If I had a skil 100 would I become a better shaper? I'm serious. If I had a better tool would I become a better shaper? I use 2 modified Hitachis. Mike
I’m afraid not… Otherwise, I would have…
Refining my comment here: actually any good tool will HELP you become a better shaper, of course. But it won’t MAKE you a better shaper. I think that only one thing can make you a better shaper: the number of boards you shape. Just like in all crafts, the best (usually, there are always exceptions) are those who have been at it for a very long time. Watching “masters” working is what helps the most, IMHO. Tools are secondary (even if important). There’s something mythical about the Skil 100 and it sure is a wonderful tool (at least for longboards: the base plate is a bit long for shortboards) and, yes, owning one probably adds something to your shaping skills (just like you usually surf better with a board you like, aesthetically speaking). I mean, beside the strict functionality of the tool there certainly is some psychological force at work here. Something like the feeling of belonging to some kind of elitist club, you know. You just need to take that lightly, not think it’s really true…
You can use any planer and the result would be the same.Cheap planers last less than a pro one and they have a not so confortable position for the hand while working.What can make a difference is the quality of materials you use.Even so I don't think that everyone can make a good shape.It's all about skills...like in painting. if you follow a course you can do something that looks just fine, but if you have art in your blood your artworks will look amazing!
A poor craftsman blames their tools.
I don’t have a Skil because I enjoy the challenge of shaping with inferior tools.
Plus, I’d have nothing to blame my shoddy work on.
“Yup… gotta be the planer.”
Aloha Rooster
A skilled craftsman could shape foam using almost any tool and still create, in the end form, what he intended to. And someone unskilled will continue to create junk regardless of the tools used. On the other hand, in the current surfboard building world a person with no craftsman type of hand skills can create excellent boards if they are using a computer and a shaping machine. So tools do matter and they should be matched to the users skills, goals and expectations.
I think a Skil 100 will allow most any committed shaper to be better and faster if they are hand shaping surfboards. At the same time, I am not saying that those not using one will, will be worse. That is a battle I am not interested in. But the Skil has 2 important design features that allow it to rise above all competitors. While there is much to say about this, I don’t have time at the moment, so here is the short version.
The easy, fast, simple and ergonomically well suited adjusting lever is the best. And the angle of sliding shoe allows the shaper to feel and sense, in his hand, the contours the planer is sliding over. And that same hand has control over the cutting depth via the adjusting lever such that tiny to huge adjustments can be made spontaneously and with very little effort or disruption to one’s concentration and creative flow.
To fully appreciate these 2 features, in the Skil 100, requires understanding their use and developing a system that maximizes their value in one’s shaping process. For example, if one has a habit of setting the depth of each cut in advance and using that depth from the start to finish of each cut, then a free moving, variable depth adjustment, would be of little value to them and would probably make the Skil 100 seem like nothing more then an overhyped, expensive status symbol. In fact, they might probably prefer a tight, hard to move, adjusting knob that had little chance of changing during the cut.
On the other hand, if one likes to have a tool that can quickly adjust to their creative flow and do so continuously to very fine degrees, then I don’t think there is any tool on the market that can match the Skil 100. There are certainly a few improvements that could be made like, more power, more rpms, lighter weight, and a third blade in the drum. Had shaping machines not come along I am sure someone would have redesigned the Skil 100 or made a new one from scratch that would be ideal for hand shaping.
So to specifically answer your question Rooster… Yes the Skil 100 will allow you to become a better shaper, if you can rise to the challenge of using the tool to it’s greatest potential. If you aren’t going to do that, you might as well stay with what you have now and buy a bunch of practice blanks with the money you saved.
Wow Bill… You make me think about getting one. 
Have looked yet; but any news on your glassing method to put a board back together?
I have a Bosch planer, but haven't used it to fully shape a board yet. My skills at using this power tool just aren't there. I made two wooden boards before jumping to foam. When I started shaping foam boards I used a 12" surform and a sanding block to make my rail bands. Beforehand, I read through the entire thread where Bill Barnsfied explained rail bands. I took my time, and drew lines on the board to mark exactly where I wanted to remove material. Through this experienced I learned that you don't need expensive power tools to make a nice looking board. In fact, I think that going slow with hand tools at first helped me appreciate the skill that it takes to use a power planer correctly. I realized that the adjustment knob on my Bosch was way to stiff -- which Bill alluded to above. There are a few threads on Swaylock's about modifying the Bosch planer for shaping. Some day I'll have to reread them, and make it a project to modify my planer (or just buy a Skil 100). Until then I'm stuck with my surform.
On the other hand, in the current surfboard building world a person with no craftsman type of hand skills can create excellent boards if they are using a computer and a shaping machine
Hey bill, just having close tolerance blanks makes a big difference. The best board i have made is the one that had the least amount of modifying to the rocker, ie, i didn't change the rocker by cutting the blank way down ( like i did on another board, d'oh! ), and i didn't cut too much from the width of the blank, so the foil is reasonable close to what it naturally was. I only make them for me though, and all the professionally boards i have are waaaaaaay better, but it does feel good when i have a great surf on a board i made myself, or maybe a board that i templated, and finished the rails, then glassed haha.
Although i learn from each board, i have no doubt that i would never be able to make even something close to a professional board, no matter what tools i had.
I think being a backyarder makes you appreciate how much work goes into getting a board right. There are so many factors to think of, and then you have to blend them all together to make them work.
Hats off to you all!!
Thanks for the responses so far. I've probably built 60 to 65 boards. All by hand using the Hitachi's. Computer shapes do not interest me. I consider myself a beginning board builder. The quality of my shapes has leveled off and I don't seem to be getting better. Balsa's advice of watching a master shaper is excellent and I think about it all the time. Anyone volunteer? I know how to stay out of the way and keep my mouth shut.
Bill's comments kind of get me where I'm going. I've noticed a very subjective difference in the quality when using relatively cheep stuff compared to high quality items. I've noticed this in everything from paint brushes to cutting with swords. If my technique is assumed to be the same, but the tool is better, then why is the outcome better? Will a better tool result in a better outcome? Of course, I understand there is a learning curve for any new tool. Hope this makes sense. Mike
no…i have both…the skills i have(a 550 and a 750) are no match for my hotrodded hits.
not to bend bill’s ears the wrong way…
in my opinion the hits are a better foam mower than a skill.
but if you want to pay the $$$,moving slower on your cut and don’t mind 3xs the weight…you’re in !
herb
No. If your Hitachi’s are the modified versions the skill isn’t going to help a bit. It’s every bit as adjustable as the skill… it’s lighter and you can easily get replacement/service parts. That old silver brick sits on my floor eating the dust my green one’s spit.
It is your artistic eye that leads a tool and if you don’t see it no tool can help you.
Aloha Herb
I understand your points. One of these days I am gonna stick a hitachi motor on an old Skil! Or build an angular sliding shoe on a Hitachi!
Aloha BoardDesign
I checked out your site, nice work you are doing!
The main thing I don’t like about the Hitachi is the fact that the shoe is adjusted via a vertical screw mechanism.
What I really like about the skil is that the shoe is connected via the angular slide mechanism. As the Skil is moving along the blank, the angular slide activates very easily on any irregularities in the foam and transmits this info into my hand well since it is wrapped around the shoe and also holds the adjusting lever.
Because the Hitachi uses a vertical screw mechanism to adjust the shoe, any sensations from irregularities in the foam must be turned 90° which, I feel, dampens the sensations, if not eliminates them completely. And any irregularities in the foam had to be substantially bigger to have any hope of activating the vertical screw mechanism with anywhere near the sensitivity that an angular slide can.
I agree with you totally about the lightness of the Hitachi though. The Skil is a brick and a half for sure!
Well said, I agree that an “artistic eye” is very important but I also like to “FEEL” the form through the tool. Clearly, the Hitachi is working well for you though… keep up the nice work!
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The Skil 100 seems to have a mythical status amongst American shapers. Like the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 amongst bootleggers, or something...
I understand Bill on the point of the "Sliding wedge"...I have had a "Ryobi" (When they were still quality) that used this adjustment mechanism...And I routinely adjust the depth mid-stroke even with the vertical adjustment of my Dewalt or Makita.
But...
In 25 years shaping I have never seen a Skil 100, nor seen or known an Australian shaper who used one.
I feel thats all that needs to be said, really!
Josh
Yes they do! Now that most surfboards are well matured products and the variables between similar models is small, it is possible to make blanks that are very close to the finished products. It makes shaping way easier, especially for those unfamiliar with hacking out original designs from huge blocks of foam like the old blanks were. Do you think overall shaping skills have suffered because of this though? You know, since a lot of what had to be figured out, doesn’t have to be figured out anymore.
Never say never! Ha!
Yep! That’s the challenge and also the seduction into the addiction.
PeteC, the shaping world awaits the completion of your tool project. (Have I raised the stakes for you?. Ha)
I started back on the Makita project a couple of weeks ago, but can’t devote attention full-time. Bill’s comments on using the Skil with the depth adjustment completely loose are absoutley correct; if you don’t change depth on-the-fly it is of no value to you. However, if you were to get private instruction from a real master shaper (+50K boards) you would be taught using the Skil as Bill described. It would be impossible for many of these guys to relate shaping technique using another planer. This is the cult of the Skil; if you have one and really know how to use it, it implies that you were taught by the best.
…the Skill is not good as a small Hitachi in under 6 potato chips…
the Big Hitachi is not good too (for that)
-Rooster, I think totally different than the others
if you learn the hard way, with not so precise tools or using a not modified big planer (very difficult to do the rails in smaller boards) or bigger planer to shape small curved board, etc
you ll see how good you turn in not so many shapes
-PeteC,
50000! is too much
I bet my house that nobody really HAND shaped more than that
I know many that say that shaped 20000 - 30000 or so, but really never FULLY shaped those, LESS build all the board + fins + finish
also, people who shaped a lot like Becker…I do not want a Becker board
lot of mistakes in the designs, etc
lot of production shapers round the world shaped thousand and thousands, but the shapes aren t so good
lot of mistakes in the rails and in the bottom (you know they need to go fast to shape lots per day)