Screening Rails
This shaping tip is about properly screening rails to avoid screen grooves: a very brief and simple topic, but useful nevertheless. But before I do that I’d like to chat a little about the work I do leading up to the screen finish. It’s really important that you don’t skip any steps before screening rail bands.
My initial rail bands are cut with a Skil 100 running a Shaper’s Grit Drum, allowing for broad, clean cuts. While still using the Skil I then break those larger bands into smaller ones. The rail is beginning to take form and the grit drum really starts to show why it’s such a good tool.
I then move onto the sanding block and begin rounding off the smaller Skil bands first with 80 grit then with 100 grit so that the rail has fully taken form. By carefully refining the bands into smaller contours I am able to get the rail ready for screening in such a way that the screen will only need to be handled lightly.
I apply the finish using two grits of screen ending with a very fine, well-used screen (which more than anything resembles a piece of tissue paper) and I do this by holding the screen in a particular way: (one little tip my dad gave me early on) holding the screen diagonally and applying light pressure helps prevent screen grooves. Holding a screen straight and with a heavy hand, however, will almost guarantee screen grooves and a less successful finish.
I hope this little tip was helpful. As always feel free to message me with any questions or other topics you would like to know more about!
I use a Surform and a 40 grit sanding block to begin breaking my bands.
My rails will look something like this before screening.
Holding your screen squarely like this and pushing too hard will leave visible grooves in your rail. You will typically see this on the mass-produced shortboard labels…we can do better than that!
Instead, hold your screen at an angle like this and use a light approach. All you should be doing is lightly removing the scratches from the previous grit.
Dad’s 50+ year old screen…ultra fine! Never EVER throw away your screens!