I’ve been told to stick with the surform for my first board or two, which I plan on doing. But as I get my bearings on the world of surfboard shaping it seems like there’s a lot of variation. if i were looking at shaping a couple of boards a year in my garage for family and friends…maybe taking on the occasional paid order here or there, what type of planer should i be looking at? obviously the clark foam planer is shiny and nice; but, i don’t wanna make the mistake of buying a cannon to hunt a bunny rabbit. thanks
jd
the clark hitachi is nice - you will be stoked to have one even at the going price. you can buy a new stock hitachi for $100 or a used one for less and that can work just fine.
if you want a cannon - check out the accurate planer!
I have a Hitachi that I bought on Ebay for $40. When the belt went on my Skil I was forced to break out the Hitachi and I found it to work fairly well. If I were to use it regularly I would need to modify the depth adjustment because stock its pretty useless for adjusting on the fly.
grasshopper - good god! that thing looks like it would teach me how to make a surfboard while making me a sandwich at half-time. that would definitely be a canon
mako - sounds good. i’m definitely going to be looking on the swaylocks posts for used tools
Keep your eyes peeled for a Skil 100. I bought mine 47 years ago, and it's still going strong. Even if you only do a few boards per year, nothing satisfies like a quality tool. PeteC is the go to guy for any refurbishment, or rehab of a Skil you might buy.
thrail - looking at the sways used tool postings does it matter what amp skil100 if i were to go with one?
jd
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.....does it matter what amp skil100...?
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Not really. I've shaped somewhere between 8,500 and 10,000 boards, with a 5.5 amp Skil. The foam today cuts MUCH EASIER than the foam of forty years ago. So, don't be concerned whether it's 5.5 or 7.5 amp. Either one will more than satisfy your needs, and expectations.