Hi everyone,
im about to embark on shaping my first longboard (9"6) but cqnnot find any piece of wood etc that is actually long enough to measure the rocker over the entire foam blank (by centering it on the bottom) Any advice on how to do it or what to use?
cheers!
Howzit,
Check with your local glass company and see if they can get you some aluminum storefront channel. They come in 10’ lengths. The piece I have is 2" x 5/16" x 10’ and straight as an arrow. Many variations available
Good advice. Follow it.
Great, will do exactly that. Thanks for the quick and helpful responses
You can buy a piece of Aluminum “Square Tubing” 8’ long at Lowe’s. With that piece of tubing, a concrete block or brick and a tape measure you can measure any rocker. If it is your first board; stick to “Natural” or established rockers that are already available from Arctic, Millennium,US Blanks or Marko. Keep it simple. Don’t overthink your first board. The idea that you have to shape some kind of custom rocker into your first board is damned ridiculous.
A Colossal waste of time for a 1st board.
I have used sewing thread stretched horizontal and taught in a pinch. The error due to catenary droop is pretty small.
I have also bought boards up to 16 feet long, 10 feet should not be an impossible thing. Getting something striaght might tricky, that is where the alumunim may be the ticket.
Considering searching for old threads on Barry Synder’s rocker stick and Bill Barnfield’s discussions of rocker and rail banding.
I think McDing is on to something as far as not re-inventing the wheel on rocker for a first board. If you can use a blank, great. If not, mimic something known.
Where I am, there are no blanks, so I would go the the blank catalogs and start with them for dimensions.
All the best, J
Couple of straight boards works too. Like 2 six footers overlapped 24" & screwed or clamped together. Keep it simple.
I use a laser level. Works for boards up to 50 feet long
Look around your environment and you’ll see a flat surface that you can set the board on and measure it.
10’ 1 x 1 alminum U channel, got mine at Home Depot in the sheetrock section, $10 and works fine.
Rusty did a Surfline video on measuring rocker, used to be public, now locked behind paywall. Per Rusty:
-put blank bottom up on stand/sawhorses
-mark dead center of blank
-place your longest level on blank center and adjust blank until center is level
-match center of straight edge with center of blank, measure away
Yup.