Any tips for shaping a triple (or multiple) stringer board? Looking for all advice, including spacing of the stringers (board will be 23"), planing/sanding them, ripping the blank (EPS), etc.
Usually on boards between 20 1/2 inches and 21 inches wide. I will go 5 inches out on either side of the stringer for my additional stringers. On boards 19 1/2 inches wide I will go 4.75 inches out off the stringer. Additionally, you will get the best results if you use your planer as much as possible, especially when cutting in bottom contours like concave this will prevent you from getting lumpy high spots along that stringer and keep things way more flush and save you a massive amount of time in the end. I use a shapers barrel to keep things clean and not tear the foam. They’re awesome. Hope this helps.
I would never do a Triple in EPS. Most shapers would do Poly. A little misleading in your opening post. Almost sounds like you intend to glue up a Triple Stringer in EPS. Which I would never waist my time doing. Questions for you would be; Are you gluing a blank up from scratch? EPS or Poly? What wood or woods are you using for stringers? What spacing of stringers are you considering? A standard Three Stringer blank is six inch’s off center to the cut for outside stringers. If it’s Poly I can give you some good advice for shaping a Three Stringer. If it’s an attempt at EPS I got nothing for you.
Ya that spacing is subjective. A lot obviously depends on the board’s width and planshape. Something wider , fuller and more parallel 6” looks great but if it’s narrower or has more curve narrower can look great. Draw up your outline and draw the stringer lines on and see what looks good to you. Oss1 is right …go Poly, EPS will be a nightmare I hate that stuff.
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All I am saying is if you walk into Fiberglass Hawaii or Foam EZ and buy a Triple Stringer, the off sets will be at six inches as a norm. Off course I am talking longboard 8’ and over. If you custom order you can get anything you want. But unless specified otherwise; if you call up one of the big three and say send me a three stringer blank, six inch off center is what you would get. Unless ordered otherwise, That’s what they will send you. And I am not saying a three stringer EPS can’t be shaped. I’m just not the guy who’s gonna do it
The only tip you need to keep in mind on shaping any multi stringered blank is; Wood first. Take the stringer down first then bring the foam down to it. When you turn the rails, turn the stringer at the rails first, top and bottom. Then cut the the foam at the rail to match the wood stringer where it exits the blank. Wood first and you’ll have No problems. Use whatever you are comfortable with. The planer(blades or grit barrel)is fine. But for the inexperienced I recommend using a Stanley mini plane. Plane it down and tune it up by hand. Then match the rail to it.
Why is a triple stringer a waste for EPS? Is EPS already strong enough without it?
Shape one and find out.
Hey Dylan I don’t think he said a triple stringer is a waste for EPS, I think he said waste of time.
I once shaped an EPS blank triple stringer. I ordered the blank without stringer and cut it and added stringers. It was a pain in the butt, and the cut was not clean like it would be with poly. I used a wood stringer up the middle, and just wanted a resin pinline stringer for the outer two stringers, which I thought would look cool. But the pinlines looked so raggedy that I ended up covering them with a pinline.
The center stringer was salvaged from a favorite board, so it was a finished stringer glued into a raw blank. The board was shaped down to the stringer. Which I have done before, and worked out good. But only works on the center stringer.
I recently glued up triple stringers into a stringerless poly blank, I used plywood for the center stringer (which I really don’t like shaping a plywood stringer but it was what I had on hand) and fiberglass / black resin for the outer stringers.
“Raggedy” is a good way of putting it.
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Thanks, this is all super helpful! You have me thinking I should skip the triple stringer and maybe go with a couple cheater pinlines.
If you only want ultimate strengh don’t need 3 stringers. 1 stringer and beefier skins should be more effective for strength, probably not for breaking strengh but for dings, dents and fatigue for sure. Far easier to build too, one center stringer is not so easy to deal with but lateral stringer is way more complex, a good shaper nightmare 