Gizmos and Speciality Tools...

General Discussion
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Quote

Creating gizmos and speciality tools to do specific tasks can be a seductive distraction. Better to perfect ones use of the primary tools and exquisite skills for using them, rather then surrounding oneself with a bunch of secondary tools that with commitment will soon become unnecessary. Bill Barnfield

Bill, I could not agree more…

Stepping as far away from the specialty materials and tool stores is one of my goals…

I have more than enough clamps to hold the wood deck and bottom skins to the frame, but simplifying the process is the direction I’m heading…

User friendliness, worldwide…

So instead of someone wanting to build a hollow board and needing to get more than a dozen spring clamps which can get spendy, even at Harbor Freight prices, not to mention the cost in a rustic village on the remote coast of > Insert Country Name Here <

Worldwide, everybody has rope…Rope is usually close to dirt cheap…The perfect attributes for what I want the building process to be…

Yesterday I tried it for clamping both the deck and bottom to the frame, at the same time…

I’m also trying to simplify the method so that anyone can build a complete board from frame assembly to final shaping in three days…

Cheap ($1.99 for 100’), strong, available virtually everywhere, parachute cord is my current preference for clamping the deck and bottoms…

I still need a few clamps at the high pressure ares, but nothing like before…

A simple ‘trucker’s knot’ is all that’s needed…

If you want to add specific pressure, say to make sure the deck is contacting the stringer all you need to do is add something like a 3/4" thick wood block at your pressure point…

I put cardboard on the first set of cords…My thought was to prevent the cord from damaging the wood…

It did prevent that… But at the nose, the cardboard was too ‘slidey’…

I put the second set of cords on without cardboard and the denting from the cord is minor…

OK, that’s my example of getting away from Gizmos and Specialty Tools…

What’s yours…???...
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so the rope cinches it down tight enough? Is that knot, like a one-way slip knot, so it won’t loosen? Are you just pulling it tight or using something for leverage?

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so the rope cinches it down tight enough?

Definitely…

If I want even more pressure I could loop a stick in the rope and twist…

Destructive crushing strength is possible…

Is that knot, like a one-way slip knot, so it won’t loosen?

Yeah, and the loop aspect allows for easy un-clamping and re-use…

Are you just pulling it tight or using something for leverage?

Tight is the goal…

Pull the cord, pinch at the loop and tie it off…

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Quote:

so the rope cinches it down tight enough? Is that knot, like a one-way slip knot, so it won’t loosen? Are you just pulling it tight or using something for leverage?

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/14327_knot-trucker.htm

PJ - both skins at once probably saves you a day at least, right?

looking good!

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An interesting piece of ‘‘surfing trivia’’ is that this knot, the truckers hitch, was what Buzzy Trent always used to tie our boards on the roof of his VW Bug.

It was the first time I had ever seen the knot in use. It’s strong, and does not slip. Seeing it again, brings back some fond memories. Thanks.

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Quote:
Creating gizmos and specialty tools to do specific tasks can be a seductive distraction.

But heck, specialty craftsmanship takes a few extra tools, and when something like this attention-grabbing beautiful creature is the result–who’s counting, ya know?

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Just this,

and time…

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"loop a stick in the rope and twist… "

Hi Paul -

That is exactly what I used to clamp many of the strips when building the rails on the compsand paddleboard you saw down here.

I’ve also used the “stick twist” clamp when gluing up stringers. Protective blocks were needed along the edges of the blank. As you mention “destructive” strength is possible.

Speaking of clamps, there was also the guy who built a board in, on, and beside his hotel in Taiwan. He cut short lengths of PVC pipes with the slice down one side and was able to make a bunch of cheap spring clamps. See “The Twisted Guerilla” thread.

I think what Bill meant was that there is no need for gadgets when a good eye, a little skill and some practice will do.

Clamps? I’d say those are a necessity.

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Quote:

An interesting piece of ‘‘surfing trivia’’ is that this knot, the truckers hitch, was what Buzzy Trent always used to tie our boards on the roof of his VW Bug.

It was the first time I had ever seen the knot in use. It’s strong, and does not slip. Seeing it again, brings back some fond memories. Thanks.

and it tied off with a half hitch , same thing you tie a horses reins to the post with

Heres my gizmo

Hey Moe !!! Hey Larry!!! Woooop Woooop Woooop !!! NNNYuck Yuck Yuck!!!

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does the parachute cord have any discernable stretch?

the use of manilla hemp or dacron prestreched is

indicated if one should choose to up the ante to

using a spanish windlass configuration

for monster dynamic.

I love the twist

make my scrawny wrist

multiply in strength.

…ambrose…

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Hey Paul, thanks for nowt there! Just been out to Charlies and spent another £25 on clamps for my present build, should’ve waited a day and spent £2 on string. Brilliant.

Still, my dad reckons a workshop can never have too many clamps.

I rather like the gravity clamping method for skins.

On a side note…How thick are those skins?

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Do you find it “wobbles” much when you move along the board??.

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Hi Ken - I’m wondering why you are marking your rails?

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Ah, good, I wondered if somebody would name the Spanish Windlass.

As for parachute cord:

When used as aquaculture layout line ( as I did here) it’ll stretch about 10% under not-especially-great pull.

Which makes a lot of sense, when you think about it. If you’re jumping out of an airplane, lets say, and decelerating from 100 miles an hour or more to thirteen or so in a matter of a second or so, a bit of ‘boing’ is probably very much appreciated, especially as the main parachute harness supporting straps are right in the groinal area.

The main problem with nylon ( or the other synthetics) in something like a trucker’s hitch or similar is friction. Woven rope on woven rope, lots of surface area contact. And it gets warm and it melts the outside. The mountain climbing types started using carabiners and similar to prevent that, lest their moves be far too much like that of the parachutists…

doc…stick and a string can do many things…

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Quote:

Do you find it “wobbles” much when you move along the board??.

It takes a steady hand ,yes

this simple makeshift gizmo helped me to get steady as i walk the board

I use an old blank thats f’d up and practice

pulling a line

after a while you will feel comfortable just pulling tape

I still use it on occasion as I only do one board every monthand a half

but “I’m trying” to not have to use gizmo’s and specialty tools, just basics

and you have to admit, its pretty basic!

I hope this answers Easternpacific’s question also

(I know what you were getting at)

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HiKen - I’m not trying to be critical, just ingnorant as to why you are puting the line on the foam?

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when I first started doing cut laps

I was very shakey with the tape

running a pencil line along the rail, at whatever distance in I chose, would give me a line to tape to

after hot coat I would mask and pinline over the lap line thus hiding the pencil line when it showed

edit: check out the rail marking thread

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I sayeth again…getteth thow a white pencil for marking thy lapline soest thy line will not showeth.

just my 1.874 cents

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Aloha Paul:

This is an excellent idea!

We use something very similar to join the top and backs in guitar building. We start out with a bunch of 1/2 x 1 1/2" sticks that are about 2" wider that the wood being clamped. These sticks are placed, on edge, on the bottom of the wood being clamped, Then we use a coarse hemp twine to wind a figure eight around the ends of the sticks and over the top of the wood. The twine does not have to be super tight to start off as the clamping force comes later.

Next we take a bunch of wood wedges that are almost as wide as the wood being clamped and we drive the wedges into the figure eight created by the twine. This creates the clamping force and by using the sticks and wedges also serves to create a more uniform downward pressure on the wood being clamped.

Typically, this is mainly used for the edge glueing of the top and bottom plates. But I have also used it to glue the top and bottom to the sides of a guitar.

It is a very simple but effective clamping mechanism that can generate as much force as you would need, and is about as low tech as you can get. Plus you can use as many as you like.

I will see if I can track down a photo showing what this looks like I know I have some around, just need to find them!

-Robin