This is my second shape. I put together a hotwire set up. One bow for the rocker and a smaller handheld bow for rail bands. 8’x2’x3’ block of 2 lb. density EPS. One sheet of black 3mm thick Komatex (PVC) for stringers. It’s 6’10" and I plan on making it a single fin with the 10.5" box. Glued up the stringer with Elmer’s polyurethane glue. I learned after the first board to not use as much glue. A lot less mess. I will definetaly add the mirror to the far side of the hotwire bow (someone posted that idea recently). It was hard to watch both sides of the block being cut and I got a few wobbles. Overall, hotwiring is the way to go. I handshaped my first board with planer, surform, sanding blocks, but the hotwire is so much cleaner (no foam beads all over everything, months after the board is complete), a lot less sanding, and quieter. For my rail bands I used masking tape along the entire length of the board to mark my bands on the deck and rail, and then used my small hotwire bow to make the cuts. Worked very well. As long as you’re moving, the wire won’t cut the tape. I didn’t really have a board to medel this shape on, so could someone tell me if my tail is “too blocky”? Should I taper it a bit more, make it less thick, or is the thickness good for strength for the finbox? Also, I have 6 oz. warp glass and will be using Resin Research epoxy, but I’m considering glassing with Volan. I know for 2lb eps it would be 1 layer on bottom and 2 layers on deck for 6 oz. If I do Volan, what weight glass and how many layers should I use? I haven’t seen Volan in 6 oz, but maybe 7.5 oz. Would this be too heavy?
Wodda byewdddyyy!! But crikey! That tail’s YEWJJJJJ!!!
Hard to tell… could be 1/8" or 1’ thick
Seriously, where’s the little hot wire?? How hard was it to tape off the bands? Would it be easier to rig up some kind of a movable foot or guides on either side of your cutter?
If you look at the picture of my hotwire bows above, you’ll see the small one next to the large one. It’s about 12" wide with about an 8" wire. It was not that difficult to tape the rail bands. I used 1.5" wide automotive masking tape. You just need to make sure it looks like a smooth line to the eye and make sure it’s at your measured spots along the length of the board. I put a length of tape along the side of the rail at 1 3/8" from bottom and then at 2" on the deck from the side, but those measurements got tapered towards the ends of the board. The tape actually makes it obvious if your curve is not smooth. I’ve seen the small bows with adjustable guides that have been posted, but as you approach the nose and tail the band gets narrower. You would have to make multiple adjustments and passes, but with the tape it’s one continuous cut. If you have a 2" mark on the deck at midboard, it’s not still 2" at 12" from the nose or tail. I’m probably not saying this right. Maybe I’m not doing rail bands right, either, but it seemed to work on this board. I’ll post a picture of the piece of EPS I cut with my first rail band.
My question about the tail has more to do with the taper at the end. You’ll see I’ve drawn a red line on the attached picture. Should the tail be shaped more like the red line, or is it fine the way it is? Again, I don’t have any round tailed boards to look at.
