Shaping Bay Secrets

One thing about the surfboard industry is a lot of factories don't really have signs up advertising these days , most are quite discrete tucked away in the back areas of industrial estates, this is for a few different reasons  . Showrooms or "retail areas" for the public to hang out have kind of faded away over the last few years . 

Board makers especially shapers  don't like to divulge too much information and it tends to be all so secretive .  Social media kind of lets you the surfer into a world you probably would not ever get to enter ! Behind the scenes of a shaping bay or a glassing room . Funny no one really puts up videos of guys "sanding" boards !

Social media has changed it with big companies to back-yarders posting videos online of there factory work life and board building techniques , whether it be fancy carbon lay-ups or classical resin tint work .

The other day I watched a video of a shaper with a solid social media profile cutting out a swallow tail .

One of my processes cutting out a deep swallow on a Fish 

All the tools were the same , saw , files , rasp and pencil lines etc but the way this particular shaper approached the job was unique . I wondered did someone teach him that process or did he just invent it and run with it ? 

It was cool , rarely shapers collaborate these days and I guess social media posts are the "new" way for techniques and ideas to be shared !

My shaping bay is in Cottage Green if anyone wants to know .

Anyway I just painted my shaping room and here is my shaping bay "shared" online with a brand new paint job  . I like the way the darker green bounces the light around ! Excited to shape your next board in here .

Some say you could go darker but I heard that may send you mad in the long run !

Here is a video of me shaping too when my bay was lighter green and blue .