I’ve tried numerous times to replicate the first noserider I ever made…I made it in 2004 and it’s still my all time favorite board. But I CANNOT seem to replicate it. I was going to use Aku Shaper to try and replicate all the dimensions and then have it cut. Do I need to do anything like add 1/4" all around to deal with the ridges, or…??? Anything else?? I just want to ALWAYS have a noserider like this. It’s perfect. Thanks in advance.
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Sorry don’t know about machine stuff…curious to hear the answer to this question though…
The “corduroy” finish of a machined blank reflects the path taken by the cutter head. Think of them as valleys and ridges. The “valleys” are the depths enumerated in the cut file, so that is the actual cut shape. The ridges are artifacts of the type of cutting head used and the number of passes or cuts. (more cuts = smaller ridges)They're rarely more than 1/16” high. There will be a little excess foam at the nose and tail that will need to be trimmed. Some shapers will purposely leave a little extra thickness in nose and/or tail for shaping in rocker, bottom contours or foil tweaks after machining.
But, I don't think you should go the machine route. As a shaper (vs. a “designer”) I think you're better off to struggle with developing your ability to produce consistent hand shapes, than going to the machine. Developing a consistent, method of procedure for board building is essential for success. Consistency starts with developing a standard approach in the shaping bay. Learn to follow the same shaping routine, start to finish, blank to blank. Take notes on each shape, e.g. how much V?, how much rocker?, and refer to those notes the next time you do that same shape. Use the same blank with the same rocker (natural or modified) the next time you do that same shape. Also use the same outline template and the same rocker templates. If you decide to tweak the shape, note the tweaks. Your templates will give you a baseline for future shapes. If the tweaks improve performance, update your templates.
With your present shape, I'd suggest you build templates (both outline and rocker) directly from the board you want to replicate. Document standard measurements from this board, e.g. tail width, nose width, wide point, WP distance from center, rocker, etc. Also document the thickness flow in 6” increments from nose to tail. You can also build rail-shape templates (if you want to get really compulsive). Pay close attention to bottom contours. How much V? Where does V start and end? Concaves? Where? How long and how wide? Where's the rail apex? If tucked rail, how much tuck? If 50/50 rail, how wide is the primary bottom rail band? Order the same blank with the same rocker as your current board, and use all the information you've gathered to replicate the shape. Keep the current board handy to make reference measurements on-the-fly. Much easier to have an established, consistent method of procedure for building boards.
Agreed. Thanks.