African Mahogany Wall Racks for Big Steve

I just finished these African mahogany wall racks for "Big Steve" Schirmacher to hang one of his big gliders in the house.......where it can be appreciated 24/7.

as shown:  $295

New Life for an Old 9'6" Hobie

Many are the debates over whether or how much to restore an old board to it's former glory.

In the case of my '62 Hobie it was an easy decision.  This board was super solid, i.e. no delam, solid foam everywhere under the double-10oz or 12oz glass, and after a few repairs, water-tight all around, with a fin, stringer and logo all in superb shape, but......UGLY AS SHIT with discoloration.

I decided to go for it.  I sanded off the gloss coat and most of the sanding coat, filled minor defects in the surface and then block sanded it for straight-as-new surface.  I applied a new surface-coat, pigmented to achieve the color panels, pin lined it with resin and gloss-coated it....just like it would have been done at the factory.

Is it worth more.......or less than if I had left it alone?  I don't really care.  It's beautiful (to me) and it's good to go for 50 more seasons.  Check it out.

This began as a humble, 1962 Hobie, 9'-6" x 22" x 3-1/2", standard shop model. 
Below are some "before" photos.



Taped off - ready to color coat

The weight change resulting from the restoration seems to be about zero.  It's still as heavy as boards were back in the day.

Great Gliders!

 "Big Steve" Schirmacher with his 12' 2" Skip Frye and his 12' 0"  Marc Andreini

 Great templates on both of these superb boards, but quite different.

 The Frye is a classic, Southern California glider, the Andreini; shaped for Santa Cruz and parts north.

 10 years ago, this 12' Andreini spear wouldn't be called anything but a gun.  Steve is no stranger to big surf, but says he gets tons of enjoyment, ripping on this and a few of  his other similar gliders in medium sized San Diego surf and even on smaller days when a little extra board comes in handy.

L-R, Tim Elsner, Marc Andreini and Steve Schirmacher.

Last year Tim scored two 12'+ Clark Foam Blanks that Marc used to shape these for Tim and Steve.

Zoo News

Grandaughter says, "I want a new surfboard.......with pink cheeta and zebra fabric".

What's a guy supposed to do??

Fin:  Solid Lacewood

For Cheyanne

7'7" x  22" x 2-7/8"  Clark Foam

Glassing;  Michael Miller   http://www.mmillersurfboards.com/



Diamond on Fire

 Redwood burl, Flame maple, Ebony

Early 60's, Hobie template

The fin is cheater-coated and ready to laminate in these photo's.   It will be laminated, with a 5/8", old school, clear bead around it.  It will become a framed art piece for a good friend and client.  That's all I can give up right now.  Christmas is coming.

Recent Fins

Tri-fin set for an 11'0" Skip Frye Glider.  Owner;  Luke Brown

Wood burn art on birch plywood.  Woods;  Ash Burl over figured bubinga over 1/4" Finnish Plywood.

Tri-fin set for 11-0 Pavel,  fish-simmons.  owner; "Big Steve" Shirmacher.

solid flame maple.

 Rising Sun, "D" fin for a Weber classic longboard.  Owner;  Scott Johansson

woods: African walnut and flame maple.

Tyler Olson's 2nd Commerative Board

T.O. just picked up the 9-0 longboard that commemorates the birth of his second son.   Tyler will ride these occasionally, but his main goal is to pass each of these on, in great condition, to his boys when they are old enough to surf.    Board #1 is 9'4" glassed in volan.  Board #2 is 9'0" glassed in standard cloth.

"SOUL ARCH"

Aloha Tyler

Tri-Fins, double-foil x 3 for 10'-6" Al Merrick Gun

Woods: Redwood lace burl, sandwiched between quilted maple.

This incredible board is a colaboration by al Merrick and Larry fuller. I have done lots of fins and finsets for Larry's special boards. I was stoked to get to help with this one. It began as a solid redwood board by Al. Larry Supplied the wood, Old groth California heart redwood from a defunct winery in northern California. The wood was once part of a room-sized cask that aged california red wine. Larry has his own secret (really) sources for incredible woods. Larry took the shaped board apart at Jimmy Phillips shop and chambered it, bringing the pre-glass weight from around 110 lbs.....to about 28lbs. In this photo, I had just finished cheater-coating the board with a 50/50 laminating resin and styrene mix, an absolutely necessary step to prevent the wood from "gassing" as well as absorbing too much resin when glassed. The same treatment was required for the redwood fins.

11-0 Glider for Chris Tomlin

Pick-up Day. My young shaping apprentice, C.T. could have shaped this one himself, but he wanted one from me. The outer-space shine is from reflective tape on his USMC sweat suit. This American Hero, an E.O.D. specialist, has 4 tours in Iraq. He deserves to shine!

Glassing: by Michael Miller Surfboards www.mmillersurfboards.com

dbl 8oz volan both sides + 8oz volan deck patch.

Dimensions
Fin: 10" flex, 12" up. Finnish ply with sapele veneer.

Aloha C.T. JC

Tyler's # 2. Ready for the Glasser.

Blank layout: I glued up a 2" center T-band of agave and 1/8" cedar. The 3/16" outboard

T-bands I glued up with 3/32" cedar / balsa / cedar .

Woods: Fin, Tail block and Nose block are of old-growth, curly redwood, Peruvian walnut, American walnut and flame maple.

Your basic point-break, single-fin long board.

Dimensions: 9'0" ~ n 16" ~ w 22-1/2" ~ t 14-1 /4" ~ th 3"