Rudder/center board contour

[Mark Rendelman]

Does anyone have a good method to contour the rudder/center board without the cnc work 

[AmosSwogger]

You can do the rough contouring on a table saw, and then clean it up with a block plane and/or spokeshave.

 

This method works well, and it is fun and relatively easy to do, but it is very time-consuming.  B&B can provide you with a (Mylar?)template.

 

I posted a step by step guide with pictures here.  I got the idea from someone else on the forum (I can't remember who to credit).

 

 

[Mike Vacanti]

Here is a description of a poor man's CNC: DIY NACA foils

[Hirilonde]

I have always gone for a slightly tapered leading edge to a round over (inlaid epoxied rope) and a very tapered trailing edge to a small round over.  Only some one who races will really appreciate the naca foil over this shape.  And I have done a lot of hand work/shaping by hand, from spars to oars and paddles so I find the process amusing. That being said the jig Mike links in the reply above me looks like it would work, and is simple enough to justify for a one off project. I might try that next time. 

[Paul356]

I did a centerboard on a different boat using the method Amos shows.  As I recall, I made the cuts about half an inch apart, instead of as close as Amos did.  More handwork, but it's not too bad considering you're going with the length of the grain in easily worked wood.  Obviously you want to be conservative on the depths of your saw cuts, and then trim to the foil shape using some combination of chisels, plane, spokeshave, random-orbital sander and other tools.  It's really pretty fun.

[Mark Rendelman]

Thanks for the input since I have a good table saw I think I’ll go with Amos’s idea. I did just finish the rudder which I did with a small block plane, belt sander and orbital sander, not hard but time consuming.

[AmosSwogger]

Well, it's not my method (I'm not sure who come up with the process), but it works well. 

 

Paul is spot on with his advice to space the cuts farther apart (and/or use a dado blade and and adjust the angle of the blade to the template); it did take me a long time to make all those tablesaw cuts.

 

Good luck; let us know how it goes.