Bill - interesting story…btw- round pins were my favorite design for several years.
A template is only a starting point. A way to get fair curves down as a pencil line on foam and then get a matching outline on to opposite side of the stringer.
thanks for your .02.
I like John’s tip about ignoring the stringer whilst using a spin template as it opens up all kinds of options as - Huck pointed out. Anyway, you can free had it to your chosen dims, use baton, yard stick, copy other templates, down load one etc…it’s all good as long as YOU like the curves.But making a spin template gives a guy a chance to possibly make his/her design EXACTLY how you want it.
Bill - I kinda free handed my short board template(w metal and wooden yardstick) that I’ll post up tommorow as I am heading out w gf on luncheon ltr today. But first thing in the am gonna whack this short board template out so I can start mowing foam!!! Lucky for me I found my lost jigsaw!!!
Making templates is an addiction for me.
What started out as a couple shortboard templates,
has grown into probably 250+.
Everything from an actual Greenough kneeboard,
a Yater pig, Brewer guns,and everything else in between.
And it does’nt stop there.
Rocker templates,
rail templates,
and every kind of tail you can imagine.
many spin templates,
most are full length 1/2 board templates as I route a lot of my more popular boards.
Several lengths of them in 2" increments.
What is really cool is that once you have several, you can create your own.
I did not have one for the big Jose Angel recreation board.
Just layed out a few until I had the basic out line.
Trace, cut with bandsaw or jigsaw, even it up with my planer turned on its side, the finish with my old Skil “Sand cat” belt sander.
Process only takes a few minutes with the proper tools.
My name is Barry Snyder I am a template addict.
Some of you big time guys might of done better over the years if you had ripped off a template or two. Maybe some recognition beyond Sways?? Perhaps Shaper of the Year?? Lowel
Barry - it’s gotta feel cool to never be caught w out templates…
McDing - good point! Better to have templates available - whether copied or not! But change one thing, and it’s already different.
Food for builds! Dims are based on a pulled in fish tail? Perhaps it’s a modern Fish?!? Dims : 16 1/2" tail nose 16 1/2" , fish tail width @ tail block 9 1/2" depth of crotch cut out 3 1/2"!
This build is gonna be a twin keel fish, but! I will use it also quad, five finner etc…
I’ve taken templates off of my boards(including an ACE), friends boards, and boards I’ve done repairs if I Iiked the lines. I rarely use one template to make a board or use the template as is. Usually change the wide point here or there or blend templates to get a clean line. If I like the new board I take a template off of that. My fish templates are my own, but they evolved from a 6 foot Lis. I have many fin templates I have taken from my fins,too. Is that against the rules? I recon if it’s my board or fin, bought and paid for, I’ll do whatever I want with it except claim its my creation. Mike
“I recon if it’s my board or fin, bought and paid for”
OK by me.
Mike - ty for your .02! I don’t know why anyone would be concerned w home biy r using anyone’s design -as copyright can’t stop anyone from using a template for crying out
Loud…
This template I’m showing is 110% my own CREATION.
Shapa------- Those look good. Easy to do alot of differant things with. L
Folk’s - I had a wine (Mike’s hard lime ade), and somehow miscalculated my dims…but check it out! We got a 5’8 3/4" x 22"wide -wp forward center 3", 16"tail x 17" nose x 9.5" at the tail block! Maybe I should build it!? Votes pls. Note: this is my own spin template.
Actually, I’ll plane to thickness off bottom, and make a 5’10" x 22".
Lowel- this is my first spin template ever! I didn’t get my first half right, but these two are phenomenal! Well, I got a few wine coolers in, and fudged a bit w drawing…lol. May be I should make it, test ride it for aweek and sell it for a deal used!?" Ty for comps! Yeah, im amazed what a flexible baton (flexy yard stick) can do…I just drew my dims, and started on da floor -used my knees to hold one end, and held and bent the yard stick to my liking, drew it and here it is!
A bizarre thing: I wanted a 16 1/2" tail x 17" nose… but after lining my template to buttcrack, center, and my nose I drew in first w 17" nose, well…my tail ended up 16"! I think that sounds traditional?! Any fish fans w feedback?
Full templates= more accurate, more consistent outlines and less variations between shapes.
I have never used a full template, probably should but I like using one template to make many different shapes.
Matt
When a shaper starts dialing in his shapes and designs; a full or half template is the way to go. No variation and easy to duplicarte. A full or half template has a little wiggle room with dims as well. What I have done over the years is full or half template my own shapes that I made the most of and am the happiest with. When I was going back and forth alot to the Islands I used alot of spin templates. I’ve still got a stack in storage on Maui. I thank my dearly departed brother-in-law Phil(an avid sailboarder) for all the battans he left me. I’ve used them to make a lot of templates and connect alot of dots. Lowel
Matt - thanks for your .02! I was going to do a full template but I didn’t feel like lugging a colossal sheet of masonite in my tight camper shell of the borrowed truck I was using…plus you can’t beat the price of a $4.89 cent piece of wood that’ll work.
But I am planning on making a ‘full template’ here’s how:
Poster board at Michael’s arts and crafts is around a dollar or two. So I can use masking tape, or packing tape to stick two pieces together for 6’ and under boards… then I could use my spin templates, or the batton, yard stick etc…I geuss it’s gonna be one smooth flowing line of curves…as long as the lines connect smoothly - that’s all that matters.
As for using the spin for multiple designs - you are correct! You can easily design just about whatever you want. T c - Jim
Lowel - I gotta go to the sail board shop to see about scavenging for a batton…I did see I can order a new
Sail board batton online tho! But it might be best to go to the shop to be sure I get the right one. Thanks again for your.02!
A few ways to make templates.
Go looking around for sail makers, ask if you can buy a mainsail batten off of them. They are flexible enough that they make curves, but still stiff enough that they put out a consistant even line. You can bend them in any number of ways and it will return to its original stright shape. These are perfect for spin templates
Buy a roll of string and pull out any number of feet, tie a mrker to one end and anchor the other end to the ground. Increase or decrease the length of the string to make consistent and even curves, this is especially great for rockers and deck curvatures.
Go on your PC (only PC) and fire up board cad. You can design a totally custom board, or for more generic curves and lines you will see on lots of boards, choose new, then pick a generic shape they have already preinstalled. for example an 8’ funboard. The click through this directory, File >> Print >> Spin Template. You can print as is, or adjust the outline in your computers photo editing software, such as Paint, Gizmo, Ps5 Suite, Acrobat ect. and then print.
Go out for a walk or push or paddle or whatever, and look for shapes in nature that inspire you. I made a template based off of this rock i found oneday, and it has proven to be extremely useful. Longboards shortboards skimbooards longboard skateboards all done with the strange curves of a rock i found one day. Sometimes just letting out the inner artist is all you need to create something not only functional but beautiful
Angus-