The Jim Parkinson Airbrush Mystery

stunet started the topic in Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 01:13 pm

Two weekends ago I answered a Facebook Marketplace ad, then travelled half an hour inland to buy a fifty-year old board.

This is the image from the ad:

It's a mid-70s single fin by Jackson - 'The Board' is the model - shaped by Jim Parkinson. Deck looked schmick so I took a punt.

quadzilla Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 04:34 pm new

Jacko built strong boards, 2x 6oz top with a 6oz bottom was standard for a long time.

I had a Jacko similar, 6/10x19x3.

lostdoggy Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 05:02 pm new

How long ya gonna leave us hanging, Stu?

simba Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 06:43 pm new

Good question doggy....stu?

stunet Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 06:55 pm new

Soz, lot on this arv...

The board was painted yellow on the bottom - not resin tinted but thick house paint. I wondered why, the deck was mint, the bottom couldn't be too bad, and considering Jim Parknson was both a shaper and an airbrush artist of renown I set to work.

Started sanding and soon realised the paint wasn't just there to cover up a toasty bottom. There was some airbrush art underneath and the surrounding foam was snow white.

Excited.

Kept going with 80 grit on a belt sander, the paint is thick as fingernails, and soon the fragments of a pattern were appearing. 

Good there's something there but dubious about it being a mural or something notable.

Paint dust flying everywhere, coating everything, and I'm barely a third of the way into it. I can see now it ain't gonna be a mural, it's an airbrush patternof some sort, but it should look unreal sanded back then finish and gloss coated.

The fin is original and electric blue colouring which matches the logo and paint.

More to come later...

tiger Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 07:01 pm new

Epic Stu. Wonder why it was ever painted? Fingers crossed you don't uncover something ungodly.

udo Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 07:26 pm new

Paint Stripper - Turps or Acetone on a Scourer - ?

blackers Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 07:27 pm new

something ungodly....like the hobbit toes?
Great find Stu.

stunet Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 07:32 pm new

udo wrote:

Paint Stripper - Turps or Acetone on a Scourer - ?

Took it down to show Parrish Byrne and ask for advice. He suggested physical removal, not chemical. I guess to spare the old resin.

udo Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 07:36 pm new
backyard Monday, 4 Mar 2024 at 04:27 pm new

I wonder if the board was ripped off at some point?

mikehunt207 Monday, 4 Mar 2024 at 04:54 pm new

Done any more sanding ?
Interested to see what's been covered up.
Nice outline

stunet Monday, 4 Mar 2024 at 06:26 pm new

mikehunt207 wrote:

Done any more sanding ?

Interested to see what's been covered up.

Nice outline

Too much swell at the moment. Reckon I'll finish it later this week.

The outline and foil are unreal.

stunet Saturday, 16 Mar 2024 at 05:03 pm new

Spent a few hours sanding and wet rubbing today. Still a few dots and streaks of yellow left. I'll try and get them tomorrow.

Few dings to fix, then I guess a fill coat and gloss. Should come up well.

Also, reckon Backyard is on the money about the board's history: I'd say it was stolen and the identifying features painted over. 

The bottom is schmick, not toasty at all, so there's no sane reason to paint over it.

simba Saturday, 16 Mar 2024 at 05:11 pm new

Stu thanks for cleaning my board up.......at last its surfaced ! I'll get some one to pick it up .....

cowabunga

tiger Saturday, 16 Mar 2024 at 05:27 pm new

Looks cool Stu. The paint job has preserved the foam and kept it very white. The stolen board theory sounds the most logical reason.