Shaping surfboards is pretty much done behind closed doors. That's what Wayne Rich said one day when we were talking about surfboard stuff.

Here's a look behind closed doors one day last week...with some explanation. When I started working on a new board patterned after a 1968 V-Bottom.  One that I didn't keep an outline of from back in the day. Fortunately a friend of mine had the old board so I could map it. 

First I write in my book all the numbers from mapping the board. Outline numbers every 3 inches, same for rocker and thickness.

Second I mark the outline numbers on the blank I'm using for my board. And pull a tape line connecting all the marks. 

Then I cut one side of the blank and true up the curve where ever needed.

After the outline on the one side is clean and satisfactory I scribe it onto some template material and cut the template.

 I used sheet vinyl for the template, which will hold a line, easily cuts with scissors and  it can be trued up with block plane and sanding block.

Now the other side of the board can be outlined using the new template running along the marks from mapping the original board.

With board outline complete the board is shaped and finished, ready for glassing.

D.R.