question on shaping...

[kitesurfer]

Get yourself some drywall sandpaper (aka dragon skin) 80 grit. This is best for doing the rails. You can get it from b and q.

Having trouble finding those dvd's at the mo karl. Will keep looking though.

KS

[tomcat360]

Yeah I do all my rails with a 10.5" surform. Then hit it will drywall paper to blend the bands.

Are you just eyeballing it? If you want to learn how to do rail bands perhaps I'll do a little write up.....it's very easy and very exact. Takes a little bit more time and like another 3 dollars....but it will get you within 1/16" if you do it right. Also you can draw it out on paper and get a really really good idea of what you are about to make.

And I like some somewhat used up dry wall paper, then the edge won't bite (D'oh!)

[gixer]

hi.yeah just eyeballing it,ordered the resin today as well,and got a freind who shapes hopefully comng over at the weekend to give me a few pointers..............right,im gona do some sanding

[tomcat360]

You should really do rail bands.....eyeballing it might get you within a 1/2".

[gixer]

ok,ill be intrested to hear about that,i may have gone to far to make much change now,ill see what my freind sayes.im trying to get some photos up but no sucses so far.

[tomcat360]

If you thought they were chunky to begin with it's no problem. I'll make some drawings in Illustrator and see what I can do.

[gixer]

so i could still improve it? good ill hold the glassing off for a while.....

[tomcat360]

Start off with a piece of graph paper. Measure out the thickness of your board, going up and down on the paper. Make a box, going as far as you want the crown to go in the width direction, and the thickness of your board in the middle.

Now you have a box. The width direction represents how far the crown will go into the board. The height, represents the thickness of your board in the middle. (I know this is poorly written and repeats a lot). The top, represents the top of the board.

Now, grab a ruler.

Make a line from the left side of the box, and make it go to the top. After that one, make a line from your first line, going to the deck of the board. From line 2, make a line to the top of the board. Etc etc, as shown below.



Now, you have a general shape of a rail. In actual size. So, you can take actual measurements off of this. Measure the distance from the bottom of the board, to the bottom of line 1. Then measure from the top edge of the board(top left corner), to the top of line 1. Using a rail band tool, mark along the entire length of the board, both of those measurements. Now you have one line on the side of the board, and one on the deck. Using a surform, trim down until the two lines are barely visible. The cut should be flat from both lines.

Here is an example of the first cut.



Keep doing it. Except you are now going to be measuring from the cut part, to the top of the deck.

Finish them all off. Then make a tool called a "fred". It's pretty much a piece of wood with a 30 deg angle cut along the length. Then you nail a 5.5 inch surform blade to it ( dont knock the nails in too hard, it will crack the blade, and you have to buy a new one)

This is a bad picture but I am not near mine to take a picture. Anyone feel free to put a better one up.


Run that along the bottom rail. But stop about 20" from the tail to create a hard edge.

Now finish up with some drywall paper, blending in all those cuts. Count how many passes you do (all the way from tip to tail!!!consistent pressure!) on each side and then do the same amount on the other side. Keep the edge up so it won't bite.





The rail band tool has to be square in one end, and you need to somehow attach a moveable marker/pencil/etc on it. I use an adjustable combination square, with two holes drilled in the ruler part, with a pencil wire tied on to it. Make sure the pencil is sturdy.



That's an adjustable combination square. With this, you can just extend the ruler and make the pencil go further out. However, do not go by the markings on the ruler, measure it out yourself.

[gixer]

thanks for that,i can kind of see what you mean,like tracing the countours of a mountain and shaping to them?

[tomcat360]

Yeah I think I got your drift. Sorta like that.

And I forgot to say, the bottom has to be square with the edge. and the bottom has to be perfect and flat. Use a long (flat) piece of hardwood with a 36 grit belt nailed to it.

[parrysurf]

the glass is not thick. shape your board to the dims you want, and you will hardly notice thickness added by glass.

Get on that other rail quick....so you can duplicate your process to get matching rails.

When I shape, I do the same step to one side then to the other...not each side to completion. I find doing them together, a step per side at a time, keeps symmetry easier.

good luck.

[billie_morini]

Oh, it's about shaping. I thought it was about shopping

[gixer]

its all becoming clear(er) i spent a bit of time improving the rails this morning(there was a bit of a wobble as you looked down on side,i think this is becose i didnt take enough care squreing the rails after i cut the board to shape ) anyhow,im gonna make a (fred) today at work and re cut the rails tonight. so just a few questions,i take it fred is run along the bottom of the board.
i can have the rail going as far in towards the stringer as i want?
ive got a book on shaping as well so ill have a look at that today as well,it does mention a fred,but i think it suggests that you plot lines on the top of the board and go to that,i think i like the idea of the rail band tool better though.
once again thank you and keep the good ideas coming

[kitesurfer]

I don't get on with fred personally, i just use a surform.
Is that your shaping room in the photo tom?

KS

[tomcat360]

Nope I just grabbed it off swaylocks.....I dont know where all my pictures are.....

Plus I havent shaped in like 6 months.....

[gixer]

ok,i got home and decided to re shape the rails,i brought it much further into the deck and looks all the better for it
i promised myself i wouldnt try and glass it yet,but i just couldnt wait so i went for it,good call on the mask/gloves....feckin visous stuff
so i glassed the bottom,all seems well but ive had trouble with the fish tail,i hope to sort that when i do the deck,suggestions as always are welcome.i found glassing it fairlly easy,im a plasterer by trade so i guess that helped me spread it,i got it pretty even and used a brush to help touch up the rails.ill sand the deck tommorow morning ready to do the deck.its been a lot of learning,and ive enjoyed it
one more question for now,mrs gixer has pointed out it looks boring without colour and stuff i belive i can put decals on the deck before i glass it,can i use ordanry vinal type stuff?

thanks people ....gixer

[gixer]

too late,ive glassed te deck.....hot coat tommorow,do i still havea chance of colour ? anyone???

[isaluteyou]

you can tint the hot coat with pigment im always suspicous if a board is tinted though makes me think they fecked up the glassing and hiding it with the hotcoat tint

[gixer]

[gixer]