A surfboard maker is someone who builds and designs surfboards by hand. Originally made of wood, the most modern surfboards are made of preformed polyurethane blanks or styrofoam and then are well formed by formers using a variety of tools ranging from surforms, rasps, sanding machines and power planers. When the shape is sculpted in the foam core, the shaper can finish the manufacture by coating the fiberglass sheets on the deck and bottom and laminate this with a thermosetting resin such as polyester.
Video Surfboard shaper
History
Most shapers today design surfboards using computer programs to generate data that can be supplied to a computer-cutting facility that will recycle the raw foam blanks in 90% of the finished shapes, allowing the shaper to refine the blank to its final state before glazing.. This method allows the builder to have a very precise and reproducible design that can be easily adjusted and adjusted. Wooden surfboards make a comeback as an eco-friendly alternative, requiring ultra-light boatbuilding skills.
Many professional builders outsource very special lamination tasks to a special "glass", which laminates fiberglass to the surfboard foam core using thermoset resins such as polyester or epoxy. Fins and various plugs are usually installed after this process and the finished product is sanded smooth and often polished with buffing compounds and special glossy resin. When forming, shapers often take into account the specifications of the client's surfer, and print the medium to accommodate the personalized surf style and the user's preferred waveform.
Shaper plays a design role in some companies that produce surfboards in bulk.
Maps Surfboard shaper
Ancient Hawaii Surfboard
In modern surfing, we see small, lightweight fiberglass boards, ranging from 6 to 7 feet, barely higher than the surfers themselves. Considering that surfboards are a relatively simple thing, made of fiberglass and foam, it may be difficult to imagine how far the surfboard technology has come since the first recorded surfboard seen in Hawaii. In 1778, Captain James Cook of HMS Discovery had just begun his third voyage of discovery and discovered the Sandwich Islands, now known as the Hawaiian Islands. It was there that he saw the natives riding large pieces of wood on the face of the waves. In the early days of surfing in Hawaii, surfing was a very high religious and spiritual affair for the natives. The art of surfing itself, praying for good surfing, and the surfboard making process are all more than recreational for early Hawaiians. Surfboards are greatly appreciated so the type of surfboard that a person drives is an indication of their social standing. Leaders and nobles will be seen riding a board called "Olo", while the commoners will board the board known as "Alii". The main difference between the two boards is the length. "Olo" will range from about 14-25 feet, while "Alii" paled compared to only about 10-12 feet in size. The boards are built either from Wili Wili, Ula or Koa trees and are weighed anywhere from 140 to over 200 pounds depending on size.
Hollow Board
The biggest technological change to date came in 1926 when Tom Blake, one of the pioneers of board innovation, decided to drill hundreds of small holes on the board and put them between two very thin pieces of wood to pursue heavy savings. The first hole board is 15 feet long, 19 "wide, and 4" thick and weighs about 100 pounds. This is a major step to innovate surfboards as it reduces the burden of most surfboards by up to 50 to 100 pounds. The design of the board was initially laughed at by surfers, but when they saw how quickly the board passed through the water. In 1930, the hollow board became the world's first ever-seen and highly successful surfboard. In 1936, the board saw the addition of fixed fins. This gives surfers increased stability, speed, and maneuverability in the water and opens the door for future innovations.
Hot Curl Board
As surfers begin to realize the potential for maneuverability with the addition of new lightweight construction and fins, they realize that shaping the surfboard's tail allows greater agility. By shaving the tail and forming a board rail, it allows surfers to not only attract more extreme maneuvers but also pull into the "curls", or the most powerful part of the waves just beginning to curl over the face. , and climbed into the barrel.
New Construction
Seeing as heavy savings leads to increased agility, speed, and overall ease of use, people start building their surfboards from balsa wood as opposed to the original redwood. This trend began in South America in the 1930s when surfers began to make balsa boards and saw significant weight savings of up to 50% dropping boards up to approximately 40 pounds. However, at that time it was difficult to get a large amount of balsa. So they started using balsa and redwood to form boards. Balsa is lightweight but redwoods are much stronger and more durable, so they use balsa to make center boards and form the board rails out of the redwoods to increase the stiffness.
Taking another step further, Pete Peterson decided to use fiberglass in the construction of a surfboard. The second World War pushed this decision as material like plastic, styrofoam, and especially fiberglass. The addition of these new materials causes the board to become smaller, lighter, and provide the ability for manufacturers to form boards. After surfboards begin to be formed from foam and fiberglass, the public sees the direction of the rocker, the orientation of the new fin, and the leashes.
The addition of rockers has been one of the most innovative designs added to surfboards and has forever changed how surfers can maneuver through water. The rocker is a bend in the board from the nose to the tail; this creates a few twists that allow a much better flow of water under the board and ultimately allows surfers to move faster and more nimbly.
As boards become more easily built and shaped, fins are also becoming easier to apply. Adding more fins and being able to attach and remove fins has allowed surfers to adjust their boards and greatly lower the repair costs. Board can now be seen up to 4 fins. The addition of more fins on the short board allows for more stability when making sharp carvings on the face of waves. Set 3 and 4 fin seems most popular on short boards as it offers unparalleled speed and maneuverability, while beginners tend to have single-fins that are set up because they are very stable and there is no need for additional fins.
The addition of a dog necklace came in 1971. Designed by Pat O'Neil, the leashes have a much more significant impact on surfing than many assumed. Initially, leashes were created for surfers to track their boards after they fell. The missing board is also a big danger to other surfers. Many surfers are frustrated by having to swim after their boards are hit and rope execution easily improves their frustration. However, large surge surfers soon realized that the rope could act as the executor of life. Caught in big waves is very dangerous even for very good swimmers, because big waves have been known to hold people under water for a few minutes. However, the rope serves as a float and makes surfers aware of the direction of the surface when thrown by the current.
How Surfboards Are Formed
Surfboard making is not easy; it takes patience and determination to make surfboards properly. Starting from the room where it was made and finishing with its glassing process. Shaper designers use the space that shapes to start their craft. Usually rooms are 16'x8 'and consist of fluorescent lamps. Standings where the shaped empty nailed to the floor with parallel lighting near them. Lighting is an important part of the manufacturing process to ensure the board is built perfectly with the right dimensions. There are four key steps in building and shaping surfboards: Forming templates, setting up fins and rails, rounding rails, and smoothing outlines.
Creating Templates
Start by adjusting the template paper on top of the blank, then cutting it blank with a whipsaw on both sides. Dig the rails up to the edges of the square. Then measure the size and thickness of this will give you the required foam measurements. Remove the extra foam by passing it perpendicular to the stringer from the tail to the nose. Then repeat the process on the opposite side. Tail shape and rocker by passing the planet over the area.
Preparing Fin and Rails Settings
Mark the front fins position on both sides and mark the rear fin. Remove all errors with sandpaper paper carefully. Finally, cut the bevel rails from the nose to the fins to give a round shape to the board.
Rounding Track
Start by turning the rail with the planer (nose to tail), then make a 45-degree angle from the turning point on the deck up. Make sure the symmetry is correct on the other rails. Then with the sanding block around the rails to reduce the sharp edges.
Smoothing Outline
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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