and i still can’t get my outline perfectly straight? its still got the occasional dip in it or uneven spot or lump.
WTF!!!
flowin,
Ive done only fifty or so boards and getting a perfectly clean template is the most frustrating and difficult part of the whole procedure. Mike
Are you using poly or eps???
EPS, I cant help you, but urathane, I can.
I cut about 1/4" outside my pencil line with a saw or what ever you use.
Then stand the blank vertical in the stands and then set your planer to the shallowest cut.
Plane along your out line making sure you plane 90 degree to the bottom of the blank.
Try to place only the area of the plane were the blades are onto the foam.
I start at about 12" from the nose and finish about 12" fronm the tail.
What this does is plane only the high spots on the out line.
Once all the high spots are down, your passes will be nice and smooth with no dip.
Plane down to your pencil line then blend in your nose and tail and you are done.
Nice smooth flowing outline.
I got all of this info from the archive some time ago and I was amazed at how smooth and uniform it turned out using this technique.
Trust me, give it a go, you will be suprised.
Cheers
i’m gonna give it a go, thanks.
you know, i still don’t get what your saying. use the planer and make sure only the blade is touching? wouldn’t that make it more uneven?
Set your planer to the lowest setting. On mine it is 0. I simetimes set it to 1/2. (my planers depth goes in 1/2 increments up to 2)
Now with the planer running, place it into your rails so that is resting on the running blades.
It will only take a very small amount until it rests on the shoes of the planer on each side of the spinning blade.
Slowly and 90 degrees to the bottom of the board, pass your planer along your rail trying to keep both edges of the shoes resting on the rail.
As you pass, it will only take off the high spots. After a few passes, you should eventually be shaving foam along the entire length of the rail.
This will give you a nice even curve.
Just make sure you keep an eye on your pencil line.
If you are still not sure, check the archive. As I said earlier, this is where I got all the info from.
And trust me, it works very well.
Cheers
The planer trick works well, as does a similar method with the sureform. I use the planer for EPS, sureform for PU (now Biofoam).
There vid clips online of various shapers true-ing up the outline with the planer.
Hey Trucker
Do you have blades on your planer or a shapers barrel???
I haven’t shaped with EPS as yet but with be soon.
I figure you would have to have a barrel with EPS or you would tear out too many beads.
Cheers
This is going to sound really ignorant, but what’s a shaper’s barrel?
I have a stock Bosch power planer, exactly as it came out of the box. I borrowed a planer from a neighbor to shape my first board and that’s what he had. It worked well and didn’t cost too much, so when it was time for board #2, that’s what I bought. I’ve only done 15 boards (the 16th is about 2/3 done right now, will finish tomorrow), so I’m no pro.
I don’t tear blanks too badly–I can get it smooth as ice if I just go slowly. I did have a little problem w/ eps and my sanding block, but we made nice and everything worked out just fine.
I have some wood-working experience, and I’ve always gone by these two maxims (or cliches):
a. Measure twice, cut once
and
b. Once you cut it out, you can’t put it back.
I probably spend more time looking at the blank than actually shaping it!
Anyway, each time I want to curse at a tool, I just think about all those guys who make (and have made) amazing boards, sculptures, art, etc. with far less than what I have.
Quote:
I probably spend more time looking at the blank than actually shaping it!
A very wise practice.
And, I’ll add, it isn’t whether I clean up the template with a planer, sureform, or sand block. If I have a good clean line on my template, I end up with a good clean line on the board. Most of the time my problems arrise from combining templates to get the curve I want. mike
Quote:
This is going to sound really ignorant, but what’s a shaper’s barrel?
Check out this link. http://www.shapersaustralia.com.au/category1_1.htm I don’t have one because they cost a fortune. Maybe one day. Cheers