Hello, I was looking at Foam EZ at the tools and what is so special about this “Fred Tool”? I have searched the archives and noticed that some say it isn’t that good of a tool, I haven’t bought the video, and probably won’t. And I also noticed somone say they built their own. Is it basically two pieces of plywood with 2 Shurform blades attached? Thanks, Ryan
The ‘Fred’ tool allows you to maintain a continuous angle for your tucked under edge. My tool is set for 30 degrees, and took about two minutes to make. One piece of plywood with a 30 degree bevel on one side, two surform blades (opposed). Have at it.
Make the tool. It’s well worth the minimal effort and expense if you plan to make more than one board. My Fred is about 12" of 2" x 4" with two SurForm blades set at a 30 degree angle. Make sure the blades are opposing so that you can cut in both directions. Give it the soft touch anywhere around the nose. Fred can work too well if you are not careful. Unless you’ve got someone to coach you or answer your questions, buy or get your hands on a copy of Shaping 101. Then get a piece of paper and a pencil and take a lot of notes because JC moves FAST. I think that video is an incredible resource.
Since a surform doesn’t work on balsa (just fuzzes up and clogs), how about instead of using surforms, doing a Fred specifically for wood boards made in the same manner, but by perhaps opposing wood rasps at 30 degrees instead of surform blades? We could call it a “Wilma”. Seriously though, has ayone had past experience or present thoughts on such. OR… Is the Fred tool really more of a production tool for doing runs of uniform repititive foam boards where similar or near exact replication is important? Someone with experience (Jim Phillips,Cleanlines, one of you “old pros”) please spill some water on this idea. If you don’t relate why it is a dumb idea, I’m going to have to go out in the shop and spend time messing with it to find out if there is merit. It’s starting to sound catchy. Maybe some of us should have a “Wilma” in the shaping tool quiver. Jim, you’ve helped me alot with info, if you feel the idea and name is the single greatest invention since the Skil 100 or foam technology, go ahead and claim it and show one in your next wood board shaping video??? New school guys…: “I can assume Fred was just Carper’s old surf buddy, but I don’t get the Wilma thing??” Ask an old guy. Ok, there’s another name for a new message forum “Ask An Old Guy”. Sorry guys!!
Just curious, does anyone have a photo of ‘Fred’? regards, Håvard
This work? …I just wanted to try the whole image thing. 
I have found through my experience that with each tool I make/buy it improves my quality, consistancy, and increases my speed. The Fred tool helps you carry a consistant angle through the whole rail and is great for quickly getting the rail “close” to tolerance. http://members.cox.net/austinsurfboards/
yeah…i broke mine, havent baught new blades yet, so if just been using my surform. seems just as easy to me, and i dont think its really a “must” dj
I made a Fred tool and used it on my first 7 or 8 shapes. Its easy and it works well. A friend showed me how to use a sureform. Now, I use the sureform. I already know how to use Fred tool. I use the sureform because it is more of a challenge and I want to learn how to use all my tools in a variety of ways. The sureform is not too difficult.
I built my own taking a different tack. What I did was take a Pleskunas sanding block, which I then cut an angle on each of the long sides so that I end up with a 30 degree angle between the guide and the sanding surface. I then screw a piece of 3/4" wood [mahogany] onto one of the edges. The wood has a 3/8" notch in it so that the face of the wood sits over the grit of the block. It works incredibly well and you can go in either direction. I cut the angle on the block on a table saw using an old blade as you will end up cutting through a little carbide on the block, although this typically is only an issue when you do the second round of cutting four years down the road [depending on the number of boards you shape]. The Pleskunas blocks are made out of very hard high density foam and they are about 1" thick so there is plenty of meat to screw the plywood into, I used the PR-2-36 block to make my tool. After about two years of use you have to switch the plywood to the other side, as the carbide will slowly wear off in the center [due to the rail curvature] and make the edge more round. So I switch to the other side until that side wears down and then I simply cut 3/8" off the edges and start over. I have been using this tool for the last 5 years with great success as it makes the bevelling of the rail so much easier. It cuts very agressively so it does not take much time to get the job done! It is really one of the most useful tools in my collection!
A long sanding block with 36 or 40 grit glued to it works well too, and is easy to control as you fade the bottom tuck to a hard edge. I find that the block is less prone to tearing foam up around the thinner areas of the nose as well. My fred has not seen any action for quite a while.
Is Fred used primarily for a tucked under edge? What about rails up to 50/50…what modifications or what angle would you put the surform blades for such rails or would Fred not be applicable for such?
Not the greatestes tool, there needs to be a new and improved version or something…
Do rail bands accomplish the same thing? I did my first board with only my planer and screen for my rails and they turned out good.
too many gadgets, just use your planer. cuts cleaner and faster!
I use EPS foam. I built a Fred with two blocks of wood but used 80 grit sandpaper glued on instead of rasps. Works better on EPS.