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I read that Brewer was a RC airplane enthusiast. As I recall he raced them.
It has always been my opinion that Brewer rail profiles were inspired by the leading edge of an airplane wing profile.
Example of a wing leading edge profile below;
Found this short interview video clip on FaceBook where Brewer talks about the model airplanes he flew and designed at the age of 16. He mentions a double-cambered wing he designed. Apparently not RC but the kind my brother and I flew in circles with a handle and string tethers.
Like that! Thanks @stoneburner
Using the leading edge wing profile I posted previously, I unlocked the aspect ratio and compressed the width by 50% and 61.8%.
The similarity between the the 50% compressed wing profile and the @resinhead1 / @resinhead Brewer Rail profile template is persuasive/impressive.
Just sayin’
The video I saw consisted of interviews with three or four shapers. The two I remember were Brewer and Rennie Yater. Rennie talked about materials, swing weight and the “Spoon”. Brewer discussed the bottom used on guns. Referring to it as “standard. Concave to double concave and V. That video might still be around.
There is a YouTube video called “Dick Brewer The Greatest”. One minute and twelve seconds(1:12) into that video is a good shot of a Brewer rail. Typical of boards over 9’. His smaller boards use basically the same rail but are thinner in relation to the board size and thickness.
Thanks Lowel.
Any chance you have an old Brewer?
I have one, but don’t have access to it for awhile. It’s on Maui in storage. The plan is to go get it and a few other boards sometime this summer. It’s a 9’6 Gun. The board is in excellent shape with exception of the fins. Originally it was a Thruster that was run onto the reef. Fins were busted off(glass-ons). A local boy did a backyard repair that was atrocious. I did some measuring and realized I could put a single box with Future’s side-bites and the boxes would cover up everything cosmetically. A 2 plus one in a gun like that is not unusual in Hawaii. Once it’s done the board is a 9 of 10. Should be good for a nice profit. Especially since I only paid $100 for it off the roof of some locals Honda. The story of its acquisition and subsequent attempts by missionaries to rip me off for it later will make a nice story/thread on Sways at some future date.
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Would love to see a detailed/precise rail profile contour from that board — at the widepoint.
Did Brewer shape it?
Brewer shaped and signed. Board is from Kauai so I got no doubt of its authenticity. His signature has it’s little quirks. The board is mid 80’s to mid 90’s.
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Up until about 2000 there was at least one or two people in California shaping Brewers. I saw a couple of them in Ventura @ Ventura Surf Shop. They were terrible looking. They were done by someone I had never heard of at the time. And definitely not Linden.
My interest is in a Dick Brewer shaped rail only.
There is very little doubt in my mind that his rail profiles were inspired by airplane wings. Over the years they may have changed a little unless he was using an original rail profile template.
If I could get my hands on a precise line drawing of his rail profile contour, I can superimpose the compressed wing leading edge profile over the actual contour profile.
I can probably get a decent approximation by superimposing over the Resinhead profile photo.
But a precise contour, line drawing of the profile would be much better.
If you look carefully at any Brewer shape “Island Style” board you can see that the deck and rail are blended at the rail. Think of it this way; a nicely blended rail and deck would most likely consist of three or even four bands from rail to deck. A Brewer rail consist of two wide bands blended unto the deck. His boards are therefore great paddlers.
I haven’t seen a Brewer since the late 70s. Back then the decks were flat, not like the crowned boards of the 90s. Very similar to the diagram with all the different types of rails.
I once helped a guy shape a board and I put flat deck with a soft edge where the rail started. He didn’t like that so he smoothed out the top making the deck more crowned.
It is obvious in watching various videos of Brewer shaping, that he was a master at using that “sawed off” Skil 100. Not too bad using an Hitachi or an Accurate either. Excellent cuts. Especially the nose to tail, tail to nose cuts(ie full length). Super clean.
Blocky rails and flat decks. Chapman was mentored by Brewer.