yep that was me too lol
and fuck yeah dude on the senna helmet. you gotta do Hunts for a simple theme too, but make sure “the patch” is on there somewhere 
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True! They’re very common in fact, for leather jackets and handbags and such like. I had to sift thru mountains of them to find these! The prospect of drilling and screwing them all in isn’t hugely appealing though and you’ll never find them as small as these. I’m actually wondering if even the 3 mm studs might be a bit too big. We’ll see when I get them ride-tested.
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You, sir, are a gentleman. You’ve put the spring back in my step. Thanks very much! 
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Them’s the ones, yeah. Assuming that thread is 2 mm in diam, even the smallest of those has to be about 6-8 mm high, right?
The Gulf deck has been taking quite a bit of grief during the sanding process. I’m increasingly convinced that those studs aren’t going anywhere. They’re locked down toight, boy. Toight like a toiger. 
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Am I missing something there?
No offense I love your artwork and you know it man, but your two last posts sound salty somehow?
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Long story, but its cool. We talked about it off line.
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word - anyone who use’s Austin’s/Goldmember’s metric for tension understands what he’s talking about
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I would say that this needs further clarification because I have no idea what this is all about …but I’m inclined to say that we should try and just keep the thread content-rich and drama-free.
But since you’re here, what do you think of the project? 
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Oh it really had nothing to do with you at all! It was just something between me and @PedroMcJimenez that we cleared up.
It looks great!
I’m a big fan of the style. I have one in early stages that is similar and have done a few Martini style.
Fun to see the direction people take the style.
You are doing some cool work! Love the little pegs, I have played with things similar but just wasn’t super psyched on how mine came out. Yours look like a much better product though .
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Oh wow! That looks phenomenal! 
…and thanks for the kind words, dude. Means a lot to me.
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Just sayin… 
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One of the few benefits of this bastard virus is that it has given me much, much more time to play with and the majority of that time is being invested into this project. I don’t have any deadlines as such. The only real time limitation is if I get to a point where I can’t be bothered anymore.
I’m at the point now where I’ve ploughed easily upwards of 40 hours into this one deck. A lot of that time has been spent working pretty inefficiently and figuring out better ways of doing things. Some of it has been spent close to tears trying to undo mistakes that I’ve made. I’m not sure how much time I’ve spent just staring at it but it’s definitely excessive.
The most time-consuming and frustrating aspect of this project is in aiming for a flawless mirror-like sheen.
After numerous coating layers, I ended up with a finish that looked like this:
Lovely and glossy and all that, but that orangepeel-y texture is just not on.
Sanding is a pain in the arse at the best of times but working around these studs is a mfkn nightmare for two reasons:
- Getting sandpaper in between them is a challenge in itself and when you do, the studs set straight to tearing it apart for you.
- The limited range of motion you can make in that small area makes it difficult to get a nice, even finish.
It was this task that brought me dangerously close to the point where I couldn’t be bothered anymore but I’m satisfied with the results. I’ve worked through 180, 240, 400 and 600 grits and now it’s ready for the final glossing layers.
I’m not prepared to sacrifice the studs in future just to keep the workload down. I think they look stand-out, drop-dead stunning, and since they’ve taken such a hammering through this process there’s no doubt in my mind that they’re up to the task.
The key improvements I need to make in future will be to reduce that build-up of orange-peel so to minimise the extent of the sanding I need to do. I’m looking at some different resins and techniques that should help with that.
The test I’m going to set for myself is to check how coherent a barcode looks when it’s reflected off the surface. That’s going to be the measure of quality that I hold myself to.
Spoiler
Gulf probably isn’t going to take the trophy by that measure …but that’s only because it’s the first in the series
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But if it’s the only one in the series with studs, it will be special. They are the difference between an artwork and something that could actually be functional (as an artwork), so IMO contribute so much to what makes this awesome. Keep it up dude, it’s looking amazing 
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Thanks so much, @rosco, and thanks again for your comprehensive write-up on FreeSk8. You’ve really helped me set off in the right direction and the encouragement is really appreciated.
…and the studs are staying, dude. No question. The deck itself would go before the studs do! 
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Looks awesome dude! SHARP lines are so clean and the colors pop
Look at System Three Silvertip slow cure. It says 72 hr recoat with out sanding, so I was comfortable doing a 1-2 coats after work over a few days. I didn’t really see any blush, but I gave it a quick wipe with iso if it sat for longer than 12 hrs. Pot life is pretty good so no need to rush to much on application. Recoat time can be anywhere from 4-6 hr though, depending on temp.
Coming from west systems, I was happy with the change.
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+1 for this. Really great work @rosco
@brown5tick I skimmed but didn’t see; how did you mount those studs? I love the look they give, guessing function is on point too.
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I just used a really small amount of all-purpose adhesive to hold them into position on the laminated deck. I then made sure that the subsequent coating layers formed up and around the studs to properly lock them into place. The optical effect is quite surprising actually. I guess it’s the refraction of light through the meniscus that seems to blend the studs and the deck together. I love the look they give too!
I’m guessing function is on point as well (pun?) but it really remains to be seen. Right now, they’re 100% solid and painfully sharp. I need to see how that sharpness plays out over time and whether it might be more effective and comfortable to stick to a smaller stud size.
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It was way too late in the process but I was overcome with the urge to fill and sand back the rails.
…coz it’s all about the details 
So now it’s just a few touch-up jobs left to do, glossing and polishing etc. and it’s a job done!
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This is looking insanely nice! You better put plenty of clear coat layers on to ensure the drool of people gazing at the deck doesnt affect it 
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