All of the six channels i’ve seen appear to have had the channels shaped straight forward, but i’ve been told that the correct way to do them is to toe them in so that they run parallel to the fins. I’ve also been told that there are only about 10 people in the world who can do them correctly, but i’d like to give it a try anyway. Can anyone give some design and construction tips on shaping channels? - how deep should they be? when during the shaping process do you do them? technique?
[=Blue]Aloha Tedd
Where and what kind of surf and size are you making this board for.
What is your size and what will be the general dimmensions of the board?
If you are replacing another board with this one what was it like? In other words, what are you used to
Fill me in on some more info and I can guide you along further.
Most importantly, I recommend a light purple tint glass job on the bottom!! Ha!!
“Most importantly, I recommend a light purple tint glass job on the bottom!!”
N-IC-E !!!
…do you do them on the THREE fin versions too , Bill ?
it would certainly be a 1970s single fin 6 channel colour …
…maybe with a nice OLIVE GREEN pigment deck eh ? [if the surf supplies guy has run out of kiddie pooh brown pigment by now ?]
yuk !!! [hahahah though ]
ben
hi again Tedd !
good on you for attempting one !
I look forward to seeing it …it’s something I’ve always wanted to shape , but the waves around here might not be ideal for it .
Anyways , I hope some of these threads may help you … [done by typing “channel bottoms” into the ‘advanced search’ facility to the left of the forum]
cheers mate !
ben
You need to finish off your board bottom before turning any of the rails. Plot out the fins positioning and lay-out where you want the channels to be. Lightly mark these out with a soft pencil so you won’t have a hard time removing them later. Start off with the center set, tape slightly inboard of the pencil lines (by doing this, when the tape is lifted the lines will still show) then with what tool you choose, start shaping in the pair of channels. I use my variable speed sander to do the rough out, then swith to a sanding block that is contour shaped just for channels. When you are satisfied with the first set, repeat with the next pair, covering the lines from the first pair and the lines on the next set. When done, go to the last and repeat the same process. It isn’t easy, even for the pros, so take your time and be one of the 10 in the world that get it right
I’m surfing in San Francisco, so i’m looking to make a board that can handle punchy (but not crazy huge) O B and some of the other spots with a little more control than what i’m on right now. It’s going to be a 6’3’’ rounded pin (pretty much a typical high-perform. shortbrd template), which is just barely a step up from my normal shortboard. So yeah, How deep should they be? spacing? toe in?
…and watch Kong’s Island for inspiration.
[=Blue]Aloha Tedd
Some things to consider besides the more obvious.
Channels especially the kind you are talking about will structurally stiffen up the board a lot. Like fan folding a dollar bill it will make it much more rigid. Imagine then folding 4 or 6 oz cloth.
Consequently you will need more rocker in the board than normal.
The lack of flex will require that rocker to be shaped more accurately for the waves ridden as the board can’t be flexed as easily to fit.
Where the channels will end will effect where the boards flex suddenly returns to normal, consider this positioning and also how you blend these 2 different areas of flex via tapering out the channels depth and ending pairs of them at different intervals rather than all at the same point. Lest the board break right where the channels end.
The increased bite of the channels will allow smaller fins to be used.
Typical depth is about 1/4" - 3/8"
Check out Alan Byrne of Byrning Spears http://www.byrningspears.com his channel bottoms are legendary as are Mike Croteau’s.
You will see some photos on Alan’s site that will work great as examples. Note his placement of the side fins among the channels, this is fairly standard.
thanks a lot for the Al Byrne link , Bill !
very interesting …
cheers ,
ben
Here are my channels done on a longboard, slighty toed in at the same angle as the fins.
Man, you must be one of the ten…
nice !
…and your glasser[s] and sander[s] / polisher[s] must be one / two of the 5 !
(rather them than me !)
ben
that thing is a beaut
Quote:
Some things to consider besides the more obvious.
Channels especially the kind you are talking about will structurally stiffen up the board a lot. Like fan folding a dollar bill it will make it much more rigid. Imagine then folding 4 or 6 oz cloth.
Consequently you will need more rocker in the board than normal.
The lack of flex will require that rocker to be shaped more accurately for the waves ridden as the board can’t be flexed as easily to fit…
snip
Wow, Bill. I always just assumed channels had to do with water flow & introduction of turbulence to reduce boundary layer drag…But of course, the flex bit makes a lot of sense.
I wonder if channels should go on the front 2/3 of a noserider and then disappear to allow the tail to remain engaged… You could then build the board thinner or lighter than usual for a log and gain back stiffness (paddleablity) from the channels…but let the tail flex around to drive your setup and your noseride.
Any thoughts?
Many thanks
Bill- thanks for sharing yr vast knowledge again. I’m certainly not shaping any channel bottoms (I would happily ride one) but the flex info is pretty damn interesting and seems so obvious now you explain it!
Sunset- that’s a wild looking board. As always, finished board photos and a rider report would be great for those of us trapped in a hellish flat/onshore spell.
Quote:
Here are my channels done on a longboard, slighty toed in at the same angle as the fins.
Aloha Greg
Nice photos… your getting good with that camera! Thanks for posting those pictures your boards as usual, look great, and those photos will really help Tedd and others.
Quote:
Quote:Channels especially the kind you are talking about will structurally stiffen up the board a lot. Like fan folding a dollar bill it will make it much more rigid. Imagine then folding 4 or 6 oz cloth.
snip
Wow, Bill. I always just assumed channels had to do with water flow & introduction of turbulence to reduce boundary layer drag…But of course, the flex bit makes a lot of sense.
I wonder if channels should go on the front 2/3 of a noserider and then disappear to allow the tail to remain engaged… You could then build the board thinner or lighter than usual for a log and gain back stiffness (paddleablity) from the channels…but let the tail flex around to drive your setup and your noseride.
Any thoughts?
Many thanks
Interesting thoughts Benny
Ask SunsetPoint AKA Greg to post some pictures of his channel bottom nose riders…
Quote:
Bill- thanks for sharing yr vast knowledge again. I’m certainly not shaping any channel bottoms (I would happily ride one) but the flex info is pretty damn interesting and seems so obvious now you explain it!
Sunset- that’s a wild looking board. As always, finished board photos and a rider report would be great for those of us trapped in a hellish flat/onshore spell.
Aloha Consfos
If you think of all the attributes that people commonly ascribe to channel bottoms and then consider those from the standpoint of stiffer flex… you will likely discover that all the commonly discussed attributes could easly be the result of the structural and form stiffness rather than the more commonly presumed water flow theories. I remember Tom Simms and I discussing this a zillion years ago, about how it also had a similar effect on Snowboard construction.
Kind of fun to get out of that group think mode and as Apple Computer says… “Think Different”
hey guys.
I am shaping a very short shortboard from an old board that i’ve stripped for the blank and left the channels that are in there.
The board has what i like to call a rounded diamond tail ?? lol it started out as a rounded pin but eventually ended up what muchly looks like
a daimond tail but rounded. Anyway, i havent got to glassing yet and was wondering if any of you have any helpful hints for glassing the channels?
Sorry for highjacking this thread but hopefully the info can help us both ??? 