My longboard tail was originally supposed to be square but for reasons unknown the shaper and/or glasser decided to make it round. You can see the line where it was square but I believe they altered it because it would have measured in 2-3" under the 9'5" length I ordered (With the round addition in measures in at 9'4").
My Question:
Could I have the tail made square again and how much will it affect the ride? Im worried about the distance of the fin box to the tail. (4" to the dark wood and 6.5" to the tail)
Looks like a Diffenderfer, take a 9’1"Y and shape 9’6" out of it, that tail block is just plain fugly and it is oiling out, didn’t get sealer coated first
Im not trying to call anyone out or name drop. I accepted the board and Im very happy with it apart from the tail and Ive been riding it for over a year now.
I would agree, that's not too apealing of a tail. Measure the distance from the back of the box to the end of the tail. If it is over 7", I would say the box is to far up for this board. Also, put a straight edge on the board and see if the rocker extends out to the tip of the balsa tail. If it is flat, the tail add-on is hurting the boards performance. This is a relatively easy fix if you don't mind a shorter board. Length is not everything on a longboard! As far as riding characteristics go, a square tail will have more of a pivot effect off the corners and a round tail will arc more. I feel its a case of personal preference. The shaper/shop you bought this board from is another matter, so I won't comment on that. Just my 2c.....
............ that tail block is just plain fugly and it is oiling out, didn't get sealer coated first......
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Hi Jim...I learn alot from you, I know we don't always see eye to eye.........Kind of funky and fugly...a tripple stringer with a wide center stringer and then a strange tail and tail block.....I guess we could just cut off the round tail block at the glue line and call it a square tail??? Save the round piece if it needs to get glued back on later......
Hey JimTheGenius.....back around 1996-98 I was surfing with a young man named Kevin...not sure if his last name is spelled with a K or a C... Carlsbad north side of the campground....I would see him off and on...I think you are one of his mentors. Tell him Ray with the ugly yellow Jeep says Hi..................Stingray
Maybe I offended you with my sharp tongue. For that I apologize. But , – My point remains the same; Don’t complain about something you’ve already accepted. If you accepted it. Like the way it rides etc. Don’t bring it on a public forum and complain about it. If you like the board why open it up to the “critics”. You ordered something differant. You accepted “this”. You actually like it. So what are you complaining about. Maybe your shaper knew you better than you know yourself. No reason to rag on a shaper or invite others to rag if you like the board.
I shipped a board to a Florida customer, he had requested photos before ship, there was a series of errors on his order, he got the board, called promptly and said this is NOT what I ordered and I asked you for photos before you shipped it.
I had him take it to a nearby dealer and leave it with him, his new one has all the correct bells and whistles and I am paying frieght for it to be shipped to him. In todays day and age not many people want to step up to the plate and admit that they just plain F-d up.
He will get a set of photos before it goes out the door this time
Im not complaining about anything or trying to let critics talk trash. Im asking a question...can it be corrected and will the fin box be too close to the tail if I do cut off the round part? What type of saw would work best? Im ok with having a slightly shorter board as long as I have a square tail. Thanks
about 15 years ago I had a nice hi-perf tri fin, perim stringers, no center stick, I was surfing Swami’s, a goober ran me down and sliced off the end off my tail about 2-3". I cleaned it up and put on a glass tail block, now the board was 3" shorter, with a tail about 7" wide across the corners. the box was closer to the end of the tail also, it rode better than ever
Looks like there is a glue line about an inch past the dark wood. I think you’d be fine to cut it off there, probably leave the fin box about 5 to 5 1/2" from the end. I would probably just use a fine tooth hand saw myself, but I think the type of saw is not so critical, more important work neatly and clean it up with a sanding block. You’re gonna have to shape the end anyway once you make the cut, before glassing the raw wood.
It seems a typical fin placement is about 8.5" from the tail (as measured from back of fin itself, not its tab) and maybe you want a range of at least 8" and 9.25" or so. So stick your favorite fin all the way forward in the box and measure back that 9.25" and you should be able to square the tail off there, right?
Fwiw, I’m a light guy and run my fins quite a bit forward, at like 9" from the tail and so with a fin with a 5.5" base, it looks like my 10" fin boxes could be placed anywhere from like 4.5" to 8" from the tail and I’d still be able to set that fin where I want it. Your mileage may vary…
How far is the very back of the fin box from the very tip of the wooden tailblock?? Normal placement runs from a short 5–51/2" thru 6–61/2". The whole rail line/template seems to flow well from the rail into a nice roundtail. Unless the fin is way out of whack and too far forward; I’d leave it alone.
