while ive only shaped a few boards so far by hand and will continue to, just wondered how easy this would be to replicate. Not trying to take the soul out of hand shaping , just like building shit!!!!
I've worked many profilers and currently use a scatch-built model.
If you are handy and have some good tools, you can build one very cheaply. Steel and MDF. I don't think there has been plans published anywhere.
Even add some innovations of your own.
The "Surfboard cutting head" will be the most expensive component in that ebay item...I've found that a cheaper and commonly available quality conventional router bit does the work just fine.
Otherwise, the ebay one is a reasonable deal, if you don't have time or you have two left hands - (in which case you might not be attempting to shape anyway!!)
I was on the same quest a few months ago and was able to find KR’s plans…however, Brasco hooked me up with a c-shaper and I have been slowly learning the in’s and out’s of it… At this point, I love it…consistent rocker profiles each time! A great tool…
Like you…I too searched the archives and found nearly nothing…so I hope this little bit helps you! In the next week or so, I am going to update the post above and provide perspective and feedback regarding my profiler and my first profiled shape, hopefully it will provide a trajectory for others to use in the future…
THX for the input guys. Got a few weeks off over the christmas holidays so will make this a project for then. I will post pics as i go. Thanks josh, will pick your brain for the right router bit come time if ok?
Live4truth , exactly what i need just to start me off thx so much!!!look forward to you posting on that thread.
If anyone wants to chime in with advice on possible design pit falls, i'd be so gratefull, big ask , but maybe some pics of different peoples profile machine, not to copy but understand the workings and adjustable parts. Also the sliding bridge, im guessing its just on wheels that run over the rocker template,but would mlove to see pics of these areas for ideas.
Hey muzzer, I think if your a back yarder who makes 0-10 boards a year buying that ebay one is not economical. You could get 30-40 preshapes for that money and save a lot of time.
Like JD said the principles of them are basic and the whole thing doesn’t have to be made of solid steel. I’m in the pacific right now and will be home in december, can post some pictures then but I made one out of a solid core door, MDF on the sides and steel that holds and adjusts the blank. This flat profiler can be used on top of my stands then I store it in the corner on the celing of my bay, don’t need an extra room. It’s square and solid, works well, good back yarder model, cost me about $200 after I got the door for free. I can post pics in December.
Good for doing lots of the same board but it takes a long time to make your curves and you need to adjust the curve in the nose for the bridge that holds the router, this can be tricky. You’ll spend a lot of time making it all, might wish you had just hand profiled or used a shaping machine in the end and spent those days making curves surfing…?
I’ve been using this cheap bit I got online from the states called a typhoon burr, it says it was tungstan coated? only 3/4’’ head on it but was $30. Don’t know how many boards it will do, been using a router bit on my trim router to do the stringer then change to the burr for the foam. I found if you use a timber router bit and move fast over the foam it will leave gouge marks. Good luck with it, guess learning is half the fun.
Thx marsh for the advice, photos would be great , look forward to you posting them.
Going to look up about those router bits they sound perfect and well priced thx.
At the moment I’m just thinking about what materials to use that I have lying about that can be recycled or bought cheaply. I like the idea of having something that can fit over your racks that can be stored easily like marsh’s .
Will visit hardware shop to figure out best way to make the bridge roll, any ideas? I’m thinking small rollers of some sort. What thinkness are most templates? Do they warp if to thin passing bridge over blank if I’m making any sense!!
We use skateboard (608) and V groove bearings to build entire custom CNC board-building machines. Works great, world-wide availability and about the least expensive precision bearing alternative out there.
If you build a nested bridge - a seperate bridge roll that rides within another carriage that follows the profile - you’ll be able to foil the board over the length. A really swanky profiler that’ll accomodate multiple patterns, manage profile, rocker and foil with some measure of durability can be built for 300 - 500 $US.
Hi Dave, that’s a custom continuous duty light machining CNC rig produced by Mike Campbell up the road in Grandy being built for the skate and snowboard market. I worked with him on design upgrades back in the spring and will be picking up and adapting the product for use on the molding/shaping/finishing table shown in other posts. He’s put a heckuvalotta effort into it over the last year and it’s quantum leaps ahead of what he was building last year. The economy is chewing on his backside at the moment so he’s preoccupied with digging out but he’s a good guy and the backlog is getting down to a manageable level.
His website is http://www.wedmfg.com and he’s always willing to talk about the work though you may have to wait a bit if he’s busy working in the shop.
We use skateboard (608) and V groove bearings to build entire custom CNC board-building machines. Works great, world-wide availability and about the least expensive precision bearing alternative out there.
If you build a nested bridge - a seperate bridge roll that rides within another carriage that follows the profile - you'll be able to foil the board over the length. A really swanky profiler that'll accomodate multiple patterns, manage profile, rocker and foil with some measure of durability can be built for 300 - 500 $US.
Take a regular X/Y pattern rig that uses an overhead carriage. On the carriage a sub-carriage is installed with a ramp follower for Z axis machining. Install the foiling pattern on the sub-carriage. The Y axis carriage will follow the profile pattern with a pin and the sub-carriage then ramps in the Z axis per the foiling profile. I’ll see if I can dig up some pics but this type of thing was pretty standard in furniture manufacturing and machine shops prior to actual CNC equipment. You can still find examples of these types of rigs on lathes.
A good place to start looking up this sort of thing is “analog machine fixtures”. The first several hits after looking it up a moment ago involve grinders which makes sense now that I think about it because we used to use a similar approach in tool and die making/sharpening for custom bits and knives in the mill shops.
I understand you exactly because I've thought about it...and I would seek to minimise planer work required to tune the rails after the initial cuts with my domed bridge.
Its a worthy project. I already call my profiler the MNC - "Manual numerical control", and this could go the next yard.
Now this thread may get interesting !!!....I have a standard type profiler , roller bearing etc , and ive wanted to do more with it. Mainly cut some accurate rail-bands to cut down shaping time.......any good takes on dust extraction???
MNC - I like it. I’m one of those freaks that still does the majority of shaping/sanding other than surfacing by hand. The other thing I’ve found over time is that for me, programming a CNC always takes more time for one-offs than hand work until you’ve built up a library of similar forms.
Take a look at the rocker molding/shaping/sanding table in my pics. That design has been in the works for years in one form or another so when building the new studio I just crammed most every tooling element short of solid pressing into it.
As soon as the permit gets signed off the hot water heating tubes will be installed which will also double as radiant heat during the winter.
First legit shop I’ve built in years after living in other places where work was not so obvious Mr. Ogre but where we are on the beach - they get a little touchy when you go adding on to the house without getting their scratch.
We filled in the sticks under the house with expanded storage and a brand spanking new studio space for me - provided the wife gets a ceramic studio on the next expansion coming up in the spring.
Finished the sheet rock the other day and this coming week I’ll hopefully have the wiring knocked out. A few more touches and up and running all professional like.
Hey Brian, Thanks for the plug of the machines. Hi there all.
I have been wanting an opportunity to adapt one of our CNC's to use for surfboards, and I am more than happy to discuss what particular needs anyone might have or want to see in a machine.
