what percentage of shapers (or, rather, could you name a few top dogs) who take down their rails using only a surform - rather than using their powerplanes?!
what percentage of shapers (or, rather, could you name a few top dogs) who > take down their rails using only a surform - rather than using their > powerplanes?! none!
what percentage of shapers (or, rather, could you name a few top dogs) who > take down their rails using only a surform - rather than using their > powerplanes?! Surforms…No, but I have seen a few (ie Timmy Patterson, Cole Simlar) use a grinder/sander to turn rails on close to shape blanks.
what percentage of shapers (or, rather, could you name a few top dogs) who > take down their rails using only a surform - rather than using their > powerplanes?! I have also heard of some shapers that will use a sander to put the rail bands into the board but have never heard of anyone using a surform.
i use a surform and sanding block only for my rail bands. i only make about 1-2 boards per month so speed isn’t a factor. i find i get better and closer control with the surform, although i’m thinking about trying a disc sander. i’ve only made about 20 boards, so i’m no seasoned pro, but i find my planer(hitachi) a cumbersome tool and i’m not convinced it’s the only one (or best one) for the job…
A Surform??? Hell I used my moms cheese grater when I started!! Actually, a Surform is not the best tool in the world for rail banding. When you hold it sideways it’s only about 1 1\2 inches wide so it tends to accentuate bumps if you have any. If you MUST use a surform, make SURE you’re outline is cut out PERFECTLY perpendicular bottom to deck with no bumps. Walk the surform nose to tail or tail to nose for all strokes even if you aren’t taking foam off of the nose or tail as you want to keep good flow to your strokes. Again the surform is not the best tool for banding. Use a planer. You don’t have to take deep cuts if you’re uncomfortable. The planer will give you the truest lines. The disc sander is the quickest way to ruin a blank if you’re inexperienced! aloha all!
what percentage of shapers (or, rather, could you name a few top dogs) who > take down their rails using only a surform - rather than using their > powerplanes?! Yo, I’ve seen Pat Mulhern, head shaper at Back Yard Boards (BYB) turn his top rails with ONLY a surform. In fact, that’s his preferred method. I had a brief stint as shaper there, and in my humble opinion, the guys working under him were better shapers, and preferred using their power planers. Even Pat, though, thinned the blank out considerably near the rail with only his planer, before turning the rail with the surform. I certainly wouldn’t call Pat a “top dog” though… some might disagree with me. Rock on http://www.albersbrothers.com
Try dragonskin on a wood block,it’s cleaner and quicker than a sureform.Herb.
Try dragonskin on a wood block,it’s cleaner and quicker than a > sureform.Herb. Also how about top foil(ruff) with planer, then use folded and glued 40 grit(full length strokes), some sanding block strokes to bring down high spots(if suspect), then screen. I use sureform to tuck under edge then screen. No hurry,no worry for the hobbyist.
I’m strictly a hobbyist kind of shaper - it sometimes takes me awhile to get it right but I use an electric planer for rough work, a long surform to knock down the high spots, a COARSE sanding belt cut to fit and contact cemented to a 1/2" thick X 4" wide by 18" long piece of “stall mat”. It’s dense rubber used to pad a horse stall! It bends nicely to crown rails but it’s rigid enough to do decks and bottoms too. Probably my favorite tool. I also use fine screen - loose sheets and wrapped around a soft piece of upholstery foam for finishing.
This is a fun topic. Like many things there are many ways to skin a cat and your method may work great for you but the next guy may know how to improve it. I started using a planer taking thin cuts then cleaning them up with a surform. Then I used only a planer. Then got daring and used a sander/grinder. Then went back to a planer. The sander/grinder takes alot of skill, isn’t that much faster if at all and gave me a problem with bumps in the rail because of the pad.