Best way to get CLEAN lines (planshape)

General Discussion
21

Good advice in here. The biggest problem with the power planer is that it only cuts off high spots on a theoretically straight line. The sole of the planer & the front shoe are supposed to run across a flat surface & take down bumps. Any time you take the planer around curves, you’re gambling that you can keep the thing off the curve at the same angle on both sides. As the curved board touches the spinning blade, its going to take it down until the sole meets foam and you get flattened out spots, unless you’re really, really good.

A really nice shaping tool for truing to your template line and for making wide areas like bottoms nice & flat is a 2’ 2x4. I buy two 4" x 24" belt sander belts and cut them. One 60 grit, one 100. Cut your 2x4 to about 22 inches. Put one belt on each side and staple the cut ends of the belt to the ends of the 2x4 so the staples aren’t on the sanding surface. The 22" is long enough to span high spots down to low spots & true up lots of places on a surfboard. The 2 different grits let you go aggressive of light without changing tools. And you can eyeball your work, where a planer is hiding right where its cutting.

22

If you’re using masonite or ply templates, spend some time going over them to see that they are smooth curves. As mentioned, use reference points so your templates are laid out symmetrically. You might even try tracing the template on deck and bottom so that when you square your cutout blank, you have a reference line top and bottom. It won’t be an exact match as the curve along the bottom adds a little length but it will be close - certainly closer than eyeballing it.

Stick to the line - that’s what your carefully designed template is for. If you have a high spot, knock it down to where it is flush with the rest of the curve. Stay away from the low spots. Don’t just run your planer, sanding block, etc along the outline curve and expect it all to fall into place. A soft sanding pad is nice for final smoothing but doesn’t offer much control in early and intermediate stages of the shaping process.

After squaring the outline, shape your bottom contours, then the rail tuck or bevel, then the topside. When the top starts to meet the bottom along the rail edge, be careful… too much sanding/screening at this stage will mess up the symmetry you’ve been trying to maintain.

In addition to bowed stringers, watch for hard spots and soft spots in the foam - sometimes I find areas where it seems like there is a ridge of crust in the center of the blank or soft areas that sand down faster than the rest. If you get a crust line next to a soft spot, it gets tricky… simply running your sanding block over density differences in foam can make things worse.

23

Ia Orana, tenover,

Just like Mellor said, square up your outline. I have had an outline look funny only to find out that the bad spot was because my outline was not square with the bottom.

Poe Rava

24

Hello:

I have a technique that I have developed over the 37 years I have been shaping that makes template making a relatively easy proposition. I’m sure there are plenty of people that use the same approach. I have used this a lot as I have a tendency to make a lot of templates

For this approach I always skin the bottom and the deck before proceeding.

For me foam is a lot easier to shape a clean line on than wood and is a lot faster, the reason is because you can fine tune it so much easier. So blank permitting, draw a centerline an inch [or 1/2"] out from the stringer [BTW, never trust the stringer to be straight I always draw a straight line down the middle], then mark out the rough shape that you’re looking for either using existing templates pieced together or a flexible fibreglass batten.

Then I use a jig saw with a 4" blade to cut out the shape, stay about a 1/4" from the line to start out with, although if I’m only making minor tweaks to an existing template and not inventing something new I’ll cut a lot closer. The idea is that you need some wiggle room.

Then use a surform with a microplaner blade to start blocking the rail. The blocking of a surfboard is the most overlooked skill required for shaping accurate boards! Once the curve is close to what I’m looking I use a wide 36 grit Pleskunas 12" x 4" block to clean things up and get things nice and square.

At this point I’m ready to start making sure that the shape is true with a smooth flowing curve. I have a 30" x 3" 36 grit carbide block that is flexible that is use to smooth out the bumps and really blend in the curve.

Once the curve is nice and clean, lay your door skin or masonite on the blank and trace the curve from the foam to the wood. Take the wood and rough cut the shape out to the traced line. Using a block plane planed down the template close to the line. You could true it up all the way at this stage but it is easier to take the next step.

With the template now close to the actual outline, place it back on the blank and clamp it at the nose and tail, or if it is a spin clamp at one end and put a weight on the other end. Make sure the template is slightly hanging over the edge of the blank. Now with a very sharp block plane work the template down till it is flush with the foam. Once it is flush get a sanding block and clean up the edge so that it is really flush to the foam.

Step back and look at the curve of the template. If you see areas that need tweaking use the block to do the blending.

The template is now done!

Now take the tamplate and use it to mark out the actual shape of the board.

The process sounds way more complicated than it is. I can actually make a new template in less than 30 minutes this way and they come out nice and clean. I always use a high quality door skin for my template material.

One of the reasons I like to make the template on the blank is that I can look at it from the top and the bottom, I can also look at it with the rocker which gives a much better feel for how it will end up.

I have to give credit for some of these ideas to Mike Diffenderfer who I watched drawing out a rough shape on a blank and then cutting it out and eyeballing the shape till it was just right. And he was the man for creating some beautiful templates!

Sorry this was so long but I thought this might bring another idea out for those who are interested!

NOTE: this same approach can be used on a blank that would not allow for the stringer offset, when you’re done just flip the template over and mark the other side using the final measurements from the initial shape.

– Robin

25

THANKS Robin!

26

now, this is what swaylocks is really about. thanks for sharing so gracefully.

27

Yes, thanks for the tips Robin, that was great. Diffenderfer huh? Would’ve been nice to have him as a mentor!

28

Hey ResinH, …are you using extra long router bits?

29

sign me in with the router group

the router cut-out zen is an ongoing understanding

my aquity with a hand saw has always left me lacking .the time and accuracy of the router is stellar

the efficiency is of course dependant entirely on a good template

gene hall showed me the straight edge method of checking the curve: take the framing square and run it along the template edge and the places where the straight contacts two points is a low spot mark it and hit the highs with an abrasive or a planer til the lows and highs are resolved…the more you look the more you see ,after looking at a curve long enough you will see more and more inconsistancies…one solution is to look for a while and then stop looking ,

perfection is a place you decide to stop judging

the low spot you see after you finish glassing a board is to be your eternal impression.I 've a 30 year old board I will always see the dip in the tail by the offset stringer and it will eternally spurn me on to check the curve continuity when I am shaping …

making mistakes is ok.If you do it perfect you may make the aboriginal gods angry,

navajo rug paterns have an intentional flaw to apease the gods…

I think bead making is the same…the gods become angry when we try to challenge their perfection and deal with us unsympatheticly…

so back to the router

clamping the template nose and tail and weighting the middle ,run the router using the template as a guide ,

lately I have started using a bit with a bearing

and I follow up with a second bit on a second router that cuts way through

I dont touch the template at all till I am ready to do the finish turning of the rails.

This IS a zen method!

If you wanna check the thickness with calipers and rocker templates with guages and get anal about proportion control this is not the way you may wish to follow…

.the walk through of this aproach is all about flow and feel,

I feel I touch… I Touch …

both rails are never the same

scan with the electron measuring device or a caliper…> they are never the same

neither are your fingers on either hand they match but they are different…

every wave is different

every spar of wood is different

enhancing the differences is a noble quest

the nobility of our endevor to make a near perfect object is well and good but to let it get in the way of enjoying the greater success is inappropriate

every board is a statement of a moment in time

finish this one so you can make the next one better

to over labor a templated board will make it distort.

there is a timely stopping place ,stop there…

often when I’m confounded by a template annomally I clamp the template back on ,this is after the rails are turned mind you, and re template the sucker with the router …this takes off curly fuzz amounts of foam

the tollerances are miniscule but at least the symetry is re established and it is amazing how easily it is lost in hand shaping as a dominant left or right hander…

…ambrose…Zen Dog Daddy shaping school 103-a

…we are the perfection …accept it

30

This is an excellent thread, thanks guys. I now have an idea about how to clean up my blank with a wobbly stringer! I’m gonna make a neat board out of it whether it wants it or not! :wink:

31

I am a self confessed amature,i have just finished shaping my 3rd board.i use a 1/2 template(mirror) to draw my outline

on the bottom of the blank, cut it with a hand saw and square and clean up with the sureform,mine have plenty of little defects etc but i dont get anal about it cause to me imperfection is what gives it character.and most ppl dont spend hours looking at the shape from all angles like you do while shaping it, so most things go undetected anyhow.its just you who knows its there.the real problem i have is blending a soft rail(round) on the bottom to a sharp rail towards the tail of the board…maybe im just too ambitious in trying to do this cause i find it hard getting it to blend so that it is pleasing to the eye.

anyhow thats my 2 cents for what it is worth

ka korero ano.

32

hunty,

Are you familiar with a Fred tool for the tucked under edge blending to the hard edged tail? Check the archives if you are not. I use a sureform and count strokes, but many like the Fred. mike

33

Best way to get clean lines…?

All of the above…

router is best…recomend shaping a few hundred boards to understand the numbers first

if you cant wait… router is best …be prepaired for zen experience.

shapers who can only afford a saw…

Cut outline with stiff / blunt panel saw, use lots of up and down strokes very little preasure on forward stroke.

Relive pressure on saw by gently bending away bone that is being removed as you progress with spare hand.

If skilled use planer first on obvious bumps.

set planer on low/zero cut and pull backward (backplaning) on slight bumps.

Clean up with block

If not skilled with planer use surform (6” and half blunt) to rough off foam (best to pull toward you) and block in that order.

Block is best.

Tip;

  1. rough off obvious bumps
  2. get temp close to square as possible by planning, surforming or blocking.
  3. Forget your pencil marks. They can lie to your eye!
  4. Turn blank deck side up and blend in planshape with coarse block (I like #36)… may need to cut shallow rail bevel on deck if blank skin shows on top edge before proceeding to block

Don’t over work…. come back to final check and true the plan shape after

shaping rocker, bottom shape and first rail bevels.

Cut bottom rail bevel,

with planer or block depending on skill…

blunt #36 grit block I find best.

A blunt surform (6”) held backwards (not using cutting teeth, held backwards) and pulled toward you; good for the fine blend in nose and tail.

Second,.Check rocker for clean lines, the high contrast shadow at this stage highlights any bumps in the rocker.

blend rocker if bumps exist,

blend rail bevel again if required and

Third… final check planshape.

look at high shadow contrast between bottom rail bevel and planshape

blend planshape to ensure clean flow at this intersection of bevel.

Voila…….smooth planshape

beware of ply temps especially in the nose of short boards,

they tend to buckle and not lay down true.

the templates above lay down true,…

and add a little color to your foggy day.

Nik…

da pencil, it lie to your eye

34

Here is what I do. Measure wide point, Make sure both sides the same! It happens. Outline the board ON THE BOTTOM. Watch out for curvey stringers they can throw everything off. I use 1/2 templates and can tell how they line up if something is off. I have spent years refining my templates, it takes time but thats part of the deal. Now use a wormdrive skillsaw with a masonry abrasive blade, and follow the line keeping the weight ON THE BOARD… Takes a little practice but you can get PERFECT SMOOTH cuts that require no clean up! I use a wide toothed carbide blade that works great on EPS and multi stringer boards. Oh yea, don’t cut your racks or your FINGERS.

35

is that the sureform blades screwed on the side(cut at an angle) of a flat peice of wood as in the jc hawaii shaping 101??i have made one of those,its not so much getting the angles right its just getting the crisp edge on the bottem tail section of board to blend nicely with a more rounded edge more towards the mid section.(i hope that makes sense),to my eye the tail section of the board looks a lil chunkier than the mid to nose as a result.

36

Wow, Robin, that is great methodology, I hope to get there some day. Tenover, here is the way I do it and I’m a newbie too. I have not bothered to make masonite templates as I’ve only done a few boards. I make a paper template and trace it on the blank (after skinning). I make a wide cut with my hand saw (have no router) leaving 1/8 to 1/4 wiggle room. Then I use a 12" sanding block with 36 grit with very long smooth strokes like these pros are telling you. I will also use my 22" long 2x4 sanding block also. Since cutting the paper template with scissors is never perfect I don’t worry about getting 100% to my pencil line. I use my eye to make sure I have a smooth flowing curve right next to most of it. I flip the board over to look at the curve and not be thrown off by the less than perfect pencil line. Once I’m satisfied I trace it on a new sheet like Robin says to mark the other side. On my last board I put my original paper template back down on the finished curve and it was so close I just flipped it over and used it again. Close enough for a garage shaper who isn’t selling boards!

Oh, and whoever it was that brought up warped stringers, thanks. I will check for that next time.

37

Hunty,

To get the rolled under edge to blend into the hard tuck I measure 17-18 inches from the tail, or the distance between my elbow and palm of my hand which is holding the tool(sureform or Fred). I start with the weight of the tool and increase the pressure as I approach the nose. Counting strokes. Repeat the procedure on the other edge. you need to pay extra attention to the transition area when you are cleaning and blending your cuts with sand paper. Again, no pressure near the hard edge and increasing as the pressure as approach the nose. Just a question of practice and taking your time. Mike

38

Benny, the planer doesn’t care if you’re going around a curve or on a straight surface, it will take off the high spots and leave a clean line.

I watch the untrained monkeys around me use surforms for outlines and they get the same terrible results, bumps

39

Got a good laugh out of this one Jim…He’s absolutely correct guys,a planer seeks it’s own level,just like water.

Sureforms are a,“crutch tool”…in the wrong hands… they create more problems ,than solve them.

Try a long,serrated steak knive for inital cut out…great beginners tool !!!

psssss…oh yeah…if your blades are not “LIKE” razors …your wasting your time !

40

Hi Hunty! To make a smooth line when You want to blend from tucked under edge to sharp I first measure out how much tuck I want and then where I want my sharp edge to begin.

I then place my 1/2 outline template on these 2 spots and make a line along the template.

Follow this line with Your fred tool or surform and You will get a nice flowing line from Tucked under to sharp edge.

Good luck

/Erik