The Jim Parkinson Airbrush Mystery

stunet's picture
stunet started the topic in Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 1:13pm

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's picture
quadzilla's picture
quadzilla Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 4:34pm

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's picture
lostdoggy's picture
lostdoggy Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 5:02pm

How long ya gonna leave us hanging, Stu?

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 6:43pm

Good question doggy....stu?

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 6:55pm

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's picture
tiger's picture
tiger Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 7:01pm

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

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 7:26pm

Paint Stripper - Turps or Acetone on a Scourer - ?

blackers's picture
blackers's picture
blackers Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 7:27pm

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

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 7:32pm
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's picture
udo's picture
udo Sunday, 3 Mar 2024 at 7:36pm
backyard's picture
backyard's picture
backyard Monday, 4 Mar 2024 at 4:27pm

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

mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207 Monday, 4 Mar 2024 at 4:54pm

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

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 4 Mar 2024 at 6:26pm
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's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Saturday, 16 Mar 2024 at 5:03pm

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's picture
simba's picture
simba Saturday, 16 Mar 2024 at 5:11pm

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

cowabunga

tiger's picture
tiger's picture
tiger Saturday, 16 Mar 2024 at 5:27pm

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