This tool is designed for shapers who already have Shape3d files of their shapes. If you don't have a Shape3d file then please reach our directyl to us. Upload a Shape3d file, watch your board render in 3D, and get a real itemized price before you enter a card number. No account, no sales rep, no request-a-quote-and-wait. Order a machine-cut blank, a fully finished board, or a batch of boards in one checkout.
build.pureglass.com runs on the same rate sheet and the same CNC queue as the shop floor, just handed to you directly. Here's exactly how each path through it works.
In this article
- What is build.pureglass.com?
- What you need before you start
- Blank + Cut vs. Full Build: which should you choose?
- How to order a Blank + Cut
- How to order a Full Build
- Ordering several boards at once
- FAQ
What is build.pureglass.com?
It's the shop's online ordering desk. Upload the Shape3d file you already have, and the tool renders your board in 3D, works out which blank it comes out of, and prices the job off the current rate sheet on screen, before you talk to anybody.
Your file stays confidential and stays yours. We use it to cut your board, we don't reuse it, and we don't share it. If you're still weighing a custom shape against something off the rack first, the breakdown on custom vs. stock surfboards covers cost and lead time for both.
Upload your file and see it rendered, fitted to a blank, and priced in under a minute.
Get your quote →What you need before you start
- A Shape3d file, a .s3dx or .s3d. That's the design file itself, not a 3D scan and not a mesh or scene export. Upload a scan and the tool will tell you, and ask for a parametric file instead.
- Nothing else. No login, no account, no card, just to see a price.
- One file or several. Add multiple boards at once and check out together. See the batch section below.
- No design file yet? There's a link on the landing page to AKU Shaper, our design partner. Draw your board there, then come back and upload it.
Blank + Cut vs. Full Build: which should you choose?
The configurator runs in two modes, and the right one depends on how much of the build you want to do yourself.
The payment difference comes down to certainty. We know the price the second the file parses, so you pay and go straight into production. A full build gets a human check first to confirm it's buildable, and the invoice follows that review.
How to order a Blank + Cut
Upload your file, glance at the blank the tool picked, and pay. Your blank goes on the CNC queue the moment payment clears, and the whole thing runs about a minute.
Step 1: Upload your file and see it render in 3D
Click Upload your .s3dx file on the landing page and pick your design, or drag the file anywhere onto the page. The board appears immediately, and the Dimensions (from file) panel fills in on its own: length, width, thickness, nose and tail rocker, volume. Nothing is typed in, every figure is read straight out of the file. Check that the mode toggle at the top reads Blank + cut (it's selected by default), then enter your name and email to reveal the price. That's the only information we ask for, so we can confirm the build and send your invoice.
Step 2: Check your blank fit
Under Foam & blank you can pick the foam supplier (US Blanks PU, Marko EPS or Millennium PU), construction, density and stringer, but you don't have to touch any of it. The tool pre-picks a sensible blank and construction from your file. Change what matters to you and leave the rest.
Blank fit is the part worth a look. It shows which blank your board comes out of and how much foam is left on every axis, length, width, thickness, nose rocker, tail rocker. Green means room to spare. A top-down overlay draws your outline inside the blank so you can see rail clearance at the tightest point, and an Also fits list shows other blanks that would work, marked cheaper, pricier or about the same. Tap one to switch and the price updates.
If your board is bigger than a stock blank, it still gets a price. The fit engine moves up to the next blank that covers it and charges normal list price, no oversize surcharge. The only thing that stops an order is a file the tool can't read, a scan or a mesh export instead of a parametric Shape3d file.
Step 3: Read your itemized price
The Price panel breaks the quote down line by line, blank, machine cut, foam, density, stringer, and totals it. It's pulled from the current rate sheet, so it's a real price, not an estimate. Sales tax is added at checkout.
Step 4: Pay, and you're on the queue
Click Pay & order to open your order card, a summary of exactly what you're buying, plus the last few details we need: name, email, fulfillment (pickup at Pureglass), and Resale/tax-exempt if it applies. Three fields are optional and worth knowing:
- Quantity, the number of identical cuts. Ordering four of the same shape? Set it to 4 here instead of uploading the file four times.
- Rush, an extra $20 per board.
- Cut notes, anything the CNC operator should know, plus a requested-by date.
Tick the made-to-order acknowledgement, these blanks are machined to your file so all sales are final, then pay. Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay are all accepted, no card surcharge. The moment payment clears, your blank drops onto the CNC queue and a confirmation email lands in your inbox. No approval step, no waiting on a quote.
How to order a Full Build
Same upload, same 3D render, same blank-fit check, then you spec the glassing, fins, tint and finish, and reserve the build. We confirm it's buildable and email your invoice. No card at submit.
Step 1: Switch to Full Build mode
Steps 1 to 3 are identical to a Blank + Cut: upload, render, enter your email. When you're ready to spec a finished board, click Full build on the toggle above the dimensions. The panel grows a set of new sections, and the price updates from a cut price to a full build price.
Step 2: Spec your glass, fins, patches and tint
Pick a glass schedule, add carbon if you want it, then move to fins: setup (single, twin, thruster, quad, 2+1 or five), system (FCS II, Futures, or glass-ons), and box colour. If your file already contains fin boxes, the tool reads them and pre-fills this section on its own, the setup pill switches from choose to auto when that happens. Weighing setups is its own subject, our guide to surfboard fins is worth a read before you commit.
Tail patches, deck patches and contour work come next, then resin tint: deck and bottom separately, each clear, translucent or opaque, with cutlap direction, lap width and an optional pinline. The 3D board on the left updates live as you choose, so you can spin it and look before committing. Finish is sanded, polished or gloss.
Anything the shaping and glassing crew should know that the options above don't cover, a rail preference, a logo placement, a repeat of a board you rode before, goes in the build notes field.
Step 3: Review your itemized quote
The Price panel now lists every element of the build, blank, machine cut, hand shaping, construction, carbon, glass, density, fins, patches, tint, stringer and finish, and totals it. Every line is a choice you made above, so it's easy to see what to change if you want to move the number.
Step 4: Submit your order, no card required
On a Full Build the button reads Submit order, not "Pay & order," because there's no card at this stage. Fill in the order card the same way as a Blank + Cut and click Create order card. From there, your order lands with us as a pending build, we review the design and confirm it's buildable, and you get a build-confirmed email with your invoice to follow. Pickup at Pureglass once the board's finished.
Ordering several boards at once
Drop as many files as you like in one go. Each board gets its own quote and its own spec, and the whole batch checks out on a single payment and a single invoice. This is the path for shops, team orders, and anyone running a batch of blanks.
Step 1: Upload all your files together
Select several .s3dx files at once, or drag the whole lot onto the page. Each one parses and renders in turn, and a tray appears across the top with one card per board: name, dimensions, the blank the tool picked, a fit badge, and that board's price.
Step 2: Spec each board, or apply one spec to all
Click any card to bring that board into the 3D view and load its options into the panel. Each board keeps its own foam, density and stringer, so a batch can be genuinely mixed, but when the run shares a spec, use Apply foam / density / stringer to all boards to set it once. Click Add to order and the card flips from Review to In order, with a running cart underneath showing the board count and batch total. Boards left on Review aren't part of the checkout, so you can quote a board without buying it.
Step 3: Check out the whole batch at once
Click Checkout [n] boards. The order card opens in batch mode and lists every board with its dimensions, blank, density, stringer, quantity and price, plus a per-board notes field. Set the quantity on any board that needs more than one cut, add rush if you need it, tick the made-to-order acknowledgement, and pay. One transaction covers the batch, and every blank goes on the CNC queue together.
Worth knowing: batch checkout is a Blank + Cut feature, Full Builds are submitted one at a time since each gets a factory review before invoicing. And quantity and multiple files are different things, quantity means cutting the same board N times, multiple files means cutting different boards. Combine both in one batch if you need to.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account to order a custom surfboard online?
No. You can upload a file, get a full itemized price, and place an order without creating one. We ask for a name and email so we can confirm the build and send the invoice.
What happens to my surfboard design file after I upload it?
It stays confidential and it stays yours. We use it to cut your board, we don't reuse it, and we don't share it.
What file types work with build.pureglass.com?
Shape3d files, .s3dx and .s3d. A 3D scan, a mesh, or a scene export won't work, the tool will say so and ask for a parametric file instead. That's the only thing that stops an order.
Are the prices shown on build.pureglass.com accurate?
Yes. They're computed from the current rate sheet on every option change, shown pre-tax, with sales tax added at checkout. If you need custom stringers, or the blank you selected won't work, we will contact you to adjust the charges.
Can I change the blank the tool picked?
Yes, before you pay. The tool pre-picks a sensible blank from your file, but the Blank fit panel lists a set of alternatives, marked cheaper, pricier or about the same. Tap one to switch and the price updates. Once you pay on a Blank + Cut, that's the blank going on the CNC queue. If you choose a blank that we can't but from, we will let you know before its cut and what the price adjustment will be.
Why does Blank + Cut take payment upfront but Full Build doesn't?
We know the price the moment the file parses, so you pay and go straight onto the machine. A full build gets a human review first to confirm it's buildable, and the invoice follows that.
Is there a card surcharge?
No. Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay are all accepted at checkout, and none of them carries a surcharge.
Can I cancel my order?
Before you pay, yes, nothing is charged until you complete checkout, so you can walk away any time before that. On a Blank + Cut, payment is final: once it clears, your blank is machined to your file, so there's no cancelling or changing it after that point. On a Full Build, no card is taken at submission, your order sits as a pending build until we confirm it's buildable and send your invoice, so let us know before you pay if you want to back out.
Can I get my custom surfboard order shipped?
Shipping is available, please reach out to us at sales@pureglass.com so we can work to figure out the best option.
Upload your file and see the price
No account, no sales rep. Just a real, itemized quote built from the same rate sheet the shop runs on.
Get your instant quote →Pickup at 1777 Placentia Ave, Costa Mesa (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 9am-2pm).