Some AKU Shaper questions

General Discussion
1

I’m a first time shaper who is trying to carve a surfboard 1:15 model out of a piece of Cypress wood. 

I know you like photos here on Swaylocks, so here we go, my first surfboard build, half-shaped HAHA! 

The Nugget is still in the block of wood, I just need to get it out.   

This first board build of mine has nothing much to do with my questions about AKU Shaper, other than that I want to pre-empt Bill’s advice to make a masonite template first and get some hands-on experience. Good advice, and even the attempt to shape a 1:15 model gives some insight into the difficulties of accurately shaping a surfboard. I never before realised how thin they are compared to their length and widths, although I spend a lot of time riding them! 

So, rather than going down the lengthy road of learning to hand-shape, I want to design a board on the computer, then send it to someone with a shaping machine (or in the not-so-far future, a large 3D printer) and let them build the board for me.

Now to the AKU Shaper questions:

When I sign up for a monthly plan (minimum $7.-) so that I can save files, will the files be saved on my computer or on the AKU Shaper server? In other words: Will I still be able to access the board files created during the paid for period after I stop paying? 

Can I send the files to a shaper with a machine at any time later on, without having to re-register and pay fees to AKU Shaper? 

Will I be able to open the files and look at them and edit them, without current subscription, if I don’t want to save the edited file? 

If I end up with a particularly nice surfboard design file, which is unsaved while not subscribed, can I quickly subscribe and save the file before shutting AKU shaper down?

Has anyone here succeeded installing AKU Shaper in Linux? Their website Login - AkuShaper Web App claims it is possible, but the link to the Linux/Generic .jar file leads to an error message:

<Error><Code>NoSuchKey</Code><Message>The specified key does not exist.</Message><Key>releases/v2.2.7/AkuShaper.jar</Key><RequestId>289EE1ABA0CF27F2</RequestId><HostId>eEWMnkI+m7fYt2VdCY4GZIj+xvjN7tEGI7mHeyOvKkSn2NtFqbDymqsyLAKK6lJQ</HostId></Error>

I hate having to boot into Windows, but can if really needed. The AKU Shaper .exe installed and runs nicely in Windows 7.

Thanks for any help with this!

Mik

 

2

I answered some of the questions by just signing up and testing it:

The answer to the questions below is YES:

When I sign up for a monthly plan (minimum $7.-) so that I can save files, will the files be saved on my computer or on the AKU Shaper server? In other words: Will I still be able to access the board files created during the paid for period after I stop paying? 

Can I send the files to a shaper with a machine at any time later on, without having to re-register and pay fees to AKU Shaper? 

Will I be able to open the files and look at them and edit them, without current subscription, if I don’t want to save the edited file? 

If I end up with a particularly nice surfboard design file, which is unsaved while not subscribed, can I quickly subscribe and save the file before shutting AKU shaper down?

The question about installing AKU Shaper in Linux remains - anyone who succeeded with that?

Cheers, Mik

3

Hello MrMik-This appears to be a missing file error returned from Aku’s server.  If you look at the older versions, those jar files are available. Email the Freese boys and give them a good-natured hard time about this.

Don’t let that little piece of wood discourage you from giving the hand-shaping process a try.

4

Boardcad uses the same file format and it’s free (at least, so far)

I’m not sure those machines can turn out a 5" long board or what that piece of wood will look like if they do.  How do you feel about using a sanding block and some 40 grit sand paper and physically shaping the wood blank on your own (hence the term “shaper”)?    Add in a Dremel or other small rotary tool to speed things up.  

5

Thanks, gdaddy!

I am hand-shaping the model (with a variety of tools including Dremel). The software and shaping machine are intended to be used for a full size board.

I have to try Boardcad again, I did give it a go a few months back but it did not seem to give me much joy. Cannot remember what went wrong, might just have been my inexperience. Now, the blasted thing will not start to run because the file location has changed (or rather the name for the partition). I reinstalled it, but I get some error message that Java Security has blocked the “self signed application”.

So Boardcad should be able to open files created in AKU Shaper?

 

6

Thanks jrandy, I am in contact with them. The 2.2.3 link to the .jar file did indeed work, I mean I was able to download it, but I have not been able to get it to run, yet. Some stuff about security settings, which I changed so the file is now ‘executable’, but it’s still not running. I’ll get there eventually.

Might build a hollow wooden board one day, if I understand it correctly, some software can generate templates for the pieces once I have a file that describes the shape I want.

I think it might also be possible to get cardboard pieces laser-cut to make one of those cardboard frame boards with cloth and resin on the outside.

7

Here we go, the model board is coming along nicely. It is still double as thick as it should be, could pass as a SUP: