Hi guys, I recently picked up a couple of Clark blanks from someone and am looking for suggestions on what to build, as they arent my normal style boards. The main issue I’m running into is the fact that an outline has already been cut on both.
The first blank is a 9’0x23.5" triple stringer, which I’m planning on just a standard noserider. I am just going to narrow it up, mainly to get rid of some of the small rail blemishes.
The other is where I’m left with questions. It’s a mini-gun blank that has been cut to 7’6"x18.5" with a 10" nose and 12" tail. I was hoping to be able to get a sting style board out of it, but seems like its going to be way too narrow. I’d rather not make it into something completely different than it was intended. Any other ideas, aside from the current gun shape?
I think if you were able to be clear on what you have there, you would get some good suggestions from people who have shaped more than a few Clark’s. Your pics aren’t coming up for me. There are identifying marks or stencils on every Clark. For instance 9’1Y. Not familiar with any Clark 9’0. If you read the stencil or post a close-up pic of the stencil, I am sure someone could give you an intended use for that blank. Anything at 18" is pretty limited in what it can be used for no matter who made the foam. Without definitive info, you are talkin’ “smoke”.
Yep 9’1Y. Typical longboard blank of the day. Some of your pics finally came up. Must be something going on at my end. 9’1Y was one of the most popular Clark blanks ever . It is copied and updated by most foam manufacturers today.
Clark Foam is notoriously Soft compared to Arctic, Millennium and US Blanks. The more you take off of the blank the softer the core. As a Shaper if you are aware of that you can compensate in your shaping and glassing schedule. All three of the foam manufacturers listed above make a foam very much superior to the old Clark’s. Clark tried so hard to stifle any competition. So had no reason to make any improvements in his formula. If there is only one Pizza Joint in town, you’ll buy your greasy cheese pizza there. Having said all that; I have had some great boards made from Clark Foam. Have shaped a lot of them and just completed a 10’2 shaped from a 10’1Y that obviously was more than ten years old. They look like hell if you leave them exsposed to UV and temp changes. I have quite a few and have kept them in clean, dry, non UV storage. The result is that they don’t look much different from any other blank that has been sitting in the rafters for a year or two.
So this is the Clark 10’1Y recently shaped and glassed. Believe it or not I put a “one drop” tint in it to make it appear to be Volan. Browner or greener than it would have been otherwise.
With the old clark foam it also helps if you build it when you are half its age. My Neighbors 11 year old son fixing a 9’1"Y that was in the cnc boneyard. I have had it im my posession for over 20 years. Will show pics of the final product in the next few weeks. I have one clark blank left. Tow in density 6 footish.
Sorry it’s taken me a bit of time to reply. I’ve been struggling to reply since my new phone somehow erased all of my points.
Thanks to all for the input. The log is a 9’1"Y, as identified earlier, and has plenty of foam left to make a solid noserider.
The board that is a 7’6" has already had a mini-gun outline cut, which leaves very little of the clark size/shape stencil. I’d rather keep it original, as opposed to adding supplemental foam. If I were going to alter it that much, I’d just make my standard shortboard from it. But at this point, it’s well over 15 years old, so a bit more time to decide what to make with it isn’t going to ruin it.
Here are a couple of pics with the markings more visible, if anyone can tell me any more info about them. As I understand, all the dots around the clark foam logo have meanings to them as well.
Thanks again for all your knowledge. I think I finally have enough points to respond in a timely manner
Don’t have any Clarks left, have a few Bennetts that are shrinking. I have one Walker left that I’m going to make my last personal board from.(They took tints better than anyone else’s blanks). That being said, here’s my advice. On the Yater tripple stringer, you can go down to 22.5" with no problem and a more parallel rail makes a better noserider anyway. On the gun shape, I’d just leave it as it is. Remember, skin the deck carefully, take just the minimum. Maybe make it a downrailer. I would recommend you do a light opaque glass job on the longboard so you can still kinda see the stringers, as it will brown up quick if you don’t once you get it out in the sun. On the gun I would take Barry up on his offer, glass the board with a deep red tint(actually opaque red), do glass-on fins, and turn it into a wall hanger. PM Bill and see if he would part with a template for a bolt. Just my 2c…, does anybody else remember Foss Foam?
