Wood Under Glass

Dr Bob's 10-0 at Moonlight, just laminated, double 6oz both sides.

It always blows my mind when I witness the transformation that happens as soon as some glass and resin are added to the mix. This one lit up and came to life beyond my best expectations. Fin: African mahogany with flame maple pinlines.

Ready for Moonlight

Dr. Bob's board, ready to go to Moonlight glassing. Weight pre-glass; 29lbs

I can't wait to watch the wood come to life under resin on this one.

10'-0" x 23-3/8" x 3". Old-school longboard template, low-progressive rocker, 50/50 rails, glass-on D fin. At glassed weight of 39lbs(+-) it will be a rider and a super glider.

Mahalo Doc. JC

10'-0" Chambered Balsa and Redwood for Dr Bob Randolph

This templated balsa / redwood blank weighs just under 40 lbs before shaping. Anticipated finished weight after glassing: 35-40 lbs. This board will grace the main wall in Dr Bob's waiting room in his new Solana Beach office (when it's not in the water). More posts to follow: custom fin and finished-board photos. Stay tuned. Thanks Doc! JC

10-0 Chambered Balsa Nose Rider- Bound for Italy

This 10'0" chambered-balsa nose rider was built by J. Cherry and Shaped by Terry Martin and glassed at Moonlight Glassing for Francesco DiTommaso of Bari Italy. It will go home with him after his stay in So Cal this summer. This board was glued-up, rough-shaped, disassembled and heavily chambered, then re-glued and finish-shaped again by Terry. Finished weight; 28 lbs Fin: African mahogany, flame maple, Peruvian walnut. It will definately be one of FD's riders. I can't wait to do a little walking around on it myself this comming summer.

A new Italian Master

My good friend and apprentice, Francesco DiTommaso, in Bari Itay, just sent me these photos of his first personally-built board. a beautiful round-pin quad. FD borrowed one of my templates and shaped, glassed and made the fins for his first board. FD spends every summer here in LaJolla and Carlsbad. Although FD has had the benefit Of several instructional sessions in the shaping bay with me and with Terry Martin, you don't pull this off without the heart and the eye for the craft. FD has both in spades. FD shaped this in is home town in Italty, minus all the production products and amenities that would be available to him here in So. Cal.

Great Job Grasshopper. Love ya Bro, JC

Hey China!......KISS MY A*#%!!

Smash-Ball paddle set for the Collins family. Purpleheart veneer over top-grade Finnish plywood.

Flame maple through and through inlays.

Phillipine mahogany handles with purpleheart and maple pinlines with leather wrist thongs.

Cooper Collins, for whom I have done a few groovy fins sets to go on his Terry Martin fish and quads, brought me a dilapidated set of smashball paddles, made in China (Bastards!!).

The plywood was chipped and delaminating and the plastic handles had fallen off of one of the two. He wanted to know if I could make him a better set (hee hee heee). These are what I came up with; high-grade aircraft plywood, dense, exotic wood veneer, hardwood handles and leather wrist thongs. They have a 3-step furniture grade finish. they are glued up with high-tech, water-proof wood glue. The wood will break before the glue bond will. BULLET PROOF!

The handles melt into the shape of your hand and they have a superb balance. They will last forever (almost) and they will look cool hanging on young Conrad's bedroom wall when they are not at the beach. The price for a similar pair would be $275 if anyone is interested.

It shouldn't be too difficult to draw the parallels between the smash-ball paddles and Chinese surfboards..................Know what I mean?

Aloha, JC

New BNR (balsa noserider) for Francesco From John Cherry and Terry Martin

Francesco's Balsa Nose Rider clamped up, ready for first glue-up. The red circles indicate where the board will be spot glued so it can be taken apart and chambered after rough shaping.

The BNR rough shaped by T Martin at Hobie. Ready to take apart and chamber.
Weight at this stage: 33lbs

FD's BNR in JC's shop, chambered by JC. Ready to re-glue and finish shape.

T. Martin finish-shaping FD's BNR in his home shaping bay in San Clemente, CA.

Hobie's head shaper, Terry Martin with FD's finished shape. Finished weight: 16.5 lbs

J. Cherry pivot fin for FD's BNR; African mahogany, flame maple, Peruvian walnut.

FD's BNR in the laminating room at Moonlight Glassing, waiting for a rudder.

Francesco setting up the "Balsa Blade" for a little tube excursion. near Bari, Italy.

Francesco DiTommaso, near Bari Italy, setting up for a nose glide across an empty section on the 10-0 "B B" that I built and shaped for him in the summer of '08.

See you this summer!

Aloha Grasshopper.