Im having a hard time cutting rail bands with a planer. Im not about to use a surform. In Terry Martin and other well known shapers videos, ive seen them shape the bands with a long-ish hard block and 80 Grit. Ive done this but id like to do it the “proper” way with my planer.
In the past ive roughed them out the best i can and cleaned them up with a hard block and 80 grit.
Any tips on getting my bands nice and smooth with the planer?
Good on you for wanting to do it right. You’ll probably work your way into it, doing some of your secondary bands with a block while you’re learning is normal. The primary deck band would be the first one you want to master with the planer. But remember most shapers cut bottom bands first, so get those done before you flip blank to do deck.
Hopefully your planer is set up for on the fly adjustment. It’ll help to fade out your cuts at ends. Start by taking a cut out of the widest, thickest part of blank at the angle you want (primary band is usually in 30-40 degree area). Next take a slightly longer cut over this one, and so on. As the band starts to appear, you can adjust width and taper by hitting spots -but don’t do too much of this. Most of “adjustments” are made by controlling depth of cut as you make long passes. Smaller and smaller full length cuts to finish, until you can run planer allthe way either without cutting or taking a uniform micro-pass. It helps to have your planer set up so the shoe goes slightly beyond zero cut so you can yield zero cut on convex surfaces (like a rail band).
Match that band exactly on opposite side and you’re well on your way to getting a good, foiled rail. The outline band you’re left with should be tapered and foiled as you desire your rail.
I’m kinda in the same boat as hippo except, I JUST got the confidence to use my planer for the railbands. After cutting the bottom band I cut the primary with the planer and used a block and 36 for the secondary. For whatever reason, I feel like I have to do each side at the same time rather than just focusing on one side and copying it on the other. I’m making an old twin ('81-'82) so I wanted a flat deck, beak and full rails. I’m about 50% done and will finish it Saturday.
I like the way you describe starting at the widest, thickest part first then lengthening the cuts. I never heard of that. Thought you just started at one end and went all the way to the other. Would be cool to see it in action.
Your comments are always MUCH appreciated!
How I learned to use the planer. I trash picked an old board and peeled the glass off of it. Then I planed away at it until there wasn’t much left. The bit that was left when it was down to about 4 feet x 15" I used for testing router templates, paint and colored resin. Then I did the same to an old board of my own.
Actually I should have said to kinda go at both primary bands at once. Rough both in, check for symmetry, adjust, do a little more both sides, check again, etc. Doing one all the way to finish before starting on the other could decrease your margin for error.
Thanks for catching that.
Planer all the way.
Closed, open, closed.
Quick depth adjustment is key.
I do use the surform to clean them up some.
Measurements and records make repeating easy.
i dont have quick depth adjustment on my planer so I set my planer to a fairly thin cut, start in the middle beefy point with a very short band and work longer runs untill you finish with a full run.
I only mark the cut at the centre - the taper happens by eye and to suit the foil of the board.
Lots of excellent tips! I’d put it on a low setting and watch carefully tip ends after a few passes…you DON’T want to overdo it. When it (primary) band starts getting low at 12" from tips stop. and then start planing from - that foot up point forward to the end point - foot down from nose point to get the rail lower if needed…you can blend the tip ends ltr w surform… a pro shaper taught me this trick yrs ago - It can save you a world of dread - if you miscalculate your passes… Then do your second band centered over the edge of your primary towards stringer, and so on…so use a low setting until you can control the planer. I hold the bed at a 45 deg angle to edge of blank (deck or bottom) length wise from tail to nose… walk and plane it w motor running full speed. Again, great tips in this thread - use ANY of them! No techniques are better or worse, and there are several different ways to turn your rails. So discover a way that works for you and work on it. Fyi - I use a surform to blend the long ridges kinda like a block plane… you can use your 11" sanding block if you don’t have a pp…note for this method: no zeroing, no disclaimers - just planing off foam str8 ahead…good luck.
What a great video. I understand cross-cutting for the nose and tail rocker but, is he cross-cutting the entire length for blending? Interesting. Good stuff.
shapaholic,
are you a backyarder? How many boards have you made
Almost five… And yes, I started as a garage shaper after getting tips from several shapers locally. Then I just started shaping old stripped blanks w surform + block…this lead to me getting a nice Makita planer in which I attempted rail bands etc… they came out ok. They seem to have gotten tons better after I tried some Tips from Folk’s off swayz. McDing, Mike Daniel’s , and my pp techniques.
I wouldn’t worry about numbers, I’d worry more about not over killing your blank. That’s why I suggested using a low/lower setting w pp planer until you learn how to figure out your planer. Are you using a stock planer, or a skil 100?
ive wondered for a while of you are a production guy or not.
No hate. Just curious man
Id love to see some of your boards sometime man
Angus-
not doing production yet, but I’m probably going to be workin into it shortly.
Reading all the great tips, I’d say the closed - open - closed technique would be if you have a skil 100, or a hitachi modified with fly adjustment.
That said, some of the other methods are w out fly adjustment. Mines just planing and I finish w 80 grit sanding screen, then 150 sanding screen, and 220 sand paper to just smooth my bottom edges. Hope this helps.
Hippo008- also you’ll need to figure in how you want to tuck edges under on the board etc… there’s prob several different ways to go about it. So you might want to figure out how you like your rails. Not sure what you’re looking into building? But I’m primarily into short boards under 7’ bcyz blanks aren’t crazy high.
One thing I learned the hard way is: if you DON’T take your primary band down low setting enough on the outline portion (from top edge down towards bottom) . But you probably know that. So I took my primary rail band down low enough…then I just finished w surform or rough 80 grit screen… there’s nothing worse than a thick blocky rail. Ask me how I
Know. Same w a pro surfer I know who did the same when he started shaping…it’s kinda a beginner mistake makin chunky thick blocky rails w flat spots…
Shapaholic you talk too much for someone who’s shaped 5 boards.
Relax.
shapaholic! post some pics of your boards and rails!
I’ve posted plenty, but none close up of rails… but they came out foiled well but I made a low rail end to end, so no chance of altering the lines much…if that makes any sence. I can’t take any more pics bcuz my board’s off to glassing, but keep posted k.
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Shapaholic you talk too much for someone who’s shaped 5 boards.
Relax.
Are you kidding… I’m long winded??? And I surf two foot waves on lb’s! 
I just got back from a short drive up the coast… got sum fast waist high peelers and took the dims off it…
I don’t go by board count, I go by quality over quantity.
All the monkey poo you threw in those other threads and you are on board 5??? ;^( Gotta love the internet.
