Hippo - if whatever your doing works for you - then it works. I really don’t know what’s best. But I just figure in my widths; nose, wide point, tail, and then try to make the lines “fit”…if it doesn’t fit, I just change dims, move templates, or even as - Mike/ rooster suggested to not go by dims in say an area where your chosen dims don’t work with your template…
For example: I use spin template, and usually first draw my nose half to my wp. Now I just have to connect my tail half to tail block width…then just draw the lines! That said, you might get slight deviation from your chosen dims… but they didn’t fit - so that’s ok! When all is said and done, outlines should be complimentary curves. But there’s no rules. Just visualize what you want and build from there. Good luck on your builds-Angus! And come visit us on west coast ! Well, I’m breaking a sales rule by going out n test n my board!I ssuppose I can give a discount as long as I don’t pressure ding her up! I doubt it tho! I got 6/4 oz deck…peace out - Jim
Moving back briefly discussing copying of others templates, if a guy asked me specifically NOT to copy a board or fin template I wouldn’t do it. Even if they were bought and paid for. Regardless, having a template from someone else does not mean a guy like me can recreate a board or fin from it. No where near. It’s just an outline. Please continue. Mike
Aqua- I agree w you what you said about poster board…anyway, I forgot to mention that my poster board idea was meant to be a temp to be transferred to masonite! T c
I’m fresh out of blanks, resin and spending cash for awhile :-( ** **And I’m too doggone lazy to start working on another wood board, although I have a couple planned that I should, one of these days…
But I can still make spin templates! :-) Had one last piece of masonite handy, and a scrap of plywood (the masonite is so much easier to work with), and a little time this afternoon.
The one on the left is going to be a “fun-gun” type board
and the one on the right is going to be a winged swallowtail quad
Huck - very nice design! When you get another blank, I recommend you buy the Micro round rasp from foam ez for the swallow tail. It works perfectly. The hand saw to cut out crotch is fine. But watch a few vids of people doing fish tails first…I like - Tim Stamps method, but one other guy does well…darnit I forgot his name?!
Yeah, make more templates! I’m trying to find second blanks, but these supply shops don’t have any…I think its bs. They just want to sell the good ones?
Huck - while I’m still learning, the pulled in tail ( to a point )carve nice turns! Almost like a round pin, if the
Sides near the end are removed - more at the rear progressively lesser up…I think it creates a pivot point on rail…similar to tail rocker up third board.
that is a logical, organized, methodical way to approach it - so much better than my scavenge the shop for scraps method! Next trip to the big box I’m making a pit stop for template blanks, thanks for the suggestion
Ok, now I’m in the mode, and Barry has inspired me. Cranked out 4 more after work today, a classic wide-point-back longboard, a midsize-simmons, a midlength round tail board and a midlength broom tail board.
Per my usual modus operandi, I sketched these to scale 1" = 1’ 0" using 1/4 inch grid paper, then scaled them up on butcher paper, hand-drawn, and pretty crude. Transferred the drawing to masonite, cut them out with a Japanese pull saw, and cleaned them up with a sanding block, no bending strips involved. Used the templates to draw an outline on the floor, and the shapes look good - can’t wait to get some blanks, that makes 6 new shapes for me to play with!
Models, especially longboards, I make full size or 3/4 templates. Why? Rail curve in the middle is very gradual and you can fudge the curve between, lets say, a 9’4” and a 9’10” and end up with boards that are visually almost identical. Shortboards, especially more modern ones, work best from spin templates but I always start with a full size of a successful outline. As customer likes/dislikes change, I can adjust better with spin templates. Custom orders or one off’s as a lot of Sways shapes are, can be done with paper print-outs, etc. and be quite good. Just remember that outlines are just that, an outline of a shape. Rail shape templates, bottom rocker templates, deck rocker templates, etc. can all come into play. Just don’t obsess about one aspect of the shaping experience… just my 2c!
I normally don’t use bending strips, but since u suggest the use of a nail gun, that makes it a bit more appealing to me, haha. Be an excuse to break out one of my finish nailers, they don’t see much daylight anymore!
I’m with surf teach on this one, spin templates are best taken off of partially shaped blanks or finished boards. I want to see the whole curve and make sure it’s right before I make a template.
Usually what I’d do is work up my “new” outline on a blank, cut it out and true/blend everything until I’m happy. Before you cut the rail bands is ideal time to pull a curve off of it, because you still have a nice square edge to put your template material against. I use sheet plastic (made from recycled polyethylene milk containers) for spin templates and it’s super easy to work with - new template takes about 10 minutes.
Of course nowadays this is all very old school, most people would just draw it up in CAD and send the whole board file off to nearest CNC cutter.
Good idea! THANKS AGAIN -Mike! I plan to make another design based on a cool parallel outline design I saw recently… but it would be nice to
Make sure the lines look smooth before I make a spin. I geuss I will buy a lrg sheep of masonite…t c
Even old school won’t claim me, I got expelled from old school. =D
Designing a new shape with a fresh blank and then transferring to a plastic spin template is a great idea - when you have blanks. I don’t. Right now what I have is some masonite and some shapes in my head that I want to build, so I’m just doing what works for me - if I inadvertently break a few protocols along the way, well, that’s just icing on the cake
All my spin templates are done at half-length. I use the spin template to draw the shape out on the floor full-size when its done (to double check), and haven’t had any problems with my curves blending. If the front and back halves are right, the curve will be right. I’m sure that copying a spin template off an existing “successful” outline is much easier than creating an original design from scratch, but I haven’t had any problems designing new shapes on masonite spin templates.
As far as “obsessing” about templates, or any other facet of the process - here’s my 2 cents: what I do is pay attention to the whole package, i.e. rails, bottom, foil, etc, but focus (not obsess) on what I’m doing at the moment. So if I’m making templates, then I’m focused on making great templates. If I’m shaping rails, I’m focused on the best rails for that shape, etc. This works for me, and the thing I don’t obsess about is what anyone else thinks.
I get my template material from a friend who buys lots of 4’x8’ sheets to make plant tags for his nursery. He buys it somewhere around Orlando or Lakeland, I think. Sorry I can’t point you straight to source. You’re good with a google, though.
Just don’t try to make fins with it, ok? Or not try to make fins, or whatever it is you do when you put on your lab coat and go all mad scientist:)
