I am making a 8’2’’ longboard at home and I’m stuck on how far from the tail to put the side fins. It is a thuster, tri-fin, layout. Help!?!?
Oh and the center fin is about 7’’ from the tail. Thanks.
If it is a 2 + 1 setup (box and side biters) then usually around 5" for the rear and 14 1/2" or so for the sides. A little bit farther back on both for a standard thruster setup. 7" is a little too far up for that short of a board, unless it’s a single fin, and then still.
tylrdoyle…barky’s pretty on with that. Here’s some general rules
-The tighter the fin cluster, the looser (more maneuverable) the board.
-The farther the side fins are in from the rail the easier the board will spin out.
-The more the side fins cant (tilt) the easier to cutback. the closer to 90 degrees the drivier they become…adjust for flat bottom and deep vees.
-The more the side fins toe in (point toward) the nose the easier to turn but may slow down straight line speed…move the toe out off nose and you pick up drive and lengthen the turn. Avoid making side fins parallel to the stringer…toe in the leading edge at least 1/8 to 1/4" in.
Prep the fin box by sanding the box by hand with some 50 or 60 grit for better adhesion. Some people just wipe it with acetone, I refer sanding. Put a layer of cloth in the cavity with it or use some milled fibers. Some people use cabosil. For less mess, use household wax paper taped around your box cavity and level your tail area with blocks or what have you before you pour. Some people rely on the ‘self aligning tabs’ that boxes have on them, I use a dummy fin in the box instead…I hate crooked fins once they are set in resin.
Good luck