project project

My first shape for someone other then myself.  I designed this one for a good friend based on my experience riding my own two Simmons type boards, and how I would alter the design for myself.  This one keeps a pretty full outline at 6’3 x 22 3/4 x 3” for a 200lb rider.  It deviates from the traditional Simmons by having continuous, though relaxed, rocker, a quad setup and spiral vee bottom (peaked stringer and double concaves between the front fins fading out through the tail).  The tail curve accelerates in from hips at the front fin with the hopes that this board will carve tight and effortlessly on the smallest days.  In my mind this combines some of the best aspects of a Simmons and a modern quad fish.  

Epoxy resin on eps, all labored over by these two typing hands of course.  

Modern Craft #5

Sea of Joy influenced 7’1’ epoxy on poly, mini mahogany side bites.  

Hull transitioning to vee bottom with double concaves.  Rail is slightly lower and slightly less pinched than a true hull, circa ‘69 except that it transitions to a hard, down edge just before the fins.  

Trims well.  Carves with lots of drive.  With a warm resin tint for the winter.  

Modern Craft

I’ve been so thoroughly enjoying my last single fin I’ve gone for a variation.  This one is based on a fish template but with a wide, single bump diamond tail.  The combination of a relaxed tail rocker and tail width should make it a great board for typically small east coast surf.  I’ve glassed on small side bites to help take a high line when the conditions get punchy.  Dims are 6’4 x 2 3/4 x 20 1/4.  Its thickest under the chest for paddling but foils out to the rails and tail.  

Just a sample of design and production of display pieces for Frye Boots’ first retail location in NYC.  My favorites among these were cast iron pieces I designed using Rhino.  The masters (originals for casting) were in some cases cnc routed and others I hand carved from hardwood.  More to come as the photos roll in.  

Modern Craft

Just out of the studio.  Sort of a pulled in egg template with a more contemporary rocker and bottom contours.  2+1, widowmaker, whatever you want to call it.  Two fun sessions so far- and looking forward to a little juice.  

Cloudscapes 

A few of my landscape photos shot for The _____ Scapes.

Separate out egg yokes.

Add a heavy dash of cream of tartar.

Beat on high for 5 minutes.  

Mini Simmons

It was inevitable that I would shape my own surfboard.  And I was finally inspired by the unique history of this shape.  

Very briefly: naval architect Lindsey Lord studies Hawaiian surfboards (like the paipo) in order to design faster hull shapes for the U.S.’s WWII wardships. He publishes his findings in The Naval Architecture of Planing Hulls in 1946.  In 1948, with Lord’s book in hand , shaper Bob Simmons begins applying Lord’s theories of hydrodynamics to his surfboard shapes.  Simmon’s boards become recognized for being very fast down the line.  The development of Simmon’s shape goes into hibernation between his death in 1954 and the first recreation of his board by shaper Joe Bauguess for filmmaker Richard Kenvin in 2006.  Bauguess and Kenvin tirelessly promoted and developed the shape and its attributes quickly find their way into the designs of many known shapers.  The influence of ancient hawaiian surfboard design is coming full circle.  

For my first board I held pretty close to Simmons design:  hullish, rockered entry going flat through to the tail with a concave between the twin fins.  The rails are hull like; very pinched, blending to sharp down rails at the tail.  Its both wider and thicker then my longboard but only 5’9” long.  And yes, it is fast.  

I’m calling the color “grass is always greener…” in a nod to all the variables in a session of surfing: board selection, swell and wind direction, tide, period, size and the spot at which you choose to paddle out.  Sounds unlikely but sometimes it all comes together.   

Though most of my hours at work are spent engineering someone else’s cocktail napkin designs into functional, build-able products, once in a while i get to concept the whole thing from beginning to end.

I went unknowingly dressed to my first visit with the client in my everyday uniform of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt.  Patek Philippe is a Swiss watchmaker of the highest of high end.  New watches can sell for as much as 1.2 mil, and they appreciate from there.  These can’t be easily bought.  Known collectors (one has to apply for the privilege) are invited to dinner parties around the world where the watches are shown.

The problem was for us to create a table display for such parties and the requirements were pretty heavy.  They needed to incorporate lighting from a rechargeable power supply (so there would be no cords).  And that power would have to last through the five hour event.  Needless to say, the displays needed to be worthy of their product. 

So the final design is a mitered low-iron glass box with the Patek logo sandblasted a a pattern on the exterior.  It is internally lit with dim-able led lights (to adjust for the occasion).  The glass box is pierced on its corners by a custom stainless x lighting fixture to illuminate the watch faces.  (the watches sit on stands on top of the glass.)  This all runs for six hours on a rechargeable battery.

Sandblasting by perfectionist Evan Eisman in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Everything else completed in house at DCM Fabrication.