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Step 7Saw the Outline
Johnny uses a big Japanese "pullsaw" to cut out around the outline he's drawn. The pullsaw has a very sharp thin blade that cuts quickly. He cuts just outside the lines.
Until a few years ago a company "Clark Foam" made 90% of the blanks in the world. They molded a huge variety of blanks so you could order one very close to any shape you wanted. The molds are made of two large pieces of concrete with a hollow cavity between. Two-part urethane is mixed and poured into the mold which is clamped shut. The urethane expands and puts huge pressure on the mold. The amount of urethane put into the mold determines the density of the blank. The concrete mold prevents it from expanding too much and being soft. After the blank is taken out of the mold, it's sawed down the middle and a thin wooden "stringer" is glued in place.
In 2005 "Grubby" Clark, the founder of Clark Foam unexpectedly closed his business and smashed his hundreds of molds with an earth-moving machine. That caused a shortage of blanks in the industry. Many shapers couldn't make boards. Some shapers started experimenting with styrofoam and natural materials for their surfboards. Several new urethane blank manufacturers have started up, but it's still not possible to get the range of blanks Clark used to carry.
Johnny now has to order a much larger blank and cut off a lot more foam than he used to.
Many shapers use computer-controlled milling machines to make their boards. They don't care how thick the blank is to start out. A rectangular block would be fine for them.
Until a few years ago a company "Clark Foam" made 90% of the blanks in the world. They molded a huge variety of blanks so you could order one very close to any shape you wanted. The molds are made of two large pieces of concrete with a hollow cavity between. Two-part urethane is mixed and poured into the mold which is clamped shut. The urethane expands and puts huge pressure on the mold. The amount of urethane put into the mold determines the density of the blank. The concrete mold prevents it from expanding too much and being soft. After the blank is taken out of the mold, it's sawed down the middle and a thin wooden "stringer" is glued in place.
In 2005 "Grubby" Clark, the founder of Clark Foam unexpectedly closed his business and smashed his hundreds of molds with an earth-moving machine. That caused a shortage of blanks in the industry. Many shapers couldn't make boards. Some shapers started experimenting with styrofoam and natural materials for their surfboards. Several new urethane blank manufacturers have started up, but it's still not possible to get the range of blanks Clark used to carry.
Johnny now has to order a much larger blank and cut off a lot more foam than he used to.
Many shapers use computer-controlled milling machines to make their boards. They don't care how thick the blank is to start out. A rectangular block would be fine for them.
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