Lets face it one of the most important tools of any shaper are the stands.
I have shaped off of garbage cans, milk crates and a cardboard box all with some limited success.
I went out and spent the money to buy a burro brand saw horse and made my own stands but they what I built is still more rickety then I like so to tthat end what do you shape and glass off of?
I see people with the 5 gallon mud bucket 4x4 and plywood v shaped method as well the question is how much effort do you put into your shaping/glassing stands?
Ben, I know your dilemma. I shaped off of semi-rickety stands for a few years. Then I had a welder make some good ones that I bolted to the concrete floor of my garage. (Well, it used to be a garage). The great advantage to stable stands is that they don’t move when you apply force from sanding. I think it’s easier to make accurate passes with the sanding screen, planer, and sandpaper when things aren’t moving around. Doug
Doug really hit the nail on the head. Wish i had the advantage of indoor workspace and some bolted stands.
I just finished shaping my first board using slightly uneven bucket stands on uneven concrete. Man, was it a BITCH. Not only was building them a pain, but the board and the stands tend to move constantly. Thus, using a hand planer was really not an option - and i had to focus more on the moving stands / board than the actual shaping. Makes it super easy to damage the foam.
But it was all worth it. And I’m eager as hell to make my next board. Hopefully someday i’ll have the advantage of a nice shaping room.
I wish I could turn my garage into a workshop. Alas, living in a townhome I gotta be able to get cars in there.
My stand isn’t quite as simple as a 4x4 in a concrete bucket but it does have the advantage of being adjustable, fairly sturdy, and it knocks down easy and stores well.
Ok, now my newbie question… what is with the blue walls in shaperooms? Does the blue color give you a mellow shaping disposition or does it absorb extra reflected light? c’mon lemme in on the secret!
The blue walls are there so you can clearly see any bump, dip or inconsistency in your foam during the shaping process. I have a friend that has road side green ones. Basically the color on the walls provide the contrast against the white foam you are carving. Combind with level, shaded fluorecent lights at the proper height blue walls seem to work best when trying to create a flawless product.
I agree with the rack thing also…you could shape a blank with a cheese grater as long as you have sturdy racks. It’s the most important tool. Do some drawing, measuring , and designing then go to the metal supply store and have them cut out all you pieces. Usually you can operate from the scrap bin. Then have someone weld it all up or do it yourself. I pored a narrow slab in my shaping shack then sunk foundation bolts in the concrete so I could shim mine up and bolt them down tight. The key is getting them level.
Whether it’s blue or green or whatever, it’s a solid color to help with seeing the contours. Blue seems to be the color of choice though. It’s the lights at board level that make the most difference. If you’ve ever been in a shaping bay and seen a board with and without the side lights, you’ve seen that it makes a huge difference in how well you can see bumps and contours.
I wish I could turn my garage into a workshop. Alas, living in a townhome I gotta be able to get cars in there.
My stand isn’t quite as simple as a 4x4 in a concrete bucket but it does have the advantage of being adjustable, fairly sturdy, and it knocks down easy and stores well.
