Other than surfboards, what have you custom handcrafted?
Good question… I’m sure the posts will be inspirational for all of us.
I’m no craftsman by any means, but I’m really happy with my home made Indo Boards and Bed. My buddy put together a sweet chair using a broken fun board and some wood slats. My long board skate is home made but has no curves (still does 25+ mph without a problem).
The only other interesting thing I can think of is I helped my friend make cement counter tops. We mixed in the yard, added in the color, then brought in and poured into the forms. Under $50 bucks and when polished up you got some nice counter tops.
I never considered myself as good with working with my hands.
I couldn’t make it thru woodshop, hated lapidary, and avoided all menial labor.
So a friend got me in the door at Yamaha (the motorcycle company). Working first as a tire rep helper, then minor tuning for DonGreene, then they needed a different fairing for their watercooled TZ series.
I made the original plug with blowfoam, fitted it to a naked frame, modified it for the engine and radiator fit, made 4 prototypes, fitted them to different bikes, and then they changed the transmission width, peg placements, and attendant gearshift and brake routing, and I sold the whole menegerie to Yamaha for a small fee.
That would be two complete plugs, 3 molds reinforced with wood and glass, and a total of 20 odd complete fairings made, with a few “losers” thrown in to pad the investment in time.
I went back to shaping surfboards.
Hey BRI the surfboard on your picture looks really nice…did you shaped it? …seems like the widest area is located way back of the center of the board… what are the dimensions?
Cool different outline!..
Unfortunately I cannot claim this board… It is from a North County (Oceanside) shaper named Mike Walter and he shapes under the name UM Surfboards (UM = uncle mike). Just found out that Tom Curren rides for him. I stumbled across his boards and wanted to try out his unique design (with the width in the rear). The board is 6’0" x 14 x 19.25 x 15 x 2.375. He also does a classic short board with this wide back end. The board catches waves real easy and is no problem to turn. I was riding an CI Flyer 2 before this and its a big change, but I’m happy with hit. In my opinion CI’s are magic carpets, but they cost too much and break to easy for me.
Thanks for the kind words.
I’m taking a break from boards…
Here’s my latest project…
Converting a 14’ Hobie Cat from sail to outboard powered…
I’m adding a 15’9" square stern canoe to the mix, and am creating a new “top”…
Built bodies for Taylor Guitars for 5 years.
made kites when I was kid. I tried to make a hang glider once. did my own skateboards. one time I even made my own trucks that lasted about 3 days. I am working on rebuilding a 1947 Kay upright bass, replaceing the back and the fingerboard, also I am planning to make a electric upright bass. just finished restoring my 1974 VW Thing. did all the work myself except for the paint. I am constantly remodeling rooms my in house . I made my bed frame and my computer desk also I try to make art.
Wayull, both ‘custom’ and ‘handcrafted’ are kinda on the edge of what I do with wood, metal, canvas and fiberglass, except those items I hack out for myself now and then. Which tend to be put together from leftovers from one job or another.
Most of my work is production stuff, boat work, house carpentry, an occasional foray into production furniture building when the money’s right, boat canvas work and sail repair, repairing and occasionally making tools. Easing into welding aluminum and stainless. Usually involves lots of power tools, as many jigs as I can figure to speed up the jobs.
For instance, todays projects are almost all for me;
- replacing the handle on a spading fork
- rebuilding the solar shower outside, an intermediate version that’ll do until I build an efficient solar collector convection-feeding a superinsulated tank. That’s later in the season, I think
- Start rebuilding two gas-powered salt water pumps for the shellfish and salvage work I do. Hope it won’t involve a complete teardown, but they were both freebies so if I gotta throw a few parts at 'em, so be it, better than paying $400 each for 'em.
- Sharpen the chain saws, made fuel lines for them last week by forming heated vinyl tubing through a jig.
- Tonight, do three rooms of finish trim to help out a buddy. Cope cuts on the baseboard, have to remember to take some rasps and wood files to do the finer touches when necessary.
- Might patch some plaster on the living room ceiling or leave it for tomorrow. Supposed to be warmer then, so that sounds like a plan.
Which is about enough for what’s supposed to be time off…
So I’ve heard some music guru blabbing about how Taylors are so over priced due to their rules like no internet deals and no sale prices… also because they are the “in” thing to have. Basically saying their quality is not that great for their price. I have a Baby Mahogany and if you made it then thank you because it looks great and sounds great to me. I am just learning though so I don’t really know anything.
Whats your thoughts on Taylor quality.
Wow - Paul, unreal! What are your plans for this craft?
I’ve done lot’s of stuff: Made my own snowboards back in the late 70’s early 80’s. Made some skate boards. Made some furniture. made a big car top box. etc.
Just finished a 10 foot surf rod, It’s an all black beauty cause I wrapped the guides one with roving from carbon fiber cloth so everything is part of the rod action.
It’s a moderate/light action St. Croix blank that I extended 2 feet. I fish it with 8 lb line. and 251 Shimano Calcutta reel.
It throws an ounce a hell of a long way and the action turned out perfect. It’s gonna put dinner on the table many times.
First time out: 80 casts 60 hits. caught 20 fish kept 5 nice fat perch at the Aptos river mouth.
Water looks great here today, the wind’s off it and
surf’s 4 to 6 ft at the Lane. The water’s clearing up. after the last big south. Guess we have another coming in few days.
Gone Surfin’, Rich
Took a jewelry/metalsmithing class a year ago and made this teacandle holder based on a Basque symbol of some kind - looks awful during the day and beautiful at night. Devised a way to open our bedroom sliding glass door for the cat without having to get out of bed.
your madman status is secured I am proud and teary eyed to be in the presense of such high maddness and await the installation of the power unit .My imagination reels from tree squirl to jet pump to pedal advanced gearing ghod almighty the possibilities …an old friend dropped a 25 on just the two Hobie 16hulls and it flew like a kolea the tramp was plywood…Ted Lanning was his name ambrose …thanks for the share I was wondering if you were Hibernating
I don’t want to hijack this thread, so suffice it to say that the process has changed quite a bit since I’ve left. I DO believe you get what you pay for, and you can’t beat a Taylor, in my opinion. The Baby series is built quite differently from the larger, “standard” size guitars, so there may be some truth to those being a little overpriced. I have a Babay that I built and I love it. Carry on.
Yea… I’ve always been into ‘X’ s too. Turn your head sideways a little bit… Bam! a ‘+’
I’ve past the winter experimenting with skateboard carving truck mechanisms. Latest setup has 3 wheels up front (lined in an arc) and the rear truck features a spring mechanism and 11 cm diameter wheels. I’ve shaped every single part (apart from wheels and bearings) mostly out of blocks of aluminium.
While building skateboard decks, I’ve also experimented the G4 polyester primer I mentioned a few month ago. That primer allows for a tight bond between wood and polyester laminates.
When I get done wit this skateboard experiment, next projects will be :
- western red cedar “strip planked” hollow longboard
- bisect wooden hollow
- see-through surfboard
Pierre
Quote:
Built bodies for Taylor Guitars for 5 years.
I tried to make a guitar but the wood kept splitting while I was making the curves. Sounded crappy but it was a good conversation piece.
I made a mouse-trap race car that could stop exactly 10 feet after it started…oh oh, that’s right, my DAUGHTER made it…never mind.