Hey, first post here, but ive been reading the archives/forums for a few days now non stop…AWESOME place.
anyways, im going to shape a fish in the next week or so, and i need to find a template of some sort. ive seen the lis fish template file floating around, but i cant download it for some reason…does anybody have it in a pdf format (for photoshop cs) that they could send my way?
or…if not that…does anyone have a retro fish template file they could send me, or a site i could check out?
A couple more. Didn’t write down the source for these 2 but it was someone here on Swaylocks. Whoever it was…thanks!!!
If you’re using CS then you can easily make your own templates. Better yet, if you’ve got Illustrator, CorelTrace or something similar then simply scale them up to full size, whack em on a disk and head down to your local Kinko’s for printing. I did that for the 5’10" template above and it came out wicked!
I can generally live with that representation of one of my outlines … But, those are measurements that are strictly dedicated to a specific goal !!! Those measurements do not reflect my results for each and every end result at that length, either… (and not because of the sander). I know a secret about fish… I know a secret, that has become clear to me after over thirty years of shaping fish. A secret, that I start with, for each and every fish that I shape! That one outline, is what it is, for many reasons. It’s that wide for a reason. And, I even wonder if the numbers posted with it are correct, and also if those numbers are measured after glassing, or assumed … The amount of cloth on that order makes a significant difference, from the numbers that I hit in the foam, as well … I’d have to write a book if I sit here and go on about why all of the thousands of fish results have brought me to developing the fish for my customers in the way that they each are shaped. I do know that I have a successful formula for each approach, and as I watch the efforts of others building fish again three decades later, I marvel at the results that some attach such dedication to. Length, width, thickness, foil, fin template, and placement, are all seriously important board dynamics considerations. And also, keep in mind the operators center of gravity, age, ailments and desires, as important factors to develop the tuned goal. Use that outline as a reference point, but don’t make the mistake, that, that outline is by any way shape or form my final or magic line … Have fun …! Steve
Please realize, I have the utmost respect for your craftsmanship. In fact, that is why I used that outline off of a board on your website. I called it a “Brom Fish” to give credit where it was due. I hope I didn’t step on any toes sharing the template, as that certainly wasn’t the intention. The measurements are those I used for one of my own boards. That outline is very accommodating to changes in width and length. And by the way, it flies!
actually, your (MR.Brom) fishes are what i somewhat modeled mine after, granted, it being my first time, it didnt turn out exactly as planned…but its still a fish!
i got a really pumped about shaping late last night and stayed up for a few hours just making my own template…then this morning i went and got my blank…now…about 7 hours later, i have sitting in front of me, a very fishy looking peice of white foam that i need to send to a glasser!
thanks for the help guys, the pdf’s were just what i needed!