Bill make a comment recently that an elite shaper doesn’t have to weight his board, but rather can keep it in place by properly spacing the stands. This got me wondering - what is the proper distance to separate the stands for 9’ - 9’6" boards. I know the easy answer is to keep spacing them until the board doesn’t move, but I was wondering if anybody had it more dialed in than this?
Ideally, you would want them to be adjustable. Enough space between them to keep the nose and tail from hopping when traveling past the stands.
The only time I add any weight to my boards is when cleaning up the plan shape with the planer.
In my old factory I had a short board stand and longboard stand in align with each other. When I had the rare tandem board it could rest between both sets
If ajustability is not an option do you find that a certain distance from the nose and tail seems to work best?
Mine depend on the nose & tail width & the width of the tops of the stands. I set them apart as far as I can, but still have room to run a screen or tuck a lap to the underside without hitting them.
4 and 1/2 to 5 feet apart should work fine. I cover mine with wetsuit material, sticks when you need it, slides when you want to. Still best to have at least one that moves.
too much over hang on the ends makes it spin-pivot -see saw
too far apart makes it flex down when yoou prressure stroke the length
the optimum is a perfection achieved by experiential
familiarity and a rendered personal value judgement.
as the scholar said,and dont take the statement lightly,
It would be best if’n da rax was Justable.
I’m sure ya can get it.
perfect is a state o’ mind.
If you believe in perfection you can get there
even if you look arround an there is nobody else…
there.