No matter how much research I do, I can not grasp the consept of marking, cutting, and sanding rail bands.
Can someone please dumb down how this is done? Im serious, idiots guide with pictures and everything. I dont want to screw up my first board.
Thanks!
The most helpful thing you could do is to watch a capable shaper, in person, while he is shaping a board ''from scratch'' as we used to say. Not sanding a machined blank. Study the process, then go to work on your own blank. Work slowly. What you do on one side of the board, do to the other side. That way you proceed in an orderly way.
I think Bill Barnfield did this already somewhere on this site.
Barnfield in a nutshell: Establish bottom contours and rocker first, then turn bottom tapered rail bands. No marking. Flip it over and turn deckside primary tapered band. Secondary bands on deck next (tapered,of course), at least two; one lower at intersection of primary and outline, one upper at intersection of primary and deck. You can do as many more bands as you can fit on each intersection of previous. After the rail bands, the center of the deck is planed and adjusted to foil. VisuaIizing the ''wire frame'' of your desired shape gives you the parameters for your bands. I can't imagine doing this without a power planer and I would think BB would agree.
their is a huge thread on railbands, search it in the archive.
Thanks guys. Sorry forgot to look in the archives. Ill check it out first from now on. Hope there is some idiot translation in there, because what Im reading is still way confusing.
[quote="$1"] ''....what Im reading is still way confusing.'' [/quote]
This is the reason I suggested WATCHING the process. Having done that, the written suggestions will have more impact/meaning .
Kook, look at it this way for a sec. All it is is, a matter if segmenting a curve. Draw out a curve freehand. Then look at it as a series of flat planes broken down. If you didn't have a compass and couldn't draw a curve you would have to use flat lines to approximate. In the wooden board section there is a perfect illustration of this. I can't remember who did it but he layed up a series of wooden strips ripped at angles to mimic a radius. You are doing the same thing with your planer. Hand sanding and screening simply round off the points on the bands. Hope this made sense.
i´m wondering how i did it before reading master barnfields thread about rail bands. éven more on selfmade eps blanks …???
saludos
uzzi
tblank your post has made the most sence so far. Now only if there were pictures that could help explain it a little better.
If you have never seen a railband being shaped this video will show you how it is basically done. The Master Gene Cooper shaping a big (and I mean big) gun.
This is not a “how to” but just something for you to look at so you can see the process.
…all what the other guys are saying is correctly
but take it this way:
for the deck rail bands:
do this no matter if looks nonsense.
-also, no matter if you do not understand what s going on (other shapes will come)
Put the shape on the shaping racks, then situate you in one of the sides grab an electric planer put the tool at 45º from the rail edge, start near the tail, start to cut (go slowly), The cut start near zero depth, then open the cutting depth mech to max then when you are near the nose decrease the depth to zero again (if you do not have an adapted e planer, use not so much depth)
do this again on top of the first pass, do them 3 - 4 times; after that go to the other side and do the same cut (you should grab the planer a bit different , you ll see)
now you have 1 full band cut on both sides.
To make another band, do it in a similar way besides the already one done.
So, just walk slowly with the planer at an angle cutting the foam, just that
How many times? depends on the type of rail
You should make sure you've worked through all the info that's in the FAQ thread (sticky near/on top). That's what it's there for.
Rail bands are an orderly way to set the rail profile before blending them together at finish. The intersections of the lines are easy to ''read'' for flow and symmetry. As reverb said, make sure you match each successive band side-to-side.
Bill T's advice about watching someone is also good. I'm about 110 miles from you; but if you drive down and bring me a blank, I'll give you a run-through on planer technique.
This is about as dumbed down as I can get it. Think of it as a series of facets that get rounded over. Picture half of an octagon, then round off the corners.
[quote="$1"]
This is about as dumbed down as I can get it. Think of it as a series of facets that get rounded over. Picture half of an octagon, then round off the corners.
[/quote]
I like it surfifty! l lie it a lot. Makes sence. Thanks everyone else too!
…look Kook,
I tried to put very simple basic instructions to not intimidate you in the process, so if you re read it couple of times you ll got the picture of the bands, then, round the edges (with the e planer too)
BUT also I want to say that you SHOULD trip those few miles to see MD in action.
Possibly you do not in the known about that MD is a world class shaper and the guy is bringing you a fantastic opportunity.
Sometimes, I think that some people here do not really learn this labor
Since you have never learned or been schooled in any particular way to cut rail bands, I suggest the rail band tool and this video.
You will be done with the deck/rails by the time others have mannually marked up the board prior to cutting.
Remember this day. You’re welcome.
PS- If you won’t take up M Daniel’s offer can I use it?( I live 5,000 miles away) You are truly a fool not to take up his generous offer.
Remember this advice. You’re welcome
Totally agree. If you are even remotely serious about learning how to shape and don’t take Mike’s offer you are a fool. I’d buy a plane a ticket from NJ and rent a hotel room just to watch him work in a freaking heartbeat. Mike is a wealth of knowledge and a master. Not to mention (obviously) a really nice guy. I learned more in 10 minutes on the phone with him than I could have from all the pictures on Swaylocks.
Cool, Gene cleans up his rail bands the same way I do. I just assumed I had to clean em up because I’m a shitty garage shaper. Thanks for posting that Cleanlines. Mike