Hello,
I’m almost finished with my first longboard (9,0"-22"-2 3/4")
I places the centerbox at 6’’ from the tail.
This evening i want to place the sidefin plugs (FCS).
I planning to place the back of the fins 14 1/2’’ from the tail
and 1 1/4’’ from the rail.
I’ve heard something about toe-in but i’m not sure how to measure it.
I want togive the board a toe-in of 1/4’‘. I think it’s the difference of the
distances back of the fin to stringer and front of the fin to stringer. In this
case it does mean that the front of the sidefin is 1/4’''colser to the stringer
then the back of the fin.
Is there anybody who can help me with this measurements and terms.
Wil the finposition be OK with the measurements i described.
Maybe there is an articel somewhere about fin measurements.
I know there is a lot information on the swaylocks discussion but i just couldn’t find
this stuff
Thanks a lot.
JanDirk
Check the archives. Advice for 2+1 fin set up? | Swaylock’s Surfboard Design Forum
You’re correct about the toe in. Another way to set it up is to aim the fin at a point near the nose of the board, usually about 1" away (outboard) of the stringer. I just finished a longboard with 2 + 1 and did it 2" off the stringer which was a little less than 1/4". Actually I measured 3/16" from the stringer as you describe and then checked with a string and found it was 2" off the nose. I also found that one fin was about 1/8" closer to the stringer than the other, meaning my board is slightly out of whack. Actually, it’s a compsand and has no stringer, only a seam where the veneer sheets meet, which might have shifted in the bag…but now I’m way off topic.
Cant is how far the fins leans out. Use ProBox fin system and you can change the cant from 0 to 8 degrees. I used 6 for the sidebites. On my shorboard I’ve been using 8 with great results. Bonzer side runners are 20 degrees.
You’re correct, JanDirk. 1/4" of toe is achieved by measuring the distance from the trailing edge of the fin to the stringer, then the leading edge of the fin to the stringer minus 1/4" from your previous measurement. Your fin position sounds fine. I like mine up a bit at 15", 1 1/4" off the rail, and toed in at 3/16ths, but that’s just me.
Jan, you really need to be careful on “toe” on longboards.
To much and you push a lot of water and you can’t catch as many
waves, too less, and you might
as well take out the side fins out because the board “tracks”
and surf it as a single fn. My recomendation
is to go 2" off center on toe. That means that when you put a
straight edge on the back dot of the fin, the tip of the straight edge
is two inches away (to the outside rail) of the stringer. I’m right handed,
so I do the right fin first, whitch sets the toe for the other fin. Do me a
favor and make sure your stringer is straight before measuring off
the stringer!!! 1/4" on a 9’0 is a bit much even if you are going for a
thruster set-up. I find that 3/16" in the 9’ range is max. about to a 9’6".
Just measure off the nose and you will be ok no mater the size.
Good luck!
Thanks for all your help and information.
The fins are in now. Now only the final sanding.
When it’s all done i might post some photos
JanDirk