If you dont have one of our kits, youll likely still get plenty of use from the words below. Orders are dispatched in 1 -2 Business day. You have any advice on the measurements of a good hand plane? Choose your style! With this in mind, we continue to use the saw rasp to round over the top of the rail, making sure to leave the bottom edge well alone. I make these all the time! Below is a bit of a guide that might help. Outstanding performance at every level makes this handplane the go-to model for all ages, abilities and wave conditions. If you make sure you dont touch the bottom layer, youll be able to preserve that nice hard edge on the bottom quite easily. I will definitely use it for future projects, though. This helps you get across a wave faster, enabling you to make sections easier and extending your bodysurfing ride. We want our handplanes to be performant, long lasting and beautiful. 01209 700070 This year, on the summer solstice, James thought it would be nice to enjoy the ocean at sunrise and sunset and try to capture the state of the sea Yup, we have a boring white van and need help Choose your style! If you look at your handplane, youll notice we have made it out of three layers of cedar. A handplane is best with a neutral buoyancy, meaning it needs to float, but you also need to be able to easily penetrate the water with it. It took 2 days of sanding to get it where I wanted it. Once we are set on the shape we would like to achieve, the next step is to remove the bulk of the excess of wood. This is to avoid undercutting the outline at any point. Individually handmade using sustainably harvested timber and with its stylish arrow design the WAW Arrow Fish is one of our premium handplanes. A handplane is a planing device that is strapped to the hand and provides lift and reduces drag whilst bodysurfing and allows the rider to turn and change direction with ease. You also don't want something strapped to your hand that sits too high in the water. It is a planing surface. 391 7762 58, Website sustainably designed and built by IFC and UFMedia. I like the fish tail design. Play in the sea. To get to work on your handplane, it is a good idea to clear a space on a workbench or table. So, how do you choose one of our handplanes? The reason you need to be gentle is that a saw will do all of the work for you, so you do not need to put any excess force or pressure into the cutting action. Summer is well and truly here! A handplane is a planing device that is strapped to the hand and provides lift and reduces drag whilst bodysurfing and allows the rider to turn and change direction with ease. The planning area can be increased by shaping techniques like concave hulls. When a unbroken wave approaches a body surfer and the bodysurfer swims in the direction in which the wave is flowing, there is a sudden increase in swimming speed, with the handplane outstretched on an extended arm (essentially a handboard) it begins to AQUAPLANE across the surface of the water, enabling the surfer to apply downward pressure, and thus create LIFT, allowing the bodysurfer to plane ON TOP of the waters surface rather than through it. The handplane just needs to add a little extra surface area to your palm to be effective. We use a natural oil to do this, so the curing time is quite slow, but it means the environmental impact of the handplane is reduced. Otter Surfboards, Unit 6 Once you feel like youre getting close to your finished shape, jump onto using the sandpaper and the sanding block. Shapers add variation to this based on a function or design idea. Ultimately though, this is the fun part. A tree planted for every timber handplane sold. We make handplanes using a high-density EPS foam, and laminating this with fibreglass and epoxy resin. Share it with us! The bigger the surface area, the easier it aquaplanes. However, everything is a compromise. Im working on a new one created from a re-purposes plastic tray. Certified Australian made from sustainably grown Australian Paulownia timber which is both ultra light and durable making it ideal for body surfing handplanes. You are aiming to remove all of the wood outside your pencil line of your template, but will hopefully still see the pencil line at the end. With your handplane blank in front of you, you can see that we have drawn a couple of options for your template, or shape, onto the underside in pencil. To hold the handplane in place whilst you are using the saw or rasp, you will find it useful to hold the handplane securely in place using a couple of clamps. Check the picture to the right (Or below if on a phone) . All of our handplanes come with a singe large concave, this dramatically increases the boards surface area creating large amounts of lift whilst simultaneously creating suction and grip to the waves face. If you have any further questions, feel free to drop us an email. All that happens through use is that you learn to enjoy the one youve picked and the longer you use it and the more conditions you take it out in, the more connected and in-tune with it youll feel. It allows you to hold your line when trimming across the wave. I made the handle out of random things I already had: para cord rope, webbed roof rack lines, and a foam exercise handle. AR2 (All Rounder version 2.0) CERTIFIED AUSTRALIAN MADE & GROWN INDIVIDUALLY HANDCRAFTED & SIGNED, Materials Handmade from sustainable plantation Australian grown Paulownia timber Sealed with a high quality low VOC marine varnish, Features ALL NEW fully adjustable strap system 4mm neoprene & streamlined water-resistant mesh Ultra thin design for superior paddling freedom Undersideconcave optimised for maximum speed, lift and hold Nose rockeroptimised to reduce spray and increaseliftHard railsto providemaximum hold and control Individually signed by designer Chris Anderson Award-winning shape and design to increase speedSkill / Waves Perfect all-round handplane shape for any ability or age Designed to maximise speed and lift in all wave types and breaks, Included Optional/Removable wrist leash with adjustable toggle (for kids or big surf) Black organic calicoprotective drawstring cover bag Ecto 'BODYSURF' bumper stickerSpecificationsDimensions:~280mm x 190mm x 15mm | 11in x 7.5in x 0.5in Weight: ~ 400g | 14oz, During months of restrictions due to COVID-19 we've been busyfine tuning updates to one of our most popular handplane models. Since the skateboard had a lot of holes in it, I worked around them so I would only have to fill in 2 holes. Yes, one handplane is all you need (they don't come as a set). I gave it a little more flare by painting the tail this beautiful turquoise. How did you attached the strap on the bottom to the handplane? Hopefully minimising the risk of damage to your table. By providing lift, reducing drag and enabling increased control and manoeuvrability, they allow experienced bodysurfers to take their surfing to the next level by riding the wave for longer, going faster and having more control. We have drawn on the Rounded Pin (the biggest of all of our handplanes) and the Diamond Bob (our mid-sized shape). The same design principals that have seen surfboards evolve generally apply to handplanes. You should add an action pic of you using it! A small amount of nose rocker (angle of the nose) helps you catch waves without digging the nose in.

Amazing how the stain really makes the natural wood grain pop. It has little impact on the performance of the handplane so its more a case of finding something that feels right to you. When we talk about the shape of a rail, we are thinking about its cross-section. Make sure that all of your movements follow the direction of the grain; we do not want to introduce any marks that go across the grain at this point as they become very hard to remove. Use the rougher (120 grit) sandpaper first and work your way over the whole handplane. Meet the AR2, the All Rounder version 2.0 with a deeper single concave and a newly refined tail outline. A flattish mid-section of the hull for speed, and a concave in the rear section to give you lift and drive. Once we have brought the handplane shape right back to follow the outline smoothly, we then start to look at how it is going to interact with the water and shape the rails according to what will perform best. A beginner should tend towards a slightly larger board as the extra volume and/or planning surface will make it easier to catch waves and build experience. All of our handplanes come with a singe large concave, this dramatically increases the boards surface area creating large amounts of lift whilst simultaneously creating suction and grip to the waves face. Certified Australian made from sustainably grown Australian Paulownia timber which is both ultra light and durable making it ideal for body surfing handplanes. Smile. The amount you round over the top of the rail is completely up to you. Another one I made I used short stainless steel bolts, and my next attempt I will see how a couple rivets work.

We want to reach out to our network of talented creative folks to help us make it more info@ottersurfboards.co.uk The blending of these two rails is crucial for surfboards, but with a handplane we have the rest of our body dragging behind us, so we neednt worry so much about hold. After I was happy with the shape I taped off a little design and stained the rest. It sounds obvious in hindsight. The act of planning is all about decreasing the drag of a bodysurfer, lifting them out of the water and giving you a dramatic increase in speed. One thing that is quite different about handplane design requirements that dont apply to surfboards is the minimisation of spray and splash. I thought about the shape for a while. it wont slip about on the waters surface. Obviously, you are welcome to come up with your own template, but we thought wed show you a couple of ours as guidance. Resulting in an massive DECREASE IN DRAG, and an INCREASE IN SPEED allowing you to catch wave after wave. Regular shipping takes 2-5 business days within Australia, Express shipping will arrive in 1-2 business days with Australia, Check out our blog article on the difference between our handplanes, Check out our DIY kits or our Handplane Workshops, Check out our blog post where we compare bodysurfing fins. There will be a few things that will influence your decision here, but typically the larger the handplane the more lift and speed you will be able to generate, but the less maneuverable it will be. Below is a ready reckoner, but at the end of the day, there is no such thing as the wrong choice! I always find it easiest to work from the corner of a table/workbench so you can hang part of the handplane off the corner for easier cutting and rasping. I really took my time to shape the nose, rounding it out and turning it up so it could glide through the water. Once we have finished all of the sanding and shaping, we sign the handplanes and begin oiling it. The deep concave leads into a sharp rail which not only enables you to make turns at speed it also can be used on the really steep waves to lock yourself in higher up the wave and maintain your position. In all honesty, whilst there are differences between the way all of the shapes feel in the water, they can feel quite subtle, so we encourage people to pick a shape that they most enjoy the look of and are drawn to. If someone else can make it, why can't I? Concave shapes also create a high-pressure zone that increases lift and drive (a little bit like how an aircraft wing generates lift by creating a high-pressure zone under the wing), whilst helping you suck onto the edge of a wave face. Did you make this project? In the workshop we have a rack of Japanese pull-saws for doing this and if you bought a tool kit from us, this is what youll have in front of you. Throughout the making, it may be worth reminding yourself that you can always take more wood off, but it is much more difficult to add it back on.

If you are creating your own template out of paper or card, you will find it easier to only draw half of it with a straight line on the other side so that when you come to draw it on your handplane, you can simply put the straight line in the center of your handplane and flip it over to mirror the shape on each side. Cornwall, TR4 8HL, Otter Surfboards 2022 Registered VAT no. All our handplanes are the same shape, just aesthetically different. If you dont have one of these, any wood saw will do, though I would encourage you to stay away from powered ones and stick to hand tools. Instead of just buying a handplane, I actually went and bought a 5 inch orbital sander. Youll need to assemble it by slotting the blade into the rattan handle. 2022 Garage Handplanes. Hopefully I will make it to the beach this summer for an action shot! Finished with about 7 coats of polyurethane so it's waterproof and ready for the waves! If you only use your hand to support the sandpaper, you may well introduce ridges that follow the grain. I even made a velcro safety leash. If you have bought one of our tool kits, youll find two just like the ones we use in the workshop. In some cases, we use carbon fibre which is lighter and stronger again. If you struggle, trying to create the same roundover that you have on the handhole would be good. I have seen these Handplanes around for sale ranging from $30-200. The primary job of a handplane is to, well, plane. When a unbroken wave approaches a bodysurfer and the surfer swims in the direction in which the wave is flowing, there is a sudden increase in swimming speed, with the handplane outstretched on an extended arm it begins to AQUAPLANE across the surface of the water, enabling the surfer to apply downward pressure, and thus create LIFT, allowing the bodysurfer to plane ON TOP of the waters surface rather than through it. Or, a larger flatter handplane helps with a mushier long riding wave. Love hand planes! Unlike a surfboard, a handplane is not a floating device. The handplanes can mark easily, so make sure the surface you are working on is smooth and clear of any dust or lumps. This is a process of refining your handplane and by this point, we are taking away unnecessary marks rather than drastically changing the shape until we reach the point where we feel like the handplane is finished. Chapel Hill, Porthtowan, Outstanding performance at every level makes this handplane the go-to model for all ages, abilities and wave conditions. Once you have removed all of the marks from the saw rasp and run the sandpaper up and down the top and bottom surfaces and then into the handhole, jump onto the next grade of sandpaper (180 grit) and do it all over again. The narrow teeth cut into the wood, and are less likely to pull at the grain and cause tear-out, so the saw rasp allows you to shape the blank back to our desired outline with much less risk. The outline of our templates take inspiration from classic surfboard templates, but we have also experimented with some shapes that we are intuitively drawn to and seem to match the dimensions of our hands better. Great. i always wanted one. This changes a little with experience. So take it steady, enjoy the process and know that there is now right or wrong way to do it. For this handplane I just tied a simple knot through the hole to hold it in place with para cord. We want to generate the most amount of lift possible, so a nice hard edge around the handplane will work best. This adds further directional control, allowing the bodysurfer to pick a line on a wave without sliding sideways. The first thing you have to decide is what template youd like to choose for our handplane.

If it doesn't, then you will end up fighting buoyancy and tiring out while swimming. So with this in mind, were hoping to remove a huge part of the excess timber, cutting to about 3-4mm outside of the line of our template. It can be surprising the differences there are in something that is pretty small. DaFins are widely known as the greatest swim fins in the world for bodysurfing, body boarding and general ocean swimming. We have a range of five templates that we have tested and use regularly and find that something that is about 50-70mm wider than your hand and 100-150mm longer than your hand is a really good place to start.

Each material has its pros and cons and Im likely to upset someone by advocating one over the other. If you flatten out a concave area you get more planning surface area. When using any hand saw, the two most important things to remember are slowly and gently. Individually signed & handcrafted, 4mm neoprene & streamlined water-resistant mesh, Perfect all-round handplane shape for any ability or age. Stitch and Glue Canoe With Cedar Strip Top, Be Seen! Wood has a great neutral buoyancy, especially White Cedar. Resulting in an massive DECREASE IN DRAG, and an INCREASE IN SPEED allowing you to catch wave after wave. About: All about DIY. Some people just drill out a hole to grab onto, but I think the handle offers more control.I left two holes from the skate deck and tied simple knots to hold it in place tightly. Relating the shapes back to our hands and making them more human in their design seems to be the best way to go.

You want to get a handplane but not sure what to buy? Delivery usually takes 3-7 business days. The cedar that your blank is made of is relatively soft and the lines of grain (the darker, winter growth) aere more dense than the summer growth that separates them. The deep concave leads into a sharp rail which not only enables you to make turns at speed it also can be used on the really steep waves to lock yourself in higher up the wave and maintain your position. Riding those waves was the objective when we started on this journey, so its important that you take the time to enjoy these moments. Orders are dispatched with 1 -2 business days. A hard rail is one with a corner on the bottom of it and this is the one that will generate the most lift. You might find a deep concave helps a board hold a wave face at particularly step local shore break. All our handplanes are the same shape, just aesthetically different. Thanks! Time to get the handplane in the sea and test it in various conditions to learn how it behaves and how to use it to make the most of the waves. It allows you to hold your line when trimming across the wave. One of our team riders demonstrating the holding power of the deep concave and sharp rail. Share it. Mount Pleasant Eco Park, A soft rail has a rounded edge on the bottom and this will invite water up the rail and create hold in the water as you move through it, i.e. Note the height of which the bodysurfer is positioned on the wave. We will be doing most of the work on your handplane with the top side facing down and the underside (with the pencil drawn templates) facing up. It is worth constantly checking this throughout the making. Always looking for a new, creative project to work on. We are aiming to keep the outline of the handplane perpendicular (square) to the bottom of the handplane at this point, so that the template stays true throughout the thickness of the handplane.

Great! The larger the planning surface, the bigger the board that you are lugging around in a turbulent ocean, strapped to your wrist. I find that very experienced bodysurfers are very comfortable catching waves and generally prefer a slightly smaller board makingit easier to do tricks. Trust your hands, they will likely pick up on things that your eyes cannot see. During this process, we start to feel the outline of the handplane with our hands and can address any lumps and bumps in the shape that we want to avoid to make it all nice and smooth. This leaves enough tolerance to allow for most inaccuracies, but also doesnt leave us with a mountain to climb in the next stage. Once the oil has cured, its time to get out there. Note the height of which the bodysurfer is positioned on the wave. Beautiful, performance bodysurfing handplanes. This can cause loss of control on the wave. Laugh. 3D Printed Bike Lights With Fusion 360. Tracing the board outline and drawing it out with a paper grocery bag helped a lot. Weve done this because foam can be shaped easily and is super light and buoyant. By providing lift and reducing drag they allow new bodysurfers to learn the art of catching waves with ease. A handplane sits in front of your face, so the last thing you want is a lot of spray from the handplane as it will obscure your vision. Place your hand on a piece of paper and make a rough sketch around it. The WAW Handplanes Arrow Fish is designed to enhance the entire bodysurfing experience by creating lift and control, allowing the bodysurfer to surf easier, faster and for longer. You don't currently have any products in your basket. I gave the underside some concave and smoothed out the area where my arm will be resting. Finally finished with 220 grit sandpaper for a nice, smooth finish. Towards the end, when we get into the sanding, you may find it helpful to lay a cloth on the table to reduce the risk of picking up any marks or dents although I often find that by this point I will stop using the clamps and will hold the handplane in my hands to sand it. You can pretty much make a handplane out of anything if you're creative, I used an old skate deck I had lying around. One of our team riders demonstrating the holding power of the deep concave and sharp rail. I'm always looking for a new project to work on, so I figured I would make my own. Individually signed & handcraftedwith love and precision in Australia. Do this by cutting a series of straight lines that come close to the outline of your template, dont try to bend the blade to follow any curves. Fold the template in half so when you cut it out it will be symmetrical. For those of you that have bought one of our handplane kits, this How To guide will take you through each step of the making of your bodysurfing handplane at home. I did some online research, and decided on a general shape I wanted to use. When you are swimming, every stroke you take with your handplane strapped to your hand, needs to penetrate the the water easily. There is no prize for finishing quickly and the only way you can improve your technique will be by sawing slowly enough that you can be aware of all of your movements. The planning action can be further assisted by volume, especially if the material is buoyant. POS and Ecommerce by Shopify. Meet the AR2, the All Rounder version 2.0 with a deeper single concave and a newly refined tail outline. They turn beginners into pros and the pros into experts. During months of restrictions due to COVID-19 we've been busyfine tuning updates to one of our most popular handplane models. I love bodysurfing! Do your best to keep the saw blade perpendicular to the handplane blank too. What we find is that when people do, they often tense up, which is when errors are more likely to occur and its what causes cramping in the hand, wrist and forearm. Started with 80 grit sandpaper for the shaping. By using the sanding block all the time, youll find it easier to keep the handplane smooth. This is so that the wood is protected from the elements and is preserved so that it can last as long as possible. Fibreglass is both strong, and hydrodynamic. My general rule is that a physically bigger person can handle a larger sized board, whilst smaller people should tend towards a smaller sized board. You will be generating sawdust and sanding dust, so make sure youre able to clear up easily or, if the weather permits and you have access to some outdoor space, you mind find it enjoyable to do outside. Once weve removed all we can with the saw, we swap down to a Japanese saw rasp, which is much like a file, but because it uses narrow teeth like a saw, rather than wider teeth like a typical rasp or surform it is much more forgiving. Yes, one body surfing hand plane is all you need (they don't come as a set). There has been an explosion in handplanes on the market, ranging from wood, fibreglass, plastics, foam, and even 3D printed cardboard. We also add a fin to our design. Light weight, comfortable and powerful, youll never miss a wave with these on your feet. It still needs to float though.