Tools of the Trade (Surfing)

Which tools do you need in order to shape and glass your own custom surfboard?

Shaping & Stand Building

• Drill
• Power saw (to cut wood for shaping stand, or use pre-cut lumber)
• Hand saw (to cut foam)
• 10″ Surform
• Spokeshave
• Sanding tool
• Sandpaper – 60, 120 grit
• Sanding sponge – fine to medium
• Level
• Tape measure
• Carpenter square
• C-calipers
• Dust mask
• Gardening gloves

Glassing/Sanding

• Flexi-spreaders/Squeegees (2-3)
• 2.5 qt plastic buckets (3-4)
• Chip brushes (2-3 4″ brushes, 2 2″ brushes)
• Scissors
• Wood stir sticks
• 1 1/2″ masking tape
• Measuring cup in ounces
• Power sander
• Sandpaper – 120, 220, 320 grit
• Sanding sponge – fine
• Razor blades
• Respirator
• Rubber gloves

These tools above will get you through the entire process of creating your own board start to finish. If you decide to continue building out boards, then here are some upgrades to consider:

Upgrades

• Hand Planer – quickly adjust and fine-tune the thickness of your board
• Router – create your own fin boxes (instead of paying for a shop to do so)
• Glassing stand – allows for a more polished finish, no small scuffs or inconsistencies