Home Sweet Home

 

      So, with the (temporary) shop all set up, I started Mark's board on Wednesday. Actually, most of that time was spent figuring out an outline. Mark had a template made up, but in the end decided to make quite a bit wider than he originally planned, which was a good call in my opinon, I've been a fan of wider boards ever since I bought my Cannibal "Rocketfish". So the dimensions he decided on were 5'7" x 19 1/2" x 2 3/8". After I pulled his template out to the desired width, I checked it with other templates I have, and coincidentally it was really close to the Boombastik, and by extension, my quad. So I decided to go off that again, I pulled in the nose just slightly and made the rail come into the tail a little straighter, but still retained a nice curve. I also moved the wide point back a bit, to add some pivot. So, by the time I figured that all out and cut out the one side, it was too late to use the jigsaw to cut out another template to flip for the other side.

     So I did that Thursday. The board is cut out and the bottom skinned and sanded (I used the Skil 100; it was nice). I planned to continue working on it this evening, and should be working on it right now, except I was having an off day with other projects which dealt in wood instead of foam. I kept on cutting things wrong and getting really frustrated. With wood, when I do that, usually the piece that has been cut wrong gets shattered to splinters and then I cut a new one. Knowing my self (kind of) and the way I can get when I get frustrated, I opted not to work on the board tonight because A)I do not want to shatter the blank to splinters and B)I can't just cut a new one if I mess up. So, thanks to Mark for his patience, work will resume tomorrow, when I am hopefully out of my serious delirium. Serious. 

     The water's finally warmed up enough where it's perfect without a wetsuit. Been getting out on the little swell we've had this week, and it's been fun in a carefree, shorebreak surfing kind of way. I picked up a pair of swimfins today, to start doing some bodysurfing and just plain old swimming during these semi-flat spells. But don't let anyone tell you it's been flat: I've surfed four times this week, and rode fun waves every time.

Are you big on the Pig?

     I took advantage of the Sun earlier today and dewaxed my boards, then I took this picture. From left to right: SF 004, SF 001, SF 003, Hobie "Phil Edwards Model" 9'0", push mower, Dewey Weber "DNT Series" 5'8", Cannibal "Rocketfish" 6'0".

       Look at this insect, and realize once again what a strange world we live in. Really beautifully bizarre.

       Ever since Pat posted this post over at Casualties of the Loudness War, I've had this song stuck in my head. It's Bruce Springsteen, of course, and the song is "Atlantic City," from his unbelievable 1982 album Nebraska. Now, even you Bruce detractors (you know who you are) have to respect it when an artist (in this case, being Bruce), releases a huge album (namely, The River), does a huge tour with huge shows at huge places (the River Tour being the tour in question), then releases a stark "folk" album recorded on a four-track at his home, and not just any album but an amazingly album full of the thematics of the darkness and tears that his previous work may have been touching on but not completely engulfing (well, except for "The River." That is one sad song.) So yeah, listen to this song, and every song on the album, again and again, and again once more.

A Board Bag!

     The fact of the matter is this: that every person is at the center of their world, in other words: self-centered. You inevitably see things from your viewpoint, a viewpoint backed with your experiences and your beliefs and your being. No matter how hard you try and imagine you see something from a different point of view, I from yours or you from mine, you are imagining that persons viewpoint from your self: you are still the center imagining you are seeing it from another's center, but it's still yours. You are the center of your world.
     This fact occasionally leads to unfortunate and inevitable instances of inadvertent selfishness, and this is one of them. I realized the other day that in all the hooplah (sic?) I made about 004 being completed and being happy with it and all that, I forgot to include this bit of information: Jeannine made me the above board bag even before the board was finished. She made it out of canvas and some felt-like material with lighthouses and seabirds on it. Here's the pattern:

     It's pretty cool, and does the trick in keeping the sun off the board, and even offers some protection from minor whacks against things. It will have a drawstring on the end, but the needle broke on her sewing machine. So yeah, apologies for my self-centeredness.

     Been busy trying to get the shed ready and get things together. The lack of waves of any real substance has been killing me, but at least I have my Sunfish in the water so when it's windy I can cruise the Bay and get my salt-water kick. I've already had it out once in some pretty strong winds and nothing broke, so that beats last years Sunfish Sailing record of Nature:1, Me:0.

 Now that's strange flora!

 

     I just finished watching "You're Gonna Miss Me," a documentary about Roky Erickson, best known as one of the lead guys in the band that coined the term "psychedelic rock," the 13th Floor Elevators. If you've never heard them, hear them. Anyway, that's not what this is about. The documentary really interesting and very well done, it really shines some light on the troubled life of this excellent musician. He suffered from schizophrenia most of his life until recently his younger brother gained custody of him and got him the help he needed. As a result, Mr. Erickson not only released a new album this year, with Okkervill River serving as his backing band, but was able to tour (he played two shows in the area, both of which I regretfully missed, the reason for which escapes and mystifies me).The above song is the title track off of his new album, True Love Cast Out All Evil, and below is track number three, "Goodbye Sweet Dreams." ENJOY!

 

Long-Awaited Update: Creatures, Photos, Flora, and a Planer

 

      First of all, public apologies to those who are waiting for boards from me. It's been pretty busy lately what with moving and getting the new house set up and liveable, but now that we're completely out of the other house (as of last Saturday) I have more time to focus on getting things together at the new. The main reason I have not been able to start on any boards is the shed, as shown above. That space in the back, the area with stacks of shingles and 2x4s, is going the be the shaping/glassing shop. I need those materials to make the shop, and while I don't plan on getting the interior done before I start shaping, I do want to get it watertight. The roof is fine, better than the house, but the siding was just old cedar planks, with gaps between up to half an inch. Not the best condition to build a board in.

     So that's part of what I've been doing, cedar-shaking the shed. I've got the one side done, and part of another, so really there's not too much more to do. I also put that new door on. So, I appreciate the patience on the parts of those waiting for boards (namely mark, ryan, and that low-down Rooster), and I hope to start the first board within the next two weeks. Once I start, it'll be quick, because I have all the materials and everything, it's just a matter of doing it.

     Here's a quick gardening tip: Dip the roots of the plants you transplant in water before you plant them. The above four squash plants came from the same four-pack. They were planted at the exact same time, with the exact same potting soil, and in the same size containers. They get the same exact amount of sun, and they are watered equally. The above photo shows two who were fortunate enough to have their roots dipped in water. They are basically Audreys three and four, with gigantic leaves, thick stems, and a healthy, vibrant green color. So big they almost look mutational. The second photo shows the two lowly squashes who were robbed of the silver spoon of water on their roots, and have suffered throughout their youth. They are small, weak, and have a pale green/yellowish hue to their leaves. I feel bad for them, as they are suffering as the result of an experiment. I had to move because the first two got so big they were blocking their sun. It's a hard world for little things. 

     We only were able to plant things in containers this year, as we had no time to clear any garden space in the ground. But we've got a lot growing and most of it (aside from the two sad squash) is doing well. We have Strawberries (see above), four varieties of tomato, six pepper plants (one cubanelle, one jalapeno, and the rest are Italian Fryers), eggplant, watermelon, cucumber, cilantro, rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, and lavender. There are also four cantaloupe awaiting planting, and four mint cuttings I am trying to get to root. It's really amazing watching these plants every day, seeing them change from morning to evening, or even hour to hour. Most times people thing of plants as being void of activity, but they are really very kinetic, they just seem to operate in a different temporal plane. But I look forward to watching the flower below become a delicious tomato. 

    In surfing news (this was a surf-centric blog at one point, right?), I've been able to get out a few times in the morning on the new board, and it's pretty fun. We had a good steady run of solid swell a couple weeks ago, and I was able to get out for some of it, as well as the weaker days we've had in the past week. The board definitely works for smaller stuff, what with the boxier rails and more volume, but I'm still getting used to it, especially on weak mushy rights (which are backside for me). It definitely comes to life when there is some power behind the wave. I can't wait until late Summer/early Fall when there are some nice north swells and the WJ starts working (hopefully) like it did this Winter. This board will fly on long, speedy lefts. 

    Also, in other surfing news, I went out last Wednesday morning with boardshorts and a short-sleeve wetsuit top. It was cold. I will stick to the 3/2 for the time being.

     Yes, there is still more! A recent acquisition: a 5.5 amp Skil 100 power planer. This has been the "industry standard" for surfboard shapers for years. From the Clark Foam Hitachi Planer Manual: "Since it was introduced in the 1930s, the Skil 100 Planer had been used for almost all surfboard shaping." It was discontinued in 1988 when Skil decided to withdraw from the power planer market. Thus, while other planers are available, the Skil 100 is highly sought after by shapers, and they regularly demand prices exceeding $500 on eBay. This is the reason I have never actively sought one, aside from checking craigslist from time to time or keeping an eye out at yard sales. But, as luck would have it, my Dad was talking to a friend of his who used to make boards in the 60s and early 70s, and mentioned that I was making surfboards, and he said he had an old Skil planer that had been in storage for 30 years that he would dig up and give me. So, here it is. A beautiful piece of American machinery. Here's a fact, cliched but true: They don't build things like they used to. 

     Look at the abdomen of this large black spider and notice the crude skeleton. I poked it with a stick and it did not budge. I hate it when things like that stand up to me. It's creepy, because it's like they know something you don't. 

Almost through with this marathon post. Minor Threat is one of the relatively few bands from my youth that I still listen to and really enjoy and find relevant. While I still like all Minor Threat, the late period stuff (as late-period as you can get with a career spanning from 1980-1983) is some of my favorite. This song, "Salad Days," is from the Salad Days 7", recorded in 1983 but released in '85. Like a number of hardcore/punk bands' end-of-the-line songs (think Youth of Today "Disengage" and Gorilla Biscuits unreleased "Distance"), this song hints at new musical directions, and also has a tinge of regret and sadness to the lyrics (even if, in the case of "Salad Days", the sadness is a bit sardonic).

Bruce on Bob

Better Get Hit In Your Soul

     Yesterday morning, I sat down at our little breakfast table to have some post-run coffee, and I started to read a book on Gardening I bought at the thrift store. So I'm reading it and at the bottom of page four I read the line pictured above: 'Turn the page for the truths that will make you free." Wow. After I read that I wasn't sure if I wanted, or was daring enough, to turn the page. That's what I get for most of my gardening books being from the early- to mid-70s.
     So I haven't posted in a little bit, but it's because I've been kind of busy moving and all that. We're living in the house, we have been for over a week, and it's really great. Been doing stuff to get the shed ready, started siding it yesterday, and I've been doing what little the inside needs as well. It's been a busy time, but that's OK, because there haven't been that many waves to distract me.

    As far as ride reports for SF 004, I did get to take it out twice so far. The first time the waves weren't that hot, but I did get to see that the board paddles and catches waves very nicely. I got an idea of what the board rode like, but since the waves were small and mushy and I was still finding the right foot positioning it was a little bit of a bust.The second time the waves were a little better, still small, but there were some nice lefts with a little line to them. The board is fun, fast, and loose. I'm just curious how it will handle on some bigger, cleaner stuff. I think it will work out pretty well. Hopefully I'll find out this Wednesday.

     "Better Get Hit In Your Soul," the first track off of Mingus Ah Um (1959), by Charles Mingus. I realize that jazz has been given the short end of the stick on this blog, and that has not been sitting well with me. I'm not one of the oh-so-and-so played-drums-on-this-record-and-it-was-recorded-on-such-and-such-a-date-with-whosit-on-sax-type of jazz fan, the kind that know every detail about all kinds of jazz records, but I do know when I'm in the right frame of mind, jazz can get me just as well as any other music. That being said, Charles Mingus is one of my favorite jazz artists, Mingus Ah Um one of my favorite albums of his, and "Better Get Hit In Your Soul" one of my favorite songs on the album. So yeah, dig it, man.

004 Completed!

     Well, I just finished SF 004 about 20 minutes ago. Actually, that's kind of false, I still have to grind little notches in the fins to serve as landings for the screws to push against, but 1 AM is kind of late for that kind of noise. Otherwise, it's done.

     It was nice not doing a gloss this time. It saved a lot of work, a lot of weight, and not to mention I think a shortboard sometimes just feels nicer with a sanded hotcoat finish instead of a gloss. I sanded it down to 320. I was going to go further, but then I didn't.

     I'm really excited to try this board out and see how it goes. I think it will catch waves really well and ride them even better. I'm really siked about that wide tail, and the adjustable fins.

      And speaking of the fins, here they are. I'm really pleased with how they came out, even if they did take forever. They could have been better, but of course the whole board could have been better, but I'm satisfied. Well, maybe I speak too soon, I haven't ridden it yet....
     Bu yeah, so it's late, and I'm off to bed. Hopefully we'll be getting some swell this weekend, it looks like Saturday might be good. Can't wait to try the board out. Next up on the build list is Mark's board, and fortunately I just got the five gallons of resin and 25 yards of cloth I ordered today, so the sky's the limit (acually, time is the limit). Alright, goodnight.

Soon No. 2

 

     So, it's been a while. The board is coming along. The fin boxes are in, the bottom is sanded, and the leash cup is in. I've been working on the fins, as seen above (also, see below).

     Here is one of them, foiled w/ the lam coat on them. I've since notched the base out for the screws, so all that they're waiting on is a touching up, then a hotcoat, then a final sanding, then a gloss/sealer (which I'll probably do with Krylon acrylic gloss spray paint, because A) it's easier and B) it still looks really good and C) did I mention it will be easier?). Making these fins has been really fun, but it has also been really, really time consuming. I think it's taken as much time to make these fins as it has taken me to do the whole board. Maybe. Part of it is my fault: when I milled the rough panels with the surface planer, I didn't make them thin enough to fin in the boxes when they had a few layers of glass on them (three layers on the inside, two on the outside), so I had to do extra work to get them down to the right thickness. Even so, it's a time consuming process. But it's way cheaper (the wood was free, the cloth is cutoffs, and there isn't that much resin to a fin) not too mention I learn more about fin design by doing it than by buying a set of $75.00 fins. Still, if I had bought fins I'd be surfing this board tomorrow.

     But I'm not, so oh well. It will without a doubt be ready by the supposed small swell forecast for this Saturday. Either way, I'll take it in the Ocean, waves or no waves.

      And for music today, a little bit of a downer, but a beautiful song nonetheless. "Please Stay," the ninth track from Warren Zevon's 2003 (and final) album, The Wind. The album was recorded as Zevon knew he was dying of throat cancer, which when kept in mind makes this song, and the entire album, all the more poignant. There are many softer songs in which the devastatingly heartbreaking reality of death rings through every word and wrenches at the listener: the oft-repeated phrase in the song "don't go, please stay" really tears at you when you consider that at that point in his life the going was forever, and the staying was impossible. This album is full of songs that make you confront death and the goodbyes that come with it. Zevon's version of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" stands out among the countless artists who have previously covered this song, because he really was.
     But there are also some of the finest and rawest rock and roll songs of Zevon's career on this album, with which he achieves the perfect balance between the crushingly necessary contemplation on one's mortality and the viewpoint that yeah, we're going to die, but so what? Zevon always had a sardonic rebellious streak to his music, especially in his more rocking songs, and they are at their peak here.

     "Disorder in the House," a scathingly satirical stab at the government and all that comes with it. Bruce Springsteen does back-up vocals on this one, as well as a phenomenal lead guitar, and it sounds like they may have practiced it once before recording. The song comes off so raucously raw, with each banged and bent string sending the signal: "Yeah, maybe everything's gone to Hell, maybe everything's corrupt and falling apart, but who cares? As long as we've got tube amps and telecasters and rock and roll."
     So, yeah, I've got to wake up in less than five hours to surf (hopefully), so time for bed. But before I sign off I've got recommend one thing: Listen to Warren Zevon's The Wind, and listen to every track not only with the fact that he knew he was dying in mind, but the fact that you are dying too. The experience will be that much more enriching, and you'll be the better for it.

 

That's one upset little toad.