I’ve been following Swaylocks for about four years and cannot recall discussions relating to the trading of templates. Being a young shaper with a limited quiver of templates, I thought it may be a good time to raise the issue.
It would be cool to see some sort of network, even if loosely organized, where people could go to exchange information concerning the trading of templates. Possibly a part of this site? It could be as simple as listing what templates you are willing to trade and what types you are looking to acquire. I suppose there may be some discussion on how to best copy and send outlines and such, for those not familiar with the process. Similar to trading legal bootleg music; free association between people looking to help each other out.
This should not turn people away from creating their own outlines, but provide a way to share them.
It seems Swaylocks would be the perfect place to do it as this site is all about helping each other out. If there is not enough interest or Mike is not into it, I would still like to find a few select outlines. I have some really good noserider templates as well as a few random nuggets to trade. Right now I’m looking for a keel-style fish and a big Frye-type long log.
Anyone is welcome to my templates. Not that they are that great. I have keel type fishes and fish “hybrids” from 6 foot to 7’2". I’ll bring some to Syaylock’s gathering or if you live near Monterey we can get together.
template trading by mail, get a roll of butcher paper trace and cut the templates on that and mail them to each other. id be interested in trading stuff, mine is mostly performance stuff
Or possibly if there was a way to get templates on the computer, that would be awsome. I can print them on my HP inkjet plotter, or kinkos can plot templates also.
I think it is a good idea, just what format is the most functional for everyone.
can it ever be caught otside the heads of men… 1 . shape a rail til it looks right then template the sucker and then do the other rail to match from the template and by the way clean up the model rail too…do the hokey pokey and turn yorself about…that’s what its all about.
to copy a Rembrant or a Titian or perhaps a Turner or a Remington.means thet you have at best used them as a point of departure...You will not make a Rembrant,you will not make a Titian or a turner or a van Gogh...you will invariably make a piece made by yourself...the world awaits ...YOU not you playing your interpretation of Jackie Gleason or Tony Bennet or Timothy Bottoms,It awaits You as made by your genetic code combined with Your inspiration...I lent a guy a template one time drew the line and told him to straighten out the line and bring it back ...his friend , a shaper with an attitude of overwhelming self importance, stopped by with his own template material with a train of thought like ...that line you made was not clean enough MY daddy said when you do it you gotta do it right....him not knowing I was trying to encourage creative input from the copyist...the change of inclination of the tracing instrument will make the resultant curve distort, the wrinkle in the butcher paper will distort...all but the most sophisticated copying apperatus will distort the finest of naturally rendered curves..its all back to YOU,your curves,your interpretations and to lean on anothers copy of a copy of a copy is ludicrous...I have a friend that bought a Frank Lloyd Wright house plan for big money,he then modified the brains out of the darn thing and It WAS NO LONGER A FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOUSE...in fact all the water from the roof pours down over the entry way to the house...and the living room view windows are blocked by giant eves....frank lLloyd white would roll over in his grave if he was stopped at the pearly gates to answer for these indisgressions, you are the saving grace, you have all the curves whithin you... ambrose...I copyied a template once or twice but mine are better because I can live with annomalies in transcription
Master Ambrose is right,of course. I take curves from my boards,curves from friends boards, curves from wherever I can get them to make my own curves. My first board I tried to copy a Haut that I love. Got the template pretty close. Guess what? It did’nt ride anything like the Haut. Not even close. I still use those curves to make new curves.
From the first board to the freshest boards I make for myself include a crispy new outline or template…why? because I can. I’ll leave it up to my wandering eye do the copying. : )
I hear you Ambrose! What would surfing be if not for personal exploration and innovation? It is nice to be able to share though. To be able to draw your own outlines while incorporating others is a good thing. Ultimately, it comes down to what you do that matters. A great template guarantees nothing, but it sure can help.
A templet exchange is a great idea. It dosen’t mean that you are copying someone elses work, its can be used as a starting point for something new. A curve here, a curve there and you may be one to something new. A bit of advice, someone sent me three outlines on one piece of paper, and all of the lines crossed at some point. Keep one outline to one side of the paper and another to the other side of the paper and make sure that the lines don’t cross. Also roll the templets and send them in tubes and you won’t have to deal with creases in the paper.