As the session starts the board is faceted from the strokes of the planer. The facets are a good thing. It makes it a lot easier to see and correct irregularities and asymmetries.

The rails (edges) of the board have especially clear facets.
These facets have names.
The 45 degree bevel along the bottom edge is the "undertuck".
Above that is the "template band" which is the outer edge of the board. It is the remains of the top view cut with the pullsaw.
The next facet up is the "primary bevel" at 45 degrees.
After cutting that facet he cuts a "crown bevel" which defines the sideways curvature of the deck crown.
He then flattens the peak between the crown bevel and the template band, thus making the "secondary bevel".

So, from bottom to top, here are the names of the facets:
Undertuck
Template band
Primary bevel
Secondary bevel
Crown Bevel

Johnny says: "I work on those until they're good. Then I cut infinite bevels between them with the sandpaper".

Comments

[andresm]

WOW! nice instructable, could you do one on glassing? i really want to make a fomie skimboard. but im not sue on how to glass and what to use. i think this ible can be used for skimboard too?

[=SMART=]

Awesome !! that looks really cool ! is it finished yet?