surf-chalk board

So back in March Chase got this brand new board, custom made. The day he got it he was so giddy, I had never seen him so stoked. It was the perfect shape, perfect length, and even had the perfect black and blue zebra deck pad he had wanted for months. Unfortunately, one day Gas Chambers decided to screw him over and snapped it in half! We were all in shock, he was almost in tears. It had only been ridden three times and was barely a month old. 

You see, Chase has a few items that I call his "special" things. First, his surf board. I am not allowed to touch his board, nor move it, nor hold it, nor load it in the car. No touchy for Lisa, I surely will leave a huge ding in it and life will be over ;). Second, his shoes. He always keeps one pair of nice Vans that he will not wear skating or in the rain. He keeps them outside of the shoebox in his "special" place to never be moved unless by him, in fear of getting scuffed, misshapen, or heavens forbid, dirty. Third, his hats. He loves those flat billed New Era hats, especially the San Diego ones. Go chargers! So, they are stacked in just a way that they will not get bent or change shape. I mustn't touch. It's hilarious I tell you. Ok, moving on.

Since Chase seemed to have an attachment to this board and he couldn't bear to get rid of it, I decided to find a way to preserve it. Fixing it would be a joke, it was a clean break all the way through. So, I opted to painting it! Chase at first found the idea dumb and not at all what he wanted, but I found it a clever idea! What better way to keep the board in our family than a cute decor item! So here we have it people. A mini tutorial. Enjoy!

Supplies:

Top half of a broken surf board

Black chalkboard paint

Sponge brush

Blue painters tape

Chalk

Gorilla glue

Metal wall hanger

1. First you need to prep the board for painting. Chase had a clean break on his board, so I didn't bother sanding the bottom to make it flat. Although, that is definitely an option if you want a clean perfect type of look. I kept it rugged and real, for memories sake. I then removed all the excess wax by using one of my old cards and hot water to scrape it off.  Once the wax is removed, use a paper towel to wipe it dry.
2. Grab some blue painters tape to mask off the shape you want to paint and begin painting by filling inside the tape lines. Painting a surfboard is pretty tricky because of the material it is made of. It's super shiny and smooth so it will take many layers. Honestly, I lost track of how many I did. Surely it was probably around 10 or so? But the trick is, let it dry completely between coats. I had a hard time being patient with that, but it helps keep the chalkboard smooth and glossy instead of rough. You want it to be consistent with the surfboard so waiting for it to dry completely between coats is a bonus.
3. Once you have painted it to the desired darkness and thickness, allow it to dry for a full 24 hours. When it has dried completely, slowly and carefully remove the blue tape. Peel it off slowly, because it can easily pull up the chalkboard paint with it. Again, the nature of the board makes it easy for the paint to peel off. Be wary of that.
4. Now it is time to culture the chalkboard. Take a piece of chalk and place it flat on the chalkboard. Coat the entire chalkboard with a layer of chalk. Once this has been done, take a damp paper towel and wipe the board clean. Now it is ready to be drawn on!
5. Lastly, use gorilla glue to fasten a metal wall hanger to the back. The gorilla glue takes hours to dry. I just did it over night and placed a heavy pot on top of it to secure it. Follow the directions on the gorilla glue bottle. This is the only type of glue that will work on a surf board, do not try any other type or your chalkboard will fall and crash off your wall, not fun! You can find this glue at Ace or any hardware section.

Happy painting surfer friends!