Hi all,
I’ve just started my latest build, another mid-length based on a previous build that I was really happy with. As part of the build, I’m planning to add a pair of cedar stringers on either side of the centre one, which is already in place. I was just wondering, does anyone apply any science to where they place the two outside stringers, or is it done purely on what looks best to the individual shaper?
Side stringers, besides the good look, tend to stiffen the rails, which is the weak part where breaking in half starts to occur; Placement of the side stringers should then be nearest to the rail but also work for most of the rail length. Practically, this means that placing side stringers at equal distance from center and the rail is a good option.
But surely it’s only an equal distance from the rail and the centre at the widest point, or at least a single point, along the length of the board, assuming that you’re placing them parallel to the centre stringer. Unless, that is, you have a rectangular board.
Would you say, then, that the best placement would be at the midpoint between rail and centre at the widest point of the board?
I can check on this tomorrow AM, but if I remember right the old Clark Foam Three Stringer Blanks were a standard six inches off center unless custom ordered otherwise. Lowel
“Would you say, then, that the best placement would be at the midpoint between rail and centre at the widest point of the board?”
Exactly. That’s what I tried to achieve on this gun several years ago. But doing curved cuts in the blank and then fitting stringers to these curves was such a hell of of a work that I never ever did it again; but I’m still convinced that it would be the best set-up. Also very aesthetically pleasing.
For some reason, I seem to remember that Clark offset the stringers 7” off of the center stringer.
Well I’ve got a shaped 3 Stringer 10’1Y sitting on my glassing stand. I’ll just have to check tonite. How’s that?
US Blanks are 6” off set. I know that 100% for sure. I know that the first time I bought a couple of Clark’s at Fiberglass Hawaii Maui, they mentioned that they were 6” offset. I remember thinking that it seemed they would be off center more than that. But if you think about it; That is 12” total and the average longboard Blank is 24 or 25”. So each offset stringer is set at about 1/3 of the blank.
Wow, as always Balsa, that board is magnefique! I imagine that it would have a fairly unique flex pattern too because of the alignment of the stringers. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the intel McD.
So they’ve effectively divided the blank into four, separated at regular intervals with a stringer. Makes sense I suppose. It’s when the shaper measures up the finished board’s width that the unequal spacing occurs i.e. if the finished board is only 21" wide, then the outside stringers will now be 4" from the rail, but still 6" from the centre.
I guess the trick is to have them spaced so that they extend for the maximum length achievable, so they actually serve their intended functional purpose (nose-tail strength), while still managing to look pretty.
I believe you are correct.
Put em where ever the heck you want.
True. Just a point of reference.
SO whadda topic…
the three stringer craze of signature models was a STUDY
the coolest renditiion of the ‘offset’ variable was a facination.
Upon the heads of the ‘My favorite star in hermosa’
entertained justifications constructed on the fly.
the leader of the facination was the 'baby’prophet
Phil Edwards.he did it for weight
two boards for the north shore I believe
surfing hollow days shows a cameo shot of the two
I seem comfortable to believe
those two boards were heavy.
four 12’’ redwood stringers on one
all offset of center…
when the ''Me Too ''wave of signature models followed we saw
each mfg try a distinctive offset to make their model Identifiable from twenty feet away…
the Phil hobie was 6’’
the hynson was seven 'so was the takeyama
the doyle was three…?
and then the greatest stringer maven of all time was gordie
his ‘’‘you cant touch this was the M.C. hammer award winning champ of all time’’
if gordie wasnt a shop teacher,he shoulda been…
curved stringers intersecting multiples…
so as the man says do it anyway you like
weight way out on the rails will have a form of stablizing effect.
the more wood yo add the smoother the ride.
and the more sherpas you will have to hire to carry your board…
…ambrose…
this is a job for a photo archive teleporter
the thousand words per picture
are in order… captain picard would say
to the photo guy on the bridge
‘‘make it so’’
Testify brother Ambrose!
A wealth of information embedded in lyrical verse.
I’m moving towards the “put it wherever the hell you want” school of thought, with a notion that the golden ratio might be a worthy fallback position.
Cheers all!
As an FYI, Joe Roper owns a Phil Edwards personal board, that Phil shaped in 1965, when I was also shaping for Hobie. The board has solid rails, (Redwood 4 x 4’s) for the reason stated by Ambrose, above. Beautiful egg rails, hand sculpted with a block plane. The board was glassed by Bobby Patterson, and sanded by his brother Ronald Patterson. Truely a work of surfboard art.
Bet that’s an awesome board. Piece of history right there. Flecky used to do the occasional Balsa railed board.
