I’ve been working on a couple of belly boards, one of which is a prototype for the next generation of T-Bellys. Here are some photos of the early stages of the build. I plan to do a complete article on the whole project in a couple of weeks.
 |
| Tenplate underneath is TB-G1 |
Every shape starts with a template, and if its a new shape, a new template is created. One way I create templates is to print out the full outline from Aku, carefully tape together the 8.5×11 sheets of paper, cut the outline, and trace it onto a piece of masonite.
After cutting and truing the big curves with my Hitachi Planer, I use a surform true up the smaller curves and finish with a bit of sandpaper.
The outline is then traced onto the blank and cut out. I have another planer set-up to just true the outline on the blank. With all the contours on both the deck and the bottom, shaping one of theses takes almost as long as shaping a longboard.
Here’s the finished bottom viewed from the tail. Notice the defined tail concave and the elevated wing on the rails.
