Monday, October 31, 2011

Future and Present Design Details

The new Sharp Eye in the planning stages (dimension visibility off)

The Sharp Eye with dimensions

The Sharp Eye traced. This design is for my buddy, not me!

My current 7'8 Dumpster Diver thickness and rocker

The 7'8 Dumpster Diver

7'8 Dumpster Diver dimensions

The Channel Islands Dumpster Diver traced

My rail shape and deck flat zone at the mid point

12 comments:

CT said...

DW,

getting it on paper is one thing, getting it and holding the dim on the blank is something else, do you hand shape it or is it cut on a machine?

I am still amazed on the boards you have created.

Great Job
ct

NC Paddle Surfer said...

I hand shape. It's much easier than you might think. Shapers don't just wing it. They measure and bevel the blanks at precise angles to get the contours.

The board doesn't end up symmetric with artistic skill, but more with careful planning, cuts, then blending it all out.

There are many great how to videos out there done by some top shapers. If shaping interests you, I can recommend a few.

NC Paddle Surfer said...

It's the back yard shapers who think they can do it without taking the time to study and learn before jumping into it that make it appear beyond the average joes skill.

I bought lots of videos and spent a year reading the shapers forum before even thinking I could do one.

CT said...

No, I dont plan on Shaping, the last board I shaped was about 38 years ago in Middle school, that was my summer project, I remember I had a hard time with the nose and tail. I think I will just stick to riding them and reading your blog

Aloha

srfnff said...

The Sharp Eye is sweet! Great design. What did you get for thickness and volume? (Sorry if I missed it in the post.)

NC Paddle Surfer said...

The Sharp Eye is 4" thick and 95 Liters

srfnff said...

What do you figure the floor is on thickness and volume?

NC Paddle Surfer said...

I don't understand the question Gary.

srfnff said...

Assuming thickness and volume are the two most critical elements that make a SUP a SUP, at what point can a paddler no longer stand up paddle their board? I.e. at what point do you think your SUP would become a conventional surfboard? That would be the viable "floor" of a SUP vs. a conventional surfboard. My thought is that it is variable depending upon the individual SUP rider.

For me, I'm currently on a 127L board with my next SIMSUP coming in at 125L. Volume less than that may make the board too difficult to stand on and paddle. I could wear myself out paddling instead of surfing. For you that liter figure is different. How much less volume do you think you can reasonably handle?

NC Paddle Surfer said...

I think 105 Liters is my limit. at 105 my deck is flush with the surface. I'm more comfortable on boards with the deck near flush, than on boards riding high. When I ride high, I get that wobble from too high a C.G.

When I surf Jacky's boards the deck is well underwater, nose to tail.

I think you may need more volume than us because you're always in heavy rubber wetsuits. But you surf glassy water, so you should be able to go down to 105.

Somehow I never seem to stop improving my balance. I thought for sure, I'd reach a limit long ago and stop improving.

I've learned I don't like boards under 29.5 wide, so I think I can handle thinner and stay at my favorite width of 29.5. I might be able to surf boards that sink a lot, if they have my magic width.
I may have to shape one extra thin.

kirk said...

Great blog, DW.
What program are you using to draw up your designs?

NC Paddle Surfer said...

Kirk,

It's Autodesk Inventor. $5000 per seat.