How to Make and Glue in Your Own Surfboard Stringers
Recommended AkuShaper Plan: Up & Comer
The Up & Comer plan is ideal for this stage because it includes:
Full-size rocker profile printing – critical for cutting your stringer accurately.
Advanced stringer dimension tools and guides – for dialing in rocker, thickness flow, and foil with precision.
Building your own surfboard blank gives you full control over the shape, performance, and materials you use. A key component of that process is the stringer—a central spine that adds strength, controls flex, and helps guide the hotwire cut. Here's how to make and glue in your own stringers, whether you're cutting EPS by hand or with a CNC machine.
Why Use AkuShaper to Create Custom Stringers and EPS Blanks?
Rocker Accuracy – Print full-size rocker profiles directly from your board designs for precise stringer cutting.
Design-to-Foam Alignment – Build your blank to match your digital design exactly, minimizing guesswork and reshaping.
Custom Fit – Easily adjust rocker, thickness, and outline to fit any style, size, or wave condition.
Material Efficiency – Maximize your EPS blocks by cutting multiple blanks with optimized templates.
Local Independence – Perfect for regions with limited access to traditional blanks — shape what you need, when you need it.
For a full walkthrough of how to hot wire and make your own blanks, check out this detailed video from Dzjie Foils, where they cut an EPS blank from start to finish.
1. What Does a Stringer Do?
Stringers add structural strength, control flex, and can serve as a guide for hotwire cutting. In hand-cut blanks, they also help with alignment and symmetry. Even in stringerless designs, temporary center profiles are often used during the cutting process to ensure precision.
2. Choosing the Right Material
The material you choose will affect how the board feels, flexes, and lasts. Here are a few options:
Basswood – Easy to shape, moderate flex.
Cedar – Lightweight, rot-resistant, and visually striking.
Balsa – Extremely light and flexible, but delicate.
Spruce – Stiff and strong, ideal for high-performance boards.
Poplar – Affordable and widely available.
Plywood – Good for practice or budget builds; avoid overly thick cuts.
PVC Foam – Great for lightweight or experimental builds; surface prep is crucial for adhesion.
💡 Pro Tip: Match your stringer material to your riding goals. Want a lively, flexible board? Go with balsa or cedar. Need drive and stiffness? Try spruce or plywood. And remember — heavier woods like basswood can help balance out ultra-light EPS foam. You can also experiment with parabolic stringers like in the picture to the right.
Looking to buy pre-cut stringers instead of making your own? Here are a few trusted suppliers:
https://www.instagram.com/appelcorestringers/
https://greenlightsurfsupply.com/products/stringer
https://markofoamblanks.com/pages/bassstringer
https://www.kimossurfhut.com/products/wood-stringers
https://balsawoodsurfboardsriley.com/products/balsa-and-cedar-stringers
3. Cut Your Stringer
*Screenshot of full size AkuShaper Rocker Profile PDF Print
Precision is key — the stringer sets the baseline for how your blank is aligned and shaped. With AkuShaper, you can print your exact rocker profile at full scale to use as a cutting template.
Here’s how to do it:
Design your rocker in AkuShaper and verify that the dimensions match your target board.
Go to File → Print, select “Rocker Profile”, and print at 100% scale.
Tape the pages together to form the full outline.
Cut out the printed profile and glue it to your stringer material.
Use a jigsaw, bandsaw, or router to cut along the outline.
Finish the edge with a planer or sanding block for a clean, smooth profile.
Tips for success:
Clearly mark the centerline before cutting.
Keep your saw blade perpendicular to avoid angled cuts.
Double-check symmetry — especially on boards with complex curves.
💡 Pro Tip:
Before printing your rocker profile from AkuShaper, make sure your print settings are set to 100% scale — not "fit to page." To improve alignment, enable the ¼-page offset option so the rocker curve prints across the center of each page. This minimizes flat spots at the page edges and makes it easier to trace a clean, accurate outline. Once printed and taped, cut one continuous line and glue it to your stringer material before sawing.
For step-by-step instructions, check out this guide:
👉 How to Print Rocker or Outline Templates from AkuShaper
4. Glue the Stringer into Your EPS/PU Block
This is where patience pays off. You’ll want a clean, strong bond to avoid failures during the hotwire cut or shaping.
Steps:
Cut your EPS block cleanly in half along the centerline.
Use a hotwire, handsaw, or long-blade knife to ensure a flat cut.
Rough up the mating surfaces slightly for better glue adhesion.
Apply a surfboard-safe epoxy or polyurethane glue evenly along the stringer.
Clamp the EPS halves tightly together—use weights, straps, or a jig for uniform pressure.
Allow to cure fully (check glue specs for timing).
6. Prepare the Blank for Shaping or CNC Cutting
Once the foam and stringer are fully glued and cured, you're ready to prep the blank — either for hand shaping or CNC machining. This step focuses on roughing in the shape and making the blank workable.
If Hand Shaping:
Trace your outline onto the blank using a wood template or your AkuShaper printout.
Rough cut the perimeter and rocker shape with a handsaw or planer.
Remove the outer “skin” of the blank (especially on pre-molded or recycled foam) using a surform, planer, or sanding block.
Begin shaping rails, foil, and bottom contours according to your design plan.
If CNC Cutting:
Plane down any excess stringer height so it’s flush with the foam surface.
Ensure the blank is square, symmetrical, and flat on the bottom — this is critical for mounting in the CNC machine.
Since this is a custom-sized blank, you’ll likely need to create a new blank file in AkuShaper that matches the physical dimensions (length, width, thickness, rocker, etc.).
Once the blank file is created, you can assign it to your board file to simulate the cut path and avoid cutting too deep or outside the foam boundaries.
💡 Pro Tip:
Treat your custom blank just like any factory blank: measure it carefully and input accurate dimensions. Then use AkuShaper’s “Blank Fitting” function to make sure your design fits inside the foam with room to spare.
Final Tips & Resources
Foam EZ - Surfboard Stringers, The Possibilities Are Endless!
Best Practices for Gluing Stringers in EPS Blanks: [External Video]
Sanding and Prepping Your Blank for Shaping: [Polyola Blanks Blog Link]
What's Next?
Ready to try it yourself?
Use AkuShaper to print a full-size rocker template and start building your own rockers at home.
Sign up for AkuShaper here: https://www.akushaper.com/users/new
Not sure which blank to match to your design?
Browse our built-in Blank Library or load in your own dimensions for an accurate cut.
Curious about big block EPS foam, where to source it, and how to cut it?
Check out our support article on How to Hotwire Your Own Blanks.
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Have your own custom stringer setup or tips?
We’d love to see your process—tag us in your build photos or drop us a message.
