Long board Spin template!

General Discussion
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Folk’s - I got a long board template from - John Mellor awile back but I finally got to making an 8’ long spin template! I’m thinking about making a long board, and modern short board w long board template. It’s nothing new, but a great option for short boarders. Some ideas: Stubby Modern short board Long board etc… As you can see I drew the nose half on one side, and put nose half on opposite side. Here’s some idea of how to make a ‘spin template’ from my diagram I found… In a nutshell: Trace Nose Section, Then Tail section for a Spin Template. Line up each end with nose & width marks on blank. Ignore stringer.

Special thanks to - John Mellor who tipped me on a ‘Spin Template’ which I think are TOTALLY COOL! Btw - the boards come out SWEET. Fyi - yrs ago I saw/ had a great shaper build me a great board w spin template! Plus great for traveling shaper. Tip: if your strapped on $ go to home depot - they have odds and ends rack in wood dept. I found a 2’ x 4’ piece of masonite that worked perfect! Total cost $4.89 otd!!! Anyway, I saw it out w jig saw outside line 1/4". I then used a surform to help take the excess material off by working up and down the template using a surform at a angle that cuts…best to vary the angles. For quicker cuts a 40-45 deg angle works well…for cleaner cut tighten angle a bit. Work either direction; forward or backwards… next use 40 gr sanding block, finishing w 60 gr. Sand to line, but dont pass it. Done. Use it! And be sure to use a baton to draw cleaner lines…free handing is ok if you have drawing skills. Now design the board you have in your mind. Keep posted as I am about to cut out an AWESOME ‘pulled in slightly’ fish tail for a modern short board!!! :slight_smile: What will I make? Probably a nine foot + x 23.5" wide lb, and a modern short board.

Note: I just made it ( spin template ) today! Total time a hr and a half. Good times! Let me know if you like it. Folk’s- I just measured it, it’s 4’ and a half inch- so it’d yield a 8’1". But I’ll stretch it out for longer boards w Baton extending length from center… Special thanks goes to -Lowel for the tips. Anyway, I could make whatever w it, and man - I think it came out perfecto! :slight_smile:

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cool - I use spin templates, a lot of guys do.  For a nine foot board, my spin template would be 4’ 6".  Its hard to make a full length template for a nine foot board from an 8 foot piece of masonite, so spin templates are great for boards over 8 foot.

You can get creative in combining templates, or otherwise manipulating them, to derive different shapes.  There have been threads on the subject in the past, a search of the archives will turn up some clarifying info.  IIRC John Mellor explained / diagrammed it better than anybody.

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Huck - ty for the info! Yeah, I’ll extend my length w a baton, or my flexy yard stix - both flex perfect.

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Good point.  Awhile back someone posted a question about how to get a template of a board they liked, and Huie responded “**…**learn to do your own version of that board”, which I thought was good advice, given without malice.  

A lot of times people get into a quandry over how to get a certain template, can someone email them the file, how can they print it full size on a home printer, should they go to Kinkos and use the architectural plotter, etc. etc., when, if they just learned to make their own templates, all would be solved, they would find it is fun and rewarding to make your own templates, and they would never be stumped needing a computer file just to get a template again.

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+2 to what - Huei says… I agree. Your own interpretation - becomes your own art/design. Huck - I like what you said about combining templates to make various designs. Infact, the first surfboard I had shaped custom sum 25+ yrs ago my shaper grabbed a long board template to design part of my fish board. I still remember him also planing…the guy was awesome. Anyway, im thinking about putting my apex behind center a little? I heard it might make the board more responsive?

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I think moving the apex, or wide point, back a little helps with responsiveness.  IMO thats why most modern boards have a wide point further back than the old wide-point-forward (now considered retro) boards of the early shortboard era.

As SammyA pointed out, the old wide point back “pig” was the harbinger of the modern shortboard, where wide point, and volume, are under the surfer when standing, rather than under the chest area when paddling.

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I’ll put wide point forward 2" -3", but put apex back a -inch to 3"or so… maybe sum experts could chime in. I read if you put apex in center its good for waves of consequence.fyi - I got info watching shaping 101 the other night.

Well, I couldn’t get to my short board spin template yet as it got late…I’ll cut her out first thing in the morning.
It looks kinda like a Zippi Fish. I think he pulls his fish tail in a bit. Yrs ago I unknowingly had my fish shaped w 8" pulled in tail that was mind boggling good! Imagine a fish that goes well in the pocket, carves sharp pivotal like turns and you’ll get it… just wait until I get it shaped!:stuck_out_tongue: fyi my swallow tail cut out is 3.5" deep! It should be looser then a standard fish board. I’m probably going 22" wide x 5’10" as I’m making it as a test r for myself and would be customers to ride. I might make a six four for days when it’s slow and harder to snag waves…

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The apex of the template curve, is by definition, the wide point.

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good info! Huck - keep doin your " art work " on your boards! I wish my glasser would have done a real swirl… the foam stain is just ok. The resin art can’t be beat.

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Rocker apex is another thing altogether.  We have had some pretty good threads on that subject in the past, as well.  Custom rockers have to be thought out pretty carefully before picking your blank - just ask Mattwho!

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Spin templates and battans(sp) are the way to go and give a shaper wide creativity.  Just like in Carpers “Shaping 101”, connect the dots.  There are so many boards out there.  Either yours, your buddy’s, garage sales.  Alot of good templates from beat up junk boards that cost you $10 at a garage sale.  Lowel

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+10! That’s a great idea! I think I’m going to check garage sales surf shop etc., to find board to copy also …

Well, I got LB done in the am, tommorow I’ll make a short board template. Heck, I may as well go to MICHAELS arts and crafts store and get some poster board so I can make a normal hpsb also. That would cover most bases. I’ll head down after cutting out a short board template. T c

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In April 1958 I shaped my first surfboard, no template, no measurements.     I drew the outline, by eye, on my glued up balsa blank.     Later, in september of that year, I was given a surfboard template by Wayne Land, to shape my second board.     Made of 3/4th inch thick plywood, it was what is called today a spin template.    It was a rounded pin version of the Velzy Pig, that was also the Burland Pig.   ( Wayne’s then surfboard shop, in La Jolla)    I still have that template in my inventory today.    I made quite a few surfboards over the next two years, with that template.    Lots of good memories, lots of good waves.

Bill

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People in Surfshops tend to get cranky when you attempt to lay out butcher paper and " borrow a template"

even off of used boards. Huck nice looking board you posted. 

 

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I saw a guy at the beach one time with one of my demo boards from the shop I worked for. I asked how he liked the board. He did not know who i was. He said he did not borrow the board to ride it he took it to take the templates from so he could have someone else make one. He did not like what i had to say about that.

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I hear your point, but it’s beyond what any of us can do about it…people can copy your boards, my boards, or whatever. But they can’t copy your trade name, or logos if you have a copyright. Anyway, sorry he didn’t buy your board.

Copying is no longer copying - as long as you change one thing.

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There is a classic story about Mike Doyle copying a Pat Curren Template off the sidewalk in front of Curren’s shop.

“Rusty (Miller) and I surfed at Cardiff Reef that morning,” continued Doyle, "and I explained to him the problems I’d had with my surfboards in Hawaii that winter and how badly I needed one of Pat Curren’s designs.

"Rusty said, ‘You know, Curren just opened a surf shop here in Encinitas.  You oughta stop by and see him.’

"I tried to explain how terrified I was of Curren.

"‘I know what you mean,’ Rusty said.  ‘He scares me, too.  But I still think you oughta go see him.’

"That afternoon I stopped by Curren’s shop on D Street.  I parked around the corner and sat in my car for a few minutes, working up my courage.  When I finally got out and walked around the corner, I saw a sign on the shop window:  Be back sometime.

"I peeked in the window, and in the dim light I could see a row of Curren’s big guns standing against the back wall, like dark tiki gods.  I stood there trying to memorize their shapes, trying to capture that one magical line.  But I knew it couldn’t be done.

“I started walking away – then stopped.  Right there on the sidewalk, drawn in grease pencil, was a full-scale drawing of Curren’s template.  It was about 9’ 6” – just my size – a masterpiece of art and design, right there where people could walk on it, spit on it, or make off with it.  I stepped inside those magical lines, then looked down at my feet to see how the water flowed over and around me.  It was a miracle!

"But how could I get it off the sidewalk and into my hands?  I knew right away what I had to do.  I ran up D Street, across the Coast Highway, then up the hill to the Mayfair market, where I bought ten feet of butcher paper and a felt pen.  I ran back down the hill to Curren’s shop, unrolled the butcher paper over the template, placed rocks at all four corners to keep the paper from blowing away, then got down on my hands and knees, and began tracing the lines.

"I had most of the template on paper when I realized somebody was watching me.  I looked up and saw Curren standing on the street corner.  His forehead was all twisted up in anger, and his eyes were scrunched down into mean little slits.  I wasn’t sure if he even recognized me.  Should I try to explain myself?  Or should I just run for it now, while I still had a chance?

"Curren stared at me for a long time, putting it all together:  the North Shore, the Quonset hut, the kid with the lousy surfboards.  Finally, as he fumbled for the keys to his shop, Curren said, ‘You didn’t have to steal it, Doyle.  Though I have to admit that’s kind of flattering.  Just don’t forget to tell people where it came from, all right?’

“As he disappeared through the doorway, I saw a smile on Curren’s face.” 

I will add that without Mr. Curren’s hard work, understanding and the classic “go for it” surfing, ALL our boards would not be where we are at today!

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I have had templates given to me I have templates I designed myself to make certain models. People do not realise how much unpaid time a shaper has to put in to get the right look to a surfboard. When I was a “paid” shaper you only got paid when the planer was running. Not for evrything else templates fixing tools making sanding blocks etc etc.  In all those years I never put down someone elses board and just copied it. I might have been inspired by a look or something than went and put that idea into foam. I would give credit for the “idea” than put my own spin on it. Templates are just curves to connect the dots but they become very personal over the years as you define your own look.

 The nose of the “UEO” board I helped design with Eaton, in the book  “Essential surfing” by George Orbelian was inspired while I was taking a piss and the shape of the toilet was what I wanted so thats what we used.

 Skip Frye gave me some of my first real templates. I still have and use them to this day BUT my boards do not look like Skips boards. I was inspired by Skip on how he developt a consistant look to his boards and that is someting I have tried to do with mine. Don’t just copy CREATE.

 

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Ok, Ace - thanks! I’ll take your advice and create my own designs.
My long board template is a blend, but I am primarily a short board r - so I needed something viable to work with… t c