Crafted Pt 1: Dog House Design
“Shaping the board is my favorite part… its when you finally see what it will look like, it goes from a block of foam to a surfboard… and thats truly amazing.” Zach explained as he spread the white dust all over the ground, the rhythmic strokes of his sandpaper reminiscent of the ebb and flow of the tide.
Theres a bond formed when you hand make a thing. you know every inch of it, you know all the bumps and humps. you know the length and width. you know the embossed edges, and size from tail to tip. throughout the many intimate hours a bond is formed between maker and made. this was especially evident as surfer Zach Voigt lost himself to the forming of his next project. Zach has been making board for many years, originally taught in Florida. After having his board stolen he was coaxed into making his own. through much trial and error he finally made a board he was happy with.
some time past, and Zach moved to Hawaii where he now lives with Kyle and Sean, teaching them his simple craft. one method used by Zach and his team at Dog House Designs is called the abstract swirl. this consists of layering paint on top of each other, giving it one or two spins, and spreading that shit on that board. this results in a beautiful swirled design over the surface of the board. “no two boards will ever be the same with this method,” Zach explained.
finishing the board, the team lays the fiberglass sheets and cut to size, quickly they work together to spread an even coat of resin over the sheets. Making sure there are no air holes or abnormalities on the surface, they conclude the process of making dolphin sex… next step, surfing.
