Surfboard shapers and designers workshop

Richard Harvey here on the Gold Coast is a well known and long time hand shaper who has put together a series of classes to teach you how to design and shape a surfboard. Yes this may be a foam board you end up with . But it is a great way to learn design and shaping principles which will help you with your wooden boards . The design process is still the same and a whole lot less time to build a foam board to learn from than a wooden one. I know there are lots of guys keen to have a go at shaping their own boards and this is a great way to learn from someone who has been doing it for a long time. I highly recommend this course.

" The Surfboard Shapers Workshop ® has found a location in Melbourne to hold an Introduction & Orientation course. It will run for three hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, at a date yet to be set, but will most likely be in August - September. The Introduction & Orientation covers Unit 1 of the Surfboard Shapers Workshop, plus a little more.
For those wanting to register their interest in the workshop please email for an information pack to mailto:info@surfboardshapersworkshop.com.au with the subject heading "Melbourne Surfboard Shapers Workshop"

Outline of the course
SURFBOARD SHAPERS WORKSHOP

UNIT 1: THE SHAPING BAY - INTRODUCTION & ORIENTATION
3 hrs - Group Session
• The shaping bay layout with lighting, stands, racks and benches.
• Tools, what they do, how to use them and how to select yours.
• Building your own Shaping Stands
• Understanding the custom order form.
• Design elements.
• Understanding the fundamentals and character of boards and fins.
• Selecting the correct blank shape for your design.
• Creating templates
• Translating measurements
• Creating your own logo

A notes folder containing, tool lists, information on setting up a shaping bay, safety equipment, a set of diagrams for building your own shaping stands and a Surfboard Shapers Workshop DVD's (retail value $30) will be also be included.
Surfboard Shaping Stand kits and T-shirts will be available for order on the night.

For those interested this will then lead onto Unit 2 and 3 resulting in a surfboard that you have shaped for yourself from scratch. (see details below)

UNIT 2: DESIGN & PLAN SHAPING & ROUGH SHAPING
3 hrs - Individual Session
• Drawing & cutting your plan shape
• Using the planer - Safety ckeck list
• Rough shaping the bottom
• Rough shaping the deck
• Rough shaping the rails

UNIT 3: FINE TUNING YOUR DESIGN & FINISH SHAPING
4 Hours - Group Session
• Fine Shaping
• Rail shapes
• How to shape Channels and Concaves
• Tucked under edges
• Checking for bumps
• Gauze rails
• Stringer heights
• Marking fin positions
• Final dimensions check and ID
• Shape ready for glassing

" As I have had interest in the Surfboard Shapers Workshop from other areas, if you are from either Sydney, Adelaide or the Sunshine Coast and are keen in attending a course in your area then please email with the subject heading of your city, example: (Adelaide - Surfboard Shapers Workshop) and if there is enough interest for your city then I will investigate a suitable location and time."

To contact Richard :

0414 557 624
info@harveysurf.com
www.harveysurf.com

Surfboard shapers woorkshop

Richard Harvey here on the Gold Coast is a well known and long time hand shaper who has put together a series of classes to teach you how to design and shape a surfboard.I know there are lots of guys keen to have a go at shaping their own boards and this is a great way to learn from someone who has been doing it for a long time. I highly recommend this course.

" The Surfboard Shapers Workshop ® has found a location in Melbourne to hold an Introduction & Orientation course. It will run for three hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, at a date yet to be set, but will most likely be in August - September. The Introduction & Orientation covers Unit 1 of the Surfboard Shapers Workshop, plus a little more.
For those wanting to register their interest in the workshop please email for an information pack to mailto:info@surfboardshapersworkshop.com.au with the subject heading "Melbourne Surfboard Shapers Workshop"

Outline of the course
SURFBOARD SHAPERS WORKSHOP

UNIT 1: THE SHAPING BAY - INTRODUCTION & ORIENTATION
3 hrs - Group Session
• The shaping bay layout with lighting, stands, racks and benches.
• Tools, what they do, how to use them and how to select yours.
• Building your own Shaping Stands
• Understanding the custom order form.
• Design elements.
• Understanding the fundamentals and character of boards and fins.
• Selecting the correct blank shape for your design.
• Creating templates
• Translating measurements
• Creating your own logo

A notes folder containing, tool lists, information on setting up a shaping bay, safety equipment, a set of diagrams for building your own shaping stands and a Surfboard Shapers Workshop DVD's (retail value $30) will be also be included.
Surfboard Shaping Stand kits and T-shirts will be available for order on the night.

For those interested this will then lead onto Unit 2 and 3 resulting in a surfboard that you have shaped for yourself from scratch. (see details below)

UNIT 2: DESIGN & PLAN SHAPING & ROUGH SHAPING
3 hrs - Individual Session
• Drawing & cutting your plan shape
• Using the planer - Safety ckeck list
• Rough shaping the bottom
• Rough shaping the deck
• Rough shaping the rails

UNIT 3: FINE TUNING YOUR DESIGN & FINISH SHAPING
4 Hours - Group Session
• Fine Shaping
• Rail shapes
• How to shape Channels and Concaves
• Tucked under edges
• Checking for bumps
• Gauze rails
• Stringer heights
• Marking fin positions
• Final dimensions check and ID
• Shape ready for glassing

" As I have had interest in the Surfboard Shapers Workshop from other areas, if you are from either Sydney, Adelaide or the Sunshine Coast and are keen in attending a course in your area then please email with the subject heading of your city, example: (Adelaide - Surfboard Shapers Workshop) and if there is enough interest for your city then I will investigate a suitable location and time."

To contact Richard :

0414 557 624
info@harveysurf.com
www.harveysurf.com

The extra Mini Simmons from Richard Harvey

Peace brother.

Burned in logos

Concave deck and bottom with a high low rail. Lay down, kneel or stand up.

It's a 4' x 24" wide Mini Simmons style Piapo.

Richard Harvey, ever the innovator

Modern art , wood sculpture and letterbox slot ? No , fin and function.

Tears of stain...

Fin in or no fin at all .

Richard says " It has a full high low rail and can be flipped over, without the fin, and reversed around to have a different tail shape option." I like the way he thinks outside the box.Be sure to check it out at the wooden board day.

Richard Harvey interview at the 2010 Alley Fish Fry

Some great footage by Geoff Charters

Richard Harvey has been very fishy of late

Richard is always experimenting and here is a fish with Balsa rails.


Plenty of fishes and Mini Simmons as well.

Multi fins

Lots of tints and colour to.

Marymount students shape Alaia surfboard in woodwork class

" Nearly 30 enthusiastic students and a few teachers joined the wooden surfboard experience by shaping timber Alaia's as a part of their wood working class.

Girls and guys all had a go at shaping the design, with some great results.

With the plan shapes cut out, cleaned up and the rails starting to take shape, the end of the next class will see quite a few finished Alaia's hitting the water soon after.

Interest is coming from more schools, so I will keep you posted."

Richard has been shaping a number of Alaia's for summer and has blanks for you to have a go yourself or you can buy a blank and he will show you how to shape it in his shaping bay.

" I have limited times when I will help those interested to shape their own under my guidance, all for the same price as buying one off the rack.

Time from start to finish including oiling and logos about 4 hours. All my contact details are below."

Harvey Surf Gallery
63 Lower West Burleigh Road
Burleigh Heads
Queensland 4220
Australia
www.harveysurf.com
www.harveysurf.blogspot.com
info@harveysurf.com
mob: 0414 557624
skype: richardharveyburleighheads

Great to see Richard sharing his skills and experience with the kids. There will be more than a few woody sliders in the lineup this summer. Thanks Richard.

Herold builds himself an Alaia as well

Herold , a Dutchman living in Japan , teaching English to the Japanese, still with me. Anyway he came out to the Gold Coast to do Paul Jensen's wooden board building classes at The Eco Village. Built a great board to take home with him and then decided he needed an Alaia. So off he went and spent the day with Richard Harvey to shape an 8ft Alaia.

If you would like to do the same or buy a blank , get hold of Richard.

info@harveysurf.com or 0414 557 624

Something different ?

Local shaper and artist Richard Harvey has had these in his sketch book for a while and finally found time to bring it all together. The Alaia Sandal is a cross between the Hawaiian Alaia surfboard and the Japanese Geta Sandal. Laminated pine and cedar with jute rope straps. Who knows what other wooden surf related ideas turn up on August 9th.

www.harveysurf.com

Something different ?

Local Gold Coast shaper and artist Richard Harvey has had these in his sketch book for a while and finally found time to make it happen.  The Alaia Sandle,  a cross between the Hawaiian Alaia surfboard and the Japanese Geta Sandal. Made from laminated cedar and pine with jute rope straps. See them along with other timber boards and surfing paraphernalia at the Wooden Surfboards Day Sunday 9th August - The Currumbin Alley Gold Coast 

www.harveysurf.com   and   www.woodensurfboards.blogspot.com

New project for Richard Harvey. 1930's replica

Richard had some balsa left over from his last project so set about making a hollow core for his new board. 
The hollow core cuts down on timber and weight as well.
Balsa added to the core and then nose and tail blocks to come in cedar and balsa. 

I'll post further updates as the project progresses.

She's finished

Richard has just finished his balsa gun and it is off to Western Australia to some lucky bugger. Pretty nice job.

Richard Harvey's Balas gun

Local Gold Coast shaper and artist Richard Harvey has set out on a new project with a 9ft 6" balsa gun. Here are a few shots he sent me and some words from his blog. www.harveysurf.blogspot.com

"Just started a 9'6" cedar and balsa gun. 

The profiles of the centre section have been cut and are ready for glueing (today's project).

The cedar and glass fin has been shaped, the abalone and cedar logo is the next part of the project."

"The centre section has been glued together and will be ready for the outer rail section to be added in the next stage. "

"The last section of the rails have been glued on and the blank is starting to look like a surfboard rather than a table top.

Apart from my trusty Makita planer of 30 years finally deciding it had enough, the rough shaping went as planned. The convex under the nose has been shaped along with a soft vee in the tail creating a nice high-low rail combination.

Some nice subtle grain and character marks are being revealed as the planer gets deeper into the timber. The final shaping will be next week and then a couple of finishing touches will be added. 

The weight is coming down and I will give it a final weigh-in before glassing."

There are many ways of making a wooden surfboard.

As this blog comes together I hope to show the many ways people have gone about crafting their wooden boards. Some may be quite basic , some may be very hi tech, but they all have their merits and have taken someone with care to craft.They may be hollow , solid , chambered or composite.

Paul Jensens building method - Fish Frames

Both 5ft 10" ply frame with ply skins and foam rails

5ft 10" hollow framed fish - Ply deck and bottom, cedar pin line , laminated paulownia rails and cork swallow tail.

Richard Harvey hollow cedar and balsa short board