Imagine designing, shaping and testing a board WITHOUT the use of templates or any measurements (numerical or otherwise), and strictly by actual experience, keen observation and just the feel… aside from the obvious commercially-oriented drawbacks, what do you think the negatives and positives might be?
Imagine designing, shaping and testing a board WITHOUT the use of > templates or any measurements (numerical or otherwise), and strictly by > actual experience, keen observation and just the feel… aside from the > obvious commercially-oriented drawbacks, what do you think the negatives > and positives might be? Do you remember an Encinitas sculpter/artist in the late sixties, Ed Schumpert, he was touted as the next coming for his free form shapes, sans templates? As most sculptors, he carved away everything that didn’t look like a surfboard. http://www.JimtheGenius@aol.com
I think we owe it to ourselves to “sacrifice” at least one blank a year (more if you can afford to do so) in precisely this manner. It’s a challenge and it sharpens your vision (inside and outside)!! Thanks for the reminder, D.!..T.!
Do you remember an Encinitas sculpter/artist in the late sixties, Ed > Schumpert, he was touted as the next coming for his free form shapes, sans > templates? As most sculptors, he carved away everything that didn’t look > like a surfboard. Jim, I vaguely remember his name… whatever happened to him? With all due respect to you, I wasn`t trying to promote that method of shaping, just attempting to encourage a broader spectrum of thought and discussion. I am frequently reminded, whenever I read your comments in Swaylocks, of how fortunate we all are to be the beneficiaries of your surfing and shaping experience.
a friend of mine shapes most of his own boards with no templates, just a couple pencil marks and eyeballs the rest. they surf really well…actually i’ve traced a couple so i can have a template…
I really think intuitive shaping may lead to two different extremes: an absolute error and an unexpected design that works, with all it’s in between. Templates are surely useful in making the less mistakes as possible, but are shapers like us supposed to be the alternative to almost standard and machine profiled boards, those standard thousands clones sold by the very big ones like Mr Preisendorfer, Mr Merrick or Mr Hyman?
I’ve met people who have never heard of surfing or surfboards. I would like to give them a brief explanation of wave riding (without mentioning surfboard design) and see what type of craft their imagination produces. Expanding on this idea, you could run the same test on people from other water related activites who known nothing about surfing or even children.
Do you remember an Encinitas sculpter/artist in the late sixties, Ed > Schumpert, he was touted as the next coming for his free form shapes, sans > templates? As most sculptors, he carved away everything that didn’t look > like a surfboard. I remember him sculpting a surfer on a wave that looked like mike doyle…Didnt he do a bust of the Duke?
I’ve done this!! I called it “my first board”. It was a great board!! After 35 years and thousands of “perfect boards” that first one stands out the most. I haven’t had the urge to return to this style of shaping but it could be interesting. Actually, on a lot of my personal boards I use my tape measure on the outline only. All rockers and thickness is by eye. I think it would be tough to get away from templates. Using a template doesn’t mean using 1 per board; sometime I’ll use 4 or 5. I guess fishing poles and strips of wood would be considered flexible templates. Don’t rule out asymetricals. I think this is the biggest untapped resource in surfboard design. aloha to all of you,tw
Jim,>>> I vaguely remember his name… whatever happened to him? With all due > respect to you, I wasn`t trying to promote that method of shaping, just > attempting to encourage a broader spectrum of thought and discussion. I am > frequently reminded, whenever I read your comments in Swaylocks, of how > fortunate we all are to be the beneficiaries of your surfing and shaping > experience. Dale is there a sculpture by the pier in Hunington? If that is where it is, it was done by Ed. As to where he is today, I’m not sure. http://www.JimtheGenius@aol.com
I’ve done this!! I called it “my first board”. It was a great > board!! After 35 years and thousands of “perfect boards” that > first one stands out the most. I haven’t had the urge to return to this > style of shaping but it could be interesting. Actually, on a lot of my > personal boards I use my tape measure on the outline only. All rockers and > thickness is by eye. I think it would be tough to get away from templates. > Using a template doesn’t mean using 1 per board; sometime I’ll use 4 or 5. > I guess fishing poles and strips of wood would be considered flexible > templates. Don’t rule out asymetricals. I think this is the biggest > untapped resource in surfboard design.>>> aloha to all of you,tw Yes, yes , yes, use as many templates as it takes to get what appeals to YOUR eye. I so seldom measure thickness or can quote how much rocker a design has in the nose or tail. That is free form shaping, rails are not measured and if you used the planer to do the outline, with out templates, it would come out a fairly clean free form line. http://www.JimtheGenius@aol.com
I’ve done this!! I called it “my first board”. It was a great > board!! After 35 years and thousands of “perfect boards” that > first one stands out the most. I haven’t had the urge to return to this > style of shaping but it could be interesting. Actually, on a lot of my > personal boards I use my tape measure on the outline only. All rockers and > thickness is by eye. I think it would be tough to get away from templates. > Using a template doesn’t mean using 1 per board; sometime I’ll use 4 or 5. > I guess fishing poles and strips of wood would be considered flexible > templates. Don’t rule out asymetricals. I think this is the biggest > untapped resource in surfboard design.>>> aloha to all of you,tw well if you think about it then a computer with measurements is a template. So maybe a true soul shaper is all by eye a true craftsmen.
Imagine designing, shaping and testing a board WITHOUT the use of > templates or any measurements (numerical or otherwise), and strictly by > actual experience, keen observation and just the feel… aside from the > obvious commercially-oriented drawbacks, what do you think the negatives > and positives might be? Zen surfboard shaping… interesting. It’s funny the small places where one finds, for himself, the most profound wisdom. I got this from a Star Trek Next Generation episode. One of the characters said that all human life is involved in only one pursuit, prediction. We observe events. Then we observe their effects. Then we store both away in our memories. We do this in an attempt to associate or cause future events, and take advantage of their results. Different people store away different events. For a baby the process can be as simple as learning what happens when you touch a candle flame. For a shaper, turning the rail a certain way, then observing and riding it, may say to turn the rail sharper next time. No doubt shapers have inborn shaping ability. All shapers enhance their hand and eye coordination through prediction. From some of the boards I’ve seen it’s no surprise that some of the shapers on this board can mold a shape without any templates. You can probably shape equally well with your eyes open or closed. While shaping I’ve noticed what a large roll tools play in creating their own shapes. As an amateur I notice this effect most while transitioning a mid-board deck rail into the nose deck rail. I use a semi rigid rubber foam sanding block. The same type foam as a boogy board. It was shipping-foam for a new washing machine. I merely guide the block. It does the rest. What tool do you pros use for this area? Even discovering the right tools takes predictive skill.
I eyeball as much as I can.If I build it for myself,it usually rides better if I don’t try driving myself nuts by keeping the numbers straight.Herb.
Zen surfboard shaping… interesting.>>> It’s funny the small places where one finds, for himself, the most > profound wisdom. I got this from a Star Trek Next Generation episode. One > of the characters said that all human life is involved in only one > pursuit, prediction.>>> We observe events. Then we observe their effects. Then we store both away > in our memories. We do this in an attempt to associate or cause future > events, and take advantage of their results.>>> Different people store away different events. For a baby the process can > be as simple as learning what happens when you touch a candle flame. For a > shaper, turning the rail a certain way, then observing and riding it, may > say to turn the rail sharper next time.>>> No doubt shapers have inborn shaping ability. All shapers enhance their > hand and eye coordination through prediction. From some of the boards I’ve > seen it’s no surprise that some of the shapers on this board can mold a > shape without any templates. You can probably shape equally well with your > eyes open or closed.>>> While shaping I’ve noticed what a large roll tools play in creating their > own shapes. As an amateur I notice this effect most while transitioning a > mid-board deck rail into the nose deck rail. I use a semi rigid rubber > foam sanding block. The same type foam as a boogy board. It was > shipping-foam for a new washing machine. I merely guide the block. It does > the rest. What tool do you pros use for this area?>>> Even discovering the right tools takes predictive skill. Damn… caught trying to pass off Zen philosophy as Intuitive Shaping 101… you posed some very insightful comments, Noodle! As for tools, if they don
t require an outlet (and if you have the time), the adventure of making them can be a worthwhile project in itself. Even if you do finally end up "re-inventing the wheel" a few times, no matter... its far worse to take for granted those things that are around you everyday, without ever stopping to consider how or why.
Damn… caught trying to pass off Zen philosophy as Intuitive Shaping > 101… you posed some very insightful comments, Noodle! As for tools, if > they don
t require an outlet (and if you have the time), the adventure of > making them can be a worthwhile project in itself. Even if you do finally > end up "re-inventing the wheel" a few times, no matter... its > far worse to take for granted those things that are around you everyday, > without ever stopping to consider how or why. no computer will ever be able to paint a vermeer , or invent cubism, or create a truly new idea…at least i don’t think so.