i've only shaped 4 boards but my understanding of the sureform after reading a lot about it here on Sways is that "the less you use it the better".

Surformtooluse

My back yard boards are usually made from thick kneeboard blanks, so the surform is my favourite tool. Im terrible with a planer, so i like to use the surform to "rough out" rail bands etc,then hit with 80grit, then the screen, then 220 if im feeling energetic.

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Sureforms can be incredibly useful and effective tools if used correctly.  Most importantly, use a sharp blade for foam of any kind, and do not use that blade for anything else - wood, fiberglass, cheese - nothing! I almost always use the 6" flat, but have a 12" flat and that 3" rounded.  You can get all the shapes you need for a surfboard from the 6".

Secondly - do not attempt to use a flat sureform planer like a single-bladed block plane on wood.  The front end of the sureform will always snag and gouge into the foam - especially on the deck when you’re getting into the rocker.  Wether you’re pulling or pushing a sureform, always keep it oriented at about a 30-45 degree relative to the line of motion.   This should make a huge difference for flatter areas.

i sometimes find that i "need" it ("need" is in quotes because those with more skill on the planer or sander wouldn't need it in the same situation)

Sure form toolhow to use

After shaping a couple this way you’ll be able to get that foam very close to finish with just a light touch of 60grit paper for cleanup before sealing.  Trust me, I’ve shaped mountains of foam with a sureform (personal boards in EPS and XPS and large scale patterns for a corporate sculptor)   - shapes that you couldn’t even get near with a planer.

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for that spot. you may get people commenting on this thread telling you the sureform is fine, go ahead and use it, etc... the really

Stanley surformsure form tool

I have just finished shaping my very first blank. I research swaylocks for a few months previous to get an idea of what i needed.  A surform was among the most important tool, at least thats what i got out of my digging.  I ended up throwing the damn thing away, after gouging and pocking out my board with it.  I ended up shaping the entire board out of a 60 grit hard block.  Turned out beautiful. I was wondering what I am clearly not understanding about the uses of a surform.  I could only manage to dig out troughs on the foam.

Hand shaping start to finish with 60 grit paper instead of applying some of the advice you asked for? Sounds like a good plan.

I shaped hundreds of boards with a surform as my primary tool. Then I met Jim Phillips in 1980 and he immediately started working on me to use better tools. I'd surform out a deck and he'd come over and run up and down it with his planer (set on zero), and you'd hear the sound of the planer hitting the high spots. Same on rail bands. For those of you who like the surform, my advice would be to make sure you block out everything after the surform to even the bumps out.

Howzit Honolulu, If your user name reflects on where you live then you know that in Hi ans especially here on Kauai a surform blade rusts about 10 minutes after the first use. I used to keep my Weiss scissors in it's own acetone container and it even rusted, oh the joys of the tropics and tools. One good thing about Az is they don't allow rust across the state line.Aloha,Kokua

Surform Rasp

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Mike, similar story, based on a thread from 6 or so months ago, you told me to avoid my surform. I still have it but havent used it in 6 months.

experienced shapers (10,000 + boards) all say the same thing. the less you use it the better, it's a crutch and the least accurate tool,

My humble 41 years (or so) of back yard experience has shown that the power tools are MUCH more likely in my hands to make a real mess of things.  Back in the day, we skinned longboard blanks with them.  And that was the back-then, dense Clark foam.  We had no choice, so we did it.

There are a lot of people out there who think that most cutting tools should be used like a sanding block anyway, cutting in every direction . . .scrub,scrub,scrub, scratcy,scratchy . . .  Maybe that’s the problem you had with the sureform - it only cuts in one direction.  If you’re using it correctly it only travels in one direction when cutting and makes a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzip sound, nothing like a sanding block. Also, don’t try taking down the stringer with it, but recess the stringer first with a trim plane.

A surform is like any other tool. In inexperienced hands it can lead to disaster. I know. The first board I shaped (40+ years ago) was done with one and it was a mess. My first planer-shaped board was slightly better.

IMO it's better to use tools that refuse to cut unevenly. There's nothing a surform does that a coarse block or flexi-block won't do better.

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When doming a deck, rounding over rails or getting into the deck rocker, switch your line of motion to long diagonals rather than passes that are parallel to the stringer.  It’s okay to rough out those areas that way, but the diagonals really clean up any lumps and voids.  Also, switch up the direction of your diagonals from tail to nose and nose to tail.  All one direction from nose to tail but the opposite on the way down (really the same motion, but the lines become opposite when working in the opposite direction if that makes sense).

for the deck up by the nose of a flip-tip shortboard... i have yet to try Mike's suggestion from another thread which was a power sander

It seems to me that the posters recommending against the Surform are the pro's, as well it should be.  Guys with thousands of boards in their past(s), for whom planers are an expensive and useful tools.  I like my cheapo planers too, but it's always the surform to clean up the blank prior to sanding.

As said above;  better to avoid it all together if you can.  If you are going to skin a blank(remove the hard outside crust) and do not have a planer or are afraid to use one; power sand the crust away with a sander/polisher.  Once you are thru the crust go to the sanding block..  Surforms can screw up a blank quicker than any other tool.  Having said that they do have some uses.  I still use one to knock down high spots and  once over my blank after I have planed it with my Skil.  Only minimal use though.  A couple of things about Surforms;   Always use a sharp blade.  Make sure the blade is aligned and tight.  An angled, loose or dull blade will rip into a blank for sure.  Most guys put too much pressure and push too hard on a Surform causing it to catch and roll.  Better to pull a Surform towards you than to push.  More control.  Better to go from your planer to the sanding block if you can.  If you must use a Surform the above tips will help.  I would never use a Surform on EPS.  Primarily because if you catch an edge with a Surform on EPS you are probably looking at some major chunks and tearing.

The day Sways becomes a hangout for pros who disparage basic tools and beginner shapers, I'm outta here.  And I'm beginning to smell some of that already.