I am trying to build a board with deck grooves (used to grab the board in the air) set off the deck about 2" from the rail. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to shape these grooves that follow the rail line.
Thanks
Bill
Yes. Either a surform with a convex blade or simply use a piece of broom-handle (cut to whatever length suits you best) with heavy-grit paper on it (like 40).
Broom handle would be to large for a short board. I use a pencil wrapped in sandpaper.
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I am trying to build a board with deck grooves (used to grab the board in the air) set off the deck about 2" from the rail. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to shape these grooves that follow the rail line.
Thanks
Bill
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I have a compass that I use to mark railbands. Once the board is finish shaped I'll mark each side from the rail line so they are equal side to side. Then I use a 3/4" deep socket wrapped in 60 grit.
The trick is to start very slow and follow your line. If you hold your finger along the rail edge you can use it as a guide as you push the sandpaper. Just do a series of very slow light passes until you have a clean groove. Once you get a good track then sand away.
To smooth the edge for laminating I'll go over the groove with a foam pad and 150 screen.
Ditto to DMP’s method.
After I lay out the lines with a compass, I use it or scribing dividers and scribe a shallow groove into the foam, this guides the sanding tube nicely…
I use AAA, AA, C, even D size batteries to wrap the sandpaper around…
DMP's putting you on the right trail. For your first shot at it, you might even tape off to keep things under control. As he said, the key is to go slow at first and get a ''track'' to follow as you deepen. I use a very small (3'') disc rolled almost into a tube to get it started. Whatever the tool, it has to be short to get the ''groove'' to match the outline curve. Once I get the ''track'' going I'll switch to a soft piece of #80 screen and just use my fingertips to push it down. Long strokes with lighter presure at the ends and it only takes a few minutes.
We have, and will always use a slow speed router with a 1 inch round bit with a guide. We do it before the rails are rounded. 1 pass full length at about 1/4 inch, then go 12 inches towards center, and 12 inches from tail go deeper between those 2 points, another 12 inches deeped so on, another i2 so on.
To clean it all up 50 grit wrapped around cleaned up nose scrap since it has a natural curve to ut already that follows the shortboard outline pretty well
Not the only way, but our way 15 years
Blake Case taught me to do it that way. His method
be resourceful, find something approx the thickness of the grooves, not too long so you can do the curved line of the rails and cover with sandpaper or gauze and go for it....maybe do a test on some scrap..... remember it has to be glassed......
I can only add a few pics of the grooved rails Im doing now....
I draw a lot of lines and marker dots. Dont forget to include the fading in and out of the grooves.
Sounds like all you need is a groove-sanding jig. You can easily make one from scrap foam and appropriate diameter dowel. Wrap the dowel with sandpaper, glue to a scrap of foam cut with a 90deg notch the desired distance from the bottom of your board . . . BAM! Even depth grooves, perfectly spaced within the rails. Now who wants to glass that bad-boy?
Could we expand this into some "groovy" glassing tips as well?
Dave D