Kiwi surfboard designer, Roy Stuart, saw the swell that is 3D printing and decided to paddle forward and ride the wave into his future mode of production. For two decades, Stuart has specialized in handcrafted surfboards, a spiritual and taxing art. With a quality reputation to honour, the finished product could often take over 40 laborious hours to reach the level of perfection associated with Stuart’s designs.
In the move to fibreglass fins, Stuart’s frustration could breach the surface. Creating the right fin and adhering with moulding become “horrendously expensive.” Luckily, 3D printing (as used by another surfing enthusiast) opened a pathway to production that sidestepped the most difficult obstacles. Stuart approached Tauranga 3D printing specialists Palmer Design and Manufacturing. The team converted the designs to computer-aided designs ready for digital construction.
Roy Stuart. Surfer. from Kurt Oram on Vimeo.
The hollow Warp Drive polycarbonate fin is now commercially available. With qualities surfers can appreciate such that it is light, durable and versatile; the fins have maintained Stuart’s reputation in the surfing industry. The entire project took roughly two months and has made Stuart wide-eyed again, a common phenomenon among individuals engaging with 3D printing and he echoes a common message: “We can more or less do anything we want now.”
Important to stress the “more or less” than the “anything” though.
Source: New Zealand Herald
