I just received 3 of the transmedia publishing Design Kits. I got Design kit #1, 3 single fin templates for beachbreaks, reefbreaks and bigwaves designed by Carl Ekstrom; design kit #2, 2 fish twinzers, under and over 6’, designed by Topper Driggs; and design kit #4, the 6’0’’ shortboard thruster, designed by Topper Driggs.
Has anybody here got them? Have you used them? How did your boards came out? Which one did you like the most? I am having a hard time choosing which one to try first.
Miguel, I would like to know were you got the Transmedia Desgin Kits.
You can order them from http://transmediapublishing.com/site/pages/otherproducts.html.
Their great! you get 6 templates for the 3 design kits made by topper driggs and carl ekstrom. they cost $9.95 for each kit. You get the templates on paper and you can cut them and transfer them for which ever template medium you like (plywood, cardboard).
It is unfortunate that they only carry the templates i described. They should have more of them!
Hi Miguel
I have the transmedia design kit templates (live in the UK) they are a good starting point for anyone new to shaping. Made some good boards with them and have also used then as giant french curves to design my own planshapes (which leads to more spin templates to add to your collection). I’ve got a good range of templates now thanks to the design kits. Well worth having.
All the best and have fun
Andrew
“have also used then as giant french curves to design my own planshapes”
Hi Andrew!
I’m just curious, did you combine only the templates in design kit #1 or did you combine the others to? Like for instance, the fish with the shortboard, the shortboard with the reefbreak single fin, and so on…
Thanks!
Hi Miguel
Basically I mixed and matched all the templates within the design kits to come up with the required curve of the planshape.
On several occasions I also drew half planshape templates (on paper) by free hand then used different portions of the spin templates to get a more accurate curve over its entire length. This was then transfered to masonite or fibreboard to make a spin template.
I always make a paper template of the full planshape first as not all the curves will always fit together in a nice continuous curve. So you may have to do a bit of tweaking.
Try not to stick only to the design kits, they are a good starting point, but make your own templates as well. You’ll be suprised at how many you end up with in such a small space of time.
Basically if it looks good and its what you want, it will work. There’s no set rules for this in my opinion, just ensure all the curves flow nicely into each other.
Have fun and please let me know how it goes.
Andrew
First i am going to try to make the beachbreak single fin, just as it comes in the kit. I will start shaping this weekend or next monday, i will post the results here as i go along. Then i think i will try to make my one templates from the kit!
Thanks!
Hi Miguel
Sounds good, I’ve made afew 6’2" x 20" x 2 1/2" single fins from this template with a swallow tail 8" wide from tip to tip. They work really well and just cruise through wave sections with no loss of speed. So I think you will really like the finished board.
Definitely start to make your own templates its really satisfying when you design your own planshape and it works better than you ever thought it would.
Andrew
Did you use the tail template that come with kit #2 for the swallow tail?
My swallow tail measured 8" tip to tip and 2" into the board. For a couple of boards (they where all the same dimensions) I used just a straight line from the tip of the tail to the stringer and for a couple of others I used the very slight curve from the nose section of the big wave template.
(place the tip of the big wave template onto the 2" mark and line the curve up to the tip of the swallow tail).
This was due to the personal preference of the customers involved, but having ridden both types, I did not feel much difference between the two styles as far as actual performance goes. But others might.
Just remember not to cut the swallow tail (or a fish tail for that matter) out until you have finished using your planer and the board is nearly completed. Otherwise if you cut out the tail at the early stages of shaping you may end up knock off or damaging the tips of the tail (fragile and the best of times).
Andrew
Hey Miguel, i’m galizian, i live in Vigo and i have a good friend who lives near you in Cascais. It’s great to see “a neighbor” in Swaylocks.
I’ll search for your beachbreak singlefin the next time i’ll visit your area!
Good waves!
Coque:
It’s very good to see someone from Europe here, from Spain even better, and especially from Galiza!
When ever you drop by, tell me maybe we can catch some waves! 
Iberian surf rules!!!
Here are some photos of the templates attached to this post.
photo # 1 is the Beachbreak and reefbreak single fin templates by Carl Ekstrom, and the 6’0’’ thruster by Topper Driggs.
photo # 2 is the under 6’ fish template by Topper Driggs with the corresponding tail template.
photo # 3 is the big wave single fin template by Carl Ekstrom and the over 6’ fish template by Topper Driggs. These two are not glued to the template medium yet, becouse i couldn’t find a piece of cardboard big enough!!!
Hey check out the board in this interview of Topper Driggs, a link which was posted here at Swaylocks :
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20041026-9999-lz1s26surf.html
What size of board, or what is the rest of it looking like? Anyone here surf one or see it surfed?
