Are profile machines all that efficient? It looks like the cutter on the routers of most set ups I have seen are small. It seems it would take many passes before the entire board is profiled??? Herb, I would think a guy as inovative as you would have one if it was efficient???
I saw Webers back in the 60’s. They had router bits that were fairly large and they were quite effecient considering what the blanks were like then. I’ve also seen the Plescunas machine that was based on a drum sander. Also efficient in it’s day. I’ve also seen the one from Japan that works with a planer. The blanks are so close now I think it wound take more time to clamp it in the jig than to plane a side on one. We make our own blanks with hot wires which come out like their out of a profiler. No planing the flats at all. Just contouring the flats is all we have to do, concaves, Vees, etc…
profile machines are only as good as the guy running it. My own machine takes seconds to fit a blank into the clamps.I use 2" cutter that will cut 1" deep cut easy. Doing one size board at a time is no good so i make sure i cut 5 boards of the same size. This week i have done 21 x 9’4" Mals al the same size in 8 hours. 2 hours each night try and do that with a hand planer. So YES machines do have a place and they are quick in the correct hands. I hear that there is about 1000 surfboards in France that were made in Australias newest factory that are all rubbish. http://www.southcoastfoam.com.au
Thanks. I also heard thae the only advantage is not only that it can skin a blank, but rather it profiles it and gets rid of twists and bumps. Ihave been trying to get ahold of a machine, but the only one I see for sale is the one at shapersaustralia.com and that is a far place to ship something from, pricee… I don’t want to learn metal work in order to build one machine. Rabbit, you got a used one for sale??? You must have gotten yours from shapersaustralia???
We (JIm Phillips) and I had one for shaping “S” decks…quite simple actually.It was two plywood rails that had the rocker profile and we ran a router on a platform with garage door track wheels.It worked well…used a standard flat bit.It did not put any crown in the deck…that would get tricky for different boards…but thats why we have railbands eh? R. Brucker
Shapers No way, steve i made my one and i have also made one for Darren, Darren cut the steel a i but it together they are so easy to make, Four hours work for two people, The only thing that you need to machine is the adjustable stands the rest is just a steel frame to bolt your rocker curve to. i have some drawnings if you want then just email me, I could also make the stands for you and you make the rest $400.00 AUS plus postage Rabbit http://www.southcoastfoam.com.au