the first board i made was a 9’1 and i made the template for it myself. i > just made up some measurements which seemed pretty good. plotted and > connected some dots on posterboard, traced it onto the blank, cut it out… > blah blah blah… and in the end it ended up being a great board (one of > my favorites in fact). rreeaaaaallly fast.>>> -steve Steve, You
re the man! I hope others, who havent yet shaped their first surfboard, are taking your words to heart! Whether that initial project results in success or failure, what you described is the best example of how someone can learn to “copy”… Dale
About a year ago I was blown away by a Stu Kenson egg shape that I saw at > a local surf shop. After several return trips to the store and hours of > admiring the board, I asked one of the staff if it would be cool if I > traced the outline. The guy looked kinda shocked and told me it wasn’t > allowed.>>> My question is, what are your opinions on the practice of tracing the > outline from a preexisting surfboard to obtain a template? Is it stealing? > Flattery? We can take the question even further and ask, what about > scanning another shapers design into the computer?>>> This question goes out to all of you, but I’m particularly intersted in > hearing from the guys who get paid to shape. Yes it’s true, even I , the Channel Islands guru , got my start from tracing Bradury’s boards. Is that a rip off?
Almost all the garage shapers got started by copying others work. I know of one person who only got a job at a surf shop to template boards at night. Made starting his surfboard building business easier. That to me was low! Copying one shape for yourself is one thing, but to make profit off of others like that is not right. Unless you are very skilled and wise shaper the board you are coping will not be a copy. Just a poor copy. Attention to detail is the key. Anthony>>> About a year ago I was blown away by a Stu Kenson egg shape that I saw at > a local surf shop. After several return trips to the store and hours of > admiring the board, I asked one of the staff if it would be cool if I > traced the outline. The guy looked kinda shocked and told me it wasn’t > allowed.>>> My question is, what are your opinions on the practice of tracing the > outline from a preexisting surfboard to obtain a template? Is it stealing? > Flattery? We can take the question even further and ask, what about > scanning another shapers design into the computer?>>> This question goes out to all of you, but I’m particularly intersted in > hearing from the guys who get paid to shape. http://www.viser.net/~anthwind/
are you really THE Al?
Yes it’s true, even I , the Channel Islands guru , got my start from > tracing Bradury’s boards. Is that a rip off? Who’s Bradury. Did you ask him?!
i believe he’s talking about the late John Bradbury.
i believe he’s talking about the late John Bradbury. Yes Bruce, I’m sure your right. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t believe I was seeing the mans name misspelled. John and I shaped boards togeather in Santa Barbara, for the long gone company called Lite Wave. 95% of those boards were shaped out of beaded styrene. John was a great shaper. John’s key ingredient was LOVE. Boy, could he party. I miss him…
Who’s Bradury. Did you ask him?! I think he meant Bradbury. (RIP John!) aloha
Wow! I didn’t expect such a heated response to my post regarding copying. I sure feel like an ASS. My deepest appologies to Stu Kenson. I didn’t mean any disrespect to you or the 30+ years of work that you’ve put into your craft. It was really inconsiderate of me to ask permission to trace your template. From now on I’ll keep my mouth shut and hands off other shaper’s boards. My appologies to to all the Swayloholics that I’ve offended. Feel free to snake my waves when the next swell hits! a
Almost all the garage shapers got started by copying others work. I know > of one person who only got a job at a surf shop to template boards at > night. Made starting his surfboard building business easier. That to me > was low! Copying one shape for yourself is one thing, but to make profit > off of others like that is not right. Unless you are very skilled and wise > shaper the board you are coping will not be a copy. Just a poor copy. > Attention to detail is the key.>>> Anthony This is an over all response to this thread & to Stu–yes the original question was hard to believe but, boy to I appreciate his openess & honesty , he was being real I welcome that----Now Stu’s (and many others response) that was a classic example of all that is wrong with the industry – like it was birthed,lives, and will die with them (all who share in SKs belief) give me a break and lighten up; if you are as good as you think you are then whats to worry no one would compare anyway ; and if your not then you need help like everyone else & usually those who give -recieve. See I to earn my living from building bds. and I always try to do my best but the truth be known I never have nor do I now consider myself a master craftsman but I have come to know that the bottom line is I am incrediably blessed to be able to do the very thing I do – I love it & to me it is a n honor & my obligation to help others as many have helped me . I stepped away for many years and became pre-occupied with earning money & trying to find out what God wanted me to do with my life, and guess where my journey took me–so my views is that like every gift I have ,understanding why a bd works and what makes it tick —these are things on loan to me to be a steward over not to lord over people with. We are all called to help others and if something so simple as a templete can help so be it, besides in talking of fin design, everyone spoke of George Greenough, think of all he shared and to how many, templetes heck he almost passed them out; the result he grew, the sport he loved grew, and so did all whom he helped —now thats a formula for success----not to get too preachy here but Jesus said if you see a brother or sister in need ( and have the goods{ my paraprase}) and don’t help you have denied HIM. Back to focus this guy honored you Stu and for whatever reason wanted to try to do it himself (inspired) and all he was looking for was a scrap form your table so to speak and you said if you want it buy it!!! can we spell self-serving & insecure---------by the way a funny thing happened today a guy came into my factory and traded in a 9’2" and latter while I was looking it over tryiny to decide what I could get for it I notice the signiture on the bottom and it was Stu’s so for the next month everyone that stops by gets a FREE TEMPLETE and I will personally cut them out----GOD, I LOVE THIS JOB!!!
From the 10 Commandments… 8. Don’t Steal. 10. Honor Your Neighbor’s Goods.
Wow! I didn’t expect such a heated response to my post regarding copying. > I sure feel like an ASS. My deepest appologies to Stu Kenson. I didn’t > mean any disrespect to you or the 30+ years of work that you’ve put into > your craft. It was really inconsiderate of me to ask permission to trace > your template. From now on I’ll keep my mouth shut and hands off other > shaper’s boards. My appologies to to all the Swayloholics that I’ve > offended. Feel free to snake my waves when the next swell hits!>>> a > Alan, First of all, you don’t owe me an apologie, my response to your questions was to give you some insight as to where and how I started to build surfboards, and why I feel the way I do about the boards I make. I’m actually really stoked to see the interest(as I said before) that you and others have in what I am currently making.And check with cdb (how do you pronounce that name anyway?) He say’s he just got a longboard template that he will copy for anyone. Best regards Stu
From the 10 Commandments…>>> 8. Don’t Steal.>>> 10. Honor Your Neighbor’s Goods… If I were to shell out $600 for a new longboard and want to trace its outline after I ride it to death, is that really stealing, or could it be that I DO want to honor my neighbors goods?
Funny how things turn out, Stu by the way you pronounce my name Clay Bennett and while I have never enjoyed the success that you have I have been doing this for 30 some odd years – you should know that while I personally have heard many great things about your work up until yesterday I really don’t recall ever seeing any and just as you don’t know me nor do I know you and outside of a thread like this we will probably never meet, my whole point was simply that you are more or less at the top of your trade and you should always remember where you came from , not growing hard & callous to those who look to you for help and by no means should you feel threatened by them. Yes over the 30yrs you have been studying & mastering your craft I am sure many have used & abused your time,talents, and energy–well as I tell my son, that just goes with the territory–practically every manufactor where I live has brought me in at one time or another & had me train the very guy whom a short time later they would try to replace me with-- it stinks–but after 30yrs I am still here with a very loyal following and most of them are gone or on thier way out. If this is ( and by all indications it is) your God given vocation you will always succeed reguardless of who has your templetes or whoever burns you along the way! Stu,you are a gifted and talented shaper be confident that you"ll be there when the dust settles and relize that the purpose of a site like Swaylocks is to be a place where everyone (never shaped one to shaped 30,000 & all points in between)can find common ground and share all there is to know about the lifestyle, sport, hobby, or industry we love, re-read through the various thread titles it covers the past, present, & future of surfing with no qestion too small or too big—its great as long as everyone stays humble and puts themselves in the other guys shoes, otherwise why even get on it. I do wish you continued success and trust me, I have no intentions disrepecting or degrading you in any way. And to A. start with measurements and a sheet of masonite and with a 1/4 by 2" say eight ft. piece of wood play connnect the dots till you come up with a curve that fits what you are looking for, it takes a while but when you are done its yours even if it is dangerously close to what others are doing. My view on copying unless it has a copyright then copy it right.
Funny,I don’t see any hands here!Herb
Funny,I don’t see any hands here!Herb If truth be told, when you finally sanded it how close did you really get? Rich
Funny,I don’t see any hands here!Herb when i see a curve i like on a vintage longboard board i pull it. i’ve been doing it for the last 30 years. this practice tapered off in recent years since i seem to have most of the combinations i need. when i have an idea for a new board then i dive into my pile of masonite and start mixing and matching. sometimes i just eyeball a whole new curve and somtimes i use a whole planshape with only minor changes. they would probably haul me away but i hear that our prison system is overwhelmed.
hey herb, i have never copied a board. so far i’ve made all my own templates from scratch. it was a lot of hard work (especially for someone who doesnt yet know what they are doing), but well worth it. to me, designing the board and making the template is the best part. i dont want to copy other designs becase i’d miss out on doing it myself. just my thought on this whole thing. steve
My hands are in my pockets.
My hands are in my pockets. Ditto here… and I
ve made a lot of different surfcraft over 35 years... and often learned more from the ones that DIDNT work as planned.