New Life for a Classic '62 Gordie

A couple of years ago my brother Frank brought this early 60's Gordie to my house.  He had found it at a garage sale and purchased it for .......ten dollars.  Frank left it with me and asked if I would do some ding repair whenever I had the chance.  I immediately admired the board for the memories it evoked of my early surfing career and for its classic style, including the wide balsa and redwood T-band stringer, the curved outboard stringers and the custom fin that so identified the elements of surfboard design that were emerging during the first few years of the 60's.   The second board of my young surfing career in 1963 was a Gordie, a 3-stringer with sky blue resin panels on the outside rails and the same template fin, with a different glue-up pattern, as on this board.  I wanted it!

Fortunately, Frank was not similarly attached to the board as I.  I traded Frank a Simm-21 as I recall for the Gordie and it became mine.  This board was very straight and solid with no delam issues and the stringers and logo were in superb condition.  It was a great candidate for a like-new restoration.

So that is what I did, including Gordies original fin.   Check it out.

New Work, 11/2012 to 4/2013

It seems as if I get around to posting only once every 3 or 4 months.  Truth is, I find it difficult to sit down at the computer because when I'm there....nothing is getting done in the shop.  I promise to try and get to it more often (Honest).

Here are some projects from the last 4-5 months.  Thanks for looking.

5-Fin Bonzer set for ron Reid

Wood: Primavera (central Mexico)

I finally built a handplane for myself!

Woods: Balsa, Redwood and Maple stringers.

Glassed with 1 layer of standard 4oz. 

8'-0" fun board for my good buddy, Kevin Dotson.

Low rocker, shallow, double-into-single concave bottom

7'2" Simm-21 for Diarmaid O'Culain of Ireland

Fin set woods: Mahogany and Primavera

2 Primavera "D" fins, one for riding, one for admiring.

Above; Glass-on  Below; glossed, polished and framed.

Inlay wood: Imbuya. 

Finnish Birch, single foil keels for Florian.

'07 Pavel/Cherry Template.

7.0 Bonzer box for Scott Campbell.

9'0" Pig for Akimasa in Japan.

3" chambered Balsa stringer

Glassing: www.michaelmillersurfboards.com

9'6" classic longboard for Kiyotaka of Japan

www.wavesforever.com

glassing: www.michaelmillersurfboards.com

Fin woods for Kiyotaka: African mahogany, flame maple, peruvian walnut, purpleheart.

9-2 Simm-21 Pelican Glider for Bruce Cochrane. 

This was a 50th birthday present to my buddy Bruce from his wife.

10.0" Greenough template box fin for Michael Tully of New Jersey.

A random shop shot

Tri-fin set for an Al Merrick gun.

This particular gun by Al was shaped from solid Sequoia redwood, 4000 years old.Larry Fuller and Al Merrick are doing a limited series of these Sequoia Redwood boards.

the center wood in this set is from the same Sequoia wood.

Other woods: Sinker redwood, dredged from a Northern Ca. river and white  maple. 

8.5 Frye template box for Thomas Campbell.

AK-4 set for Dave Mills.

They look right at home, and a ton of fun on the board Dave shaped for himself.

Simm-21 sets for Diarmaid O'culain and Dave Golden of Ireland

Woods: L; figured zebrawood,  Maple and Peruvian walnut.  R; Primavera and mahogany. 

Glass-on keels for Mitch's Surf Shop, Solana Beach.

L; single-foil Pavel fish template.  R; double-foil Simmons template. 

Matching "D" fin and tail block for Keith Melville.

Woods:  Imbuya (Brazilian walnut) and quilted maple.

Tri-fin set for Frank "Lil Bro" Cherry.

Wood:  Birdseye maple.

Getting help gluing up Akimasa's black pig from my good friend and apprentice, Francesco DiTommaso.

Fin woods:  redwood burl and flame maple. 

Tailblock close-up, Kiyotaka's 9'6" longboard. 

Me.......Just workin'. 

That's all for now Folks!

more new posts comming in the next few days!

Aloha,  JC