Shaper's file Stupid Question

General Discussion
1

Ahoy Swaylockers!

Hope that I don’t win the Stupidest Question of the Day Award…and mods feel free to nuke this one.

If I were to acquire a shaper’s file for a board I like, and delivered it to one of New Zealand’s local builders with a CNC machine, would it be an easy job?

Thanks to the epiphany provided by my newly-acquired transtion era midlength hull, I want another one. The problem is that the one guy who has the chops to build one (Roger Hall) is too busy for more orders. Good thing for him!

Many thanks from New Zealand,

KK

2

I would talk to your local shapers and blank suppliers, find out who has a machine, then ask them what kind of file they want. And who can finish and glass it properly.

3

I think the more important question is should you. 

If the original shaper doesn’t give you the file and say have at it then it’s no bueno. 

If you take a shady file to a cutter and they make it and galsss it for you, shame on them. 

4

Wouldn’t dare commit or condone IP theft! No need to worry about shady files down here–despite Kim Dotcom living in NZ.

However, for the sake of argument, a widely-copied design from 50 years ago from a now-deceased shaper would scarcely be considered outright theft.

 A 3d scanner could make for a fascinating way to gather a usable file for reverse engineering a surfboard, or any other desired object I should add.

I’d add more but my concentration is being broken by my neighbour’s use of a leaf blower to clear his 3x3m section of astroturf he calls his garden.

5

Funny.

From an armchair perspective, it seems like a long way around the problem. I mean, surely there are other capable shapers besides Roger Hall? I guess if he’s the only skilled shaper on the entire island, then no wonder he’s swamped with orders. 

6

I’ve spent some time in a CNC shaping facility or two and received a couple of tips from people who know far more about it than I.  

A complete hi-resolution scan is not only time consuming but expensive.   Arguably not worth the effort or expense for a one-off project.  It was suggested to me that I simply take several outline measurements, rocker measurements, thickness measurements, etc. and plug them in to a shaping program - for the most part, the computer can fill in the blanks.  The tricky part with a hull of course will be the bottom contours but even that is not an impossible task if you know your way around a straight edge.  

The shaping programs with which I am familiar all have cross section design capabilities.  Use 'em.  Once the machine gets it close, a sanding block is pretty much all you need to get the rest.

The hardest part is getting the shaped blank from your rack to the glasser without smacking it around and damaging the poor thing.  

 

7

Your compass is broken, scanning someone else’s shape is shady. Sorry about that leaf blower, must be living hell.

8

Sadly, my comment regarding the use of a 3d scanner was misinterpreted. No drama. In my field, the use of the phrase ‘for the sake of argument’ is the normal qualifier for showing the other side of an argument while maintaining objectivity. This is done to arrive at a well-informed opinion or conclusion.

My query was in essence an issue of process. That is to say, how do things work?

Thanks to John Mellor for the thoughtful and informed comment.

And for those of you north of the equator, the compass still bears north down here.

9

Getting a decent file is the key. Preferably one that has been cut before.

Dodgy files abound in cyberspace with all kinds of issues that don’t show up in views (such as crossed end points) but throw the cutting path off in wierd ways.

There are more subtle problems such as wobbles and bumps in the outline and rails that are not obvious on screen but jump out like rams* balls in the full size cut.

So the guy who runs the machine may need to clean the file up for you. Lucky if you find a production guy who will do that for one-offs.

 

  • figured a Kiwi would understand :wink: