Refining the Deck
This is an article about refining and sanding a standard, domed deck.
Refining the deck from planer rough to finish is a process of moving through several tools and abrasives in a systematic fashion. I work from Skil 100 to Surform to sanding blocks & pads and I try to take each tool as far as they’ll go before another tool becomes more relevant. This decreases the amount of work as I progress through a shape and gives the process flow and methodology. When banding the rails and roughing in the deck contours, I try to refine as much as possible with the Skil 100. Its weight, long base, easy depth adjustment and even cut are perfect for setting and refining lines. This makes the sanding of the next steps so much easier. It also prevents me from having to touch the stringer too much as I get closer to finish (a bit more on that later).
There are a couple options after roughing the deck with the planer: you can either begin breaking bands into smaller ones with a long-based Surform or you can move straight to the sanding block depending on how much you’ve refined with the Skil 100. EPS foam can easily tear under the rough abrasive of a Surform, so I prefer to work as much as possible with the planer before switching to sandpaper when working with EPS.
My approach to breaking rail bands and sanding the deck is light-handed. If I’ve refined my deck enough with the Skil, I will move straight on to a sanding block and refine any extra planer rough with 60 grit before moving onto a flxible sanding pad with 80 grit and 100 grit sandpaper. After this I move on to screens attached to a flexible pad or simply placed under a piece of soft, flexible polyurethane upholstry foam. If I’m working with PU, I will sometimes ditch the planer a little early and grab the Surform to break bands before moving onto the sanding block. I use all of these tools in a consistent, nose-to-tail fashion and always avoid “scrubbing” (scrubbing with a circular motion is almost guaranteed to create an uneven surface).
It is important to take down the stringer in between grits. It is important to apply a light hand and avoid the stringer as much as possible while sanding. This will help decrease the amount of wood you have to remove and also help you prevent any tearing (referred to as “railroad tracks”) around the stringer. Railroad tracks can be a pain: difficult to remove and very time-consuming. They will also show darker in transluscent tints…not a good look!
Remember to always dust off the blank in between grits/tools. Dust and any particulate has “grit” or an abrasive nature of its own and can scratch your shape leading to more work.
Below is further information on the tools I use. If you have any questions, feel free to write. You can also head over to the Hangtime Surf Instagram profile to check out my videos and see the appraoch in action.
Happy shaping!
The Surform
The Stanley Surform plays a very important role in my process. It marks the moment when the planer will go no further but it is too soon for 40 grit sandpaper on either a sanding block or a flex pad. I will typically use the Surform on PU to break bands after roughing them in with the planer. It’s long base and sharp abrasive ensure a consistent, smooth cut.
The Sanding Block
My sanding block one of the most important aspects of my surfboard hand shaping process. It cuts a true, flat surface and can be fitted to any sandpaper grit so that I can apply a high level of finish with a single tool before switching to screens. My (my dad’s) sanding block has seen some mileage and I’d like to tell you a little about it.
A good sanding block is very simple to make. My sanding block is a veneered piece of 3/4” MDF. Its length matches the standard length of a sheet of sandpaper (11”). Its width is 4 1/4”. I only apply one side of the block to the blank to assure that I’m achieving a consistent surface. The corners of this side of the sanding block are rounded slightly to make sure that it doesn’t scratch the blank’s surface.
The dimensions of my sanding block are important. They allow me to apply a finish to the foam while avoiding the stringer as much as possible. This leaves me with less block plane work to do on the stringer and a decreased likelihood that I’ll scratch the foam around the stringer. This size of block is also easy to use and I can hold it with one or both hands.
When using the sanding block I tend to walk around the blank applying long, even passes to the foam. This prevents digging any “holes” or deep spots in the blank’s contours.
Flexible, High-Grit Sanding Pads
One of the less technical tools I inherited from my dad was a thin piece of divinycell foam with 36 and 40 grit glued to each side. The foam was rigid enough to hold a constant curve and have grit on both sides was perfect for gripping the pad with a soft piece of upholstery foam allowing for smooth passes.
The divinycell began falling apart with age about 12 years ago and eventually had to be replaced (though I think I still have it). I’ve now replaced it with a slightly more rigid piece of 3mm plexiglass, which holds an even better curve and is perfect for shaping contours along the deck or concaves (rounded surfaces).
The tool is cheap and easy to make: use double-sided carpet tape to fix 36 & 40 (or 60 & 80) grit 3M Utility Cloth to either side of your already cut plexiglass. Textile backed is better than paper because it doesn’t crease. Find a piece of upholstery foam to grip it with and you’re in business.
Foam EZ Velcro Screen Sanding Pad
The Foam E-Z Shaping Pad is a hook/loop (velcro) backed, firm, but also flexible foam pad. It’s perfect for finish work on decks and concaves as well as on the flat sections of your contours. It is available as a combo package with 2 abrasives and has options for additional abrasive screens sold separately.
I’ve been using the Shaping Pad for decks, soft-rail to bottom transitions, nose concaves & virtually all other bottom contour combinations. It’s abrasive screens are quickly interchangeable and it works great for both polyurethane and EPS foams. I’m impressed with it’s versatility and am happy to recommend it to other shapers!
A little tip: always store your screens and pads flat to prevent them from crimping.
Foam EZ has been supplying surfboard builders with quality manufacturing products since the early 90s. Head over to their website (www.foamez.com) to gawk at all the tools!
Stanley Spoke Shave
The spoke shave was originally designed to make what its name implies: spokes. Spokes on wagon wheels. If you’ve never seen this, you will want to check out videos like the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDXjNCk25Kw
Pretty interesting I think. I use the same Stanley spoke shave as the guy in the video link above. It is large and heavy which helps maintain a fast, consistent cut. I have tried the smaller (tiny) spoke shaves and I understand the draw to having a tool that more closely matches the width of the stringer to limit the amount of rail-road tracks (foam tearing around the stringer). However, consistent practice with the larger spoke shaves will prove successful in the end. Furthermore, I only use the spoke shave in specific situations, which I’ll define in the next paragraph. I let the Stanley Block Plane do most of the stringer work.
So there are a few applications for which I employ the spoke shave. It’s important to recognise and utilise its differences from the block plane so that the tool has a pointed role in the overall process. This helps keep my method more concise and you don’t want to be wasting space in your shaping room with unnecessary tools. This also needs to be a space for thinking and (in my experience) an extra clutter of tools tends to distract my vision. So the main difference in the spoke shave is the shortness of its base. This shortness allows it to go places that the block plane won’t reach. For example, inside higher deck nose and tail rockers; spots along the blank where the long base of the block plane won’t as easily cut. I also tend to use my spoke shave in nose concaves, but the plane will usually work here too depending on the style of concave.
Pushing vs Pulling. I always pull my spoke shave, holding it at an angle to the surface being cut. This is most comfortable for me and holding it at an angle allows the shaving to flow off and over the tool so that it doesn’t get caught under the tool. This will scratch the foam. I have seen some shapers very effectively push the spoke shave. Actually, this is probably the historical intention of the tool from back in its wagon making days. Just practice and do what is most comfortable and effective for your method.
Stanley Block Plane
The main purpose of using a block plane in surfboard shaping is to cut the stringer (the piece of wood running through the middle of the board) flush to the foam. As you sand the blank, the softer foam will cut away more quickly than the wood of the stringer. This will leave the stringer higher than the foam, which is a problem for sanding the glass job. If the stringer isn’t flush, the sander runs the risk of sanding through the fiberglass lamination. This will weaken and ruin the glass job.
I’ve used all sorts of planes and while some are very good I feel that the Stanley 6 1/4 Low Angle Plane is the best tool for the job. The Stanley 6 1/4 has three cut and alignment settings: the shoe, blade positioning & a rear dial for finitely setting cut depth. The tool is also very ergonomic with carefully placed finger grips set into the side of the plane body. I also like this plane for its heavy weight, which I feel helps maintain a consistent cut without applying much pressure. This really helps to prevent rail-road tracks around the stringer (foam tearing).
My personal Stanley 6 1/4” plane (my dad’s) is a little customised in a way that makes my stringer passes even more efficient. Actually, this is more the result of it’s many years of wear and tear, but over time and much use, my dad’s sharpening stone has become concave and the blade (naturally) matches the curve. This means the edge of the blade is also curved. This is great because it allows me to focus one part of the blade on the stringer and avoid foam tearing.
Stanley planes are available at any number of dealers/hardware stores. You can also find them at Foam EZ in California.