I just finished up my 9"0 18.5X23X15X3 Longboard I have attached Pics. I’m not sure if i bladed out the tail to much in the longboard. At 6" up from the tail it is only a 1 1/8 thick and up at 12 inches from the tail it is only 1 3/8 is this to thin am i going to have problems putting in my fin box? I will be using a 9.0 fiberglass fin co rythm model in it. I have pics attached tell me what you think. Oh and the board also has just about 4" inches of nose rocker and 3 1/8 of tail rocker good or bad? thanks for the help
one more pic
well it sure is refined mate!
if it’s too thin to install a box (& it looks like it might be), then you you could always glass your fin on. if it’s a box-fin you can grind off the tab that feeds into the box & then glass as per usual.
best of luck.
Do you have a set of calipers? Figure out where your finbox should be, then measure the thickness. If you don’t have a pair, they’re really easy to make. You don’t have to put the measurements on the calipers, just have two wooden arms that lock into place, then measure the distance with a ruler.
Pat
i just checked and using a 10.5 box i would start it at about 6 1/4 which the thickness of the tail is 1 3/8 and at 16 3/4 where the the very front of the box would be it is 1 7/8 will this work for my box or am i screwed? thanks
if you want it farther back, you can leave some of the box sticking up at the back and just grind it down. just make sure that the channel that the notch on the fin fits into is fully set…leave a little bit more box for support…and then most everything above that can come off if necessary (best to minimize it as much as possible, though).
bust out the calipers/ruler and see what fits where.
Nice! My light blue one turned out even thinner than that in the nose AND the tail. THought I screwed it up REAL good, and it’s my absolute favorite longboard I’ve ever surfed. I’ll have a new 9’8" Walker blank in my garage Friday and I’m planning it out just as thin again. It also forced me to glass my single fin on, but it’s on good and hasn’t cracked or loosened up at all. Good job, looks fun. Here’s a link to mine:
i did the same thing but i put the fiberglass cloth on first and it was so thin that puting in the fin box i hit the other side’s fiber glass it turned out fine but there s box looking of white that can be seen on the deck but i still like the board
1" was the minimum thickness I’d make the tails of my 9’ boards 6" up from the tail. Setting the box at the 6" mark, you can fit both the Banhe and the O’fish’l boxes without grinding through the stringer. It will be close though, 'cause you’ll have about 1/8" left. Remember that the O’fish’l goes in before you lam if you go that route.
Howzit schroeder, I" deep at the rear of the box is just right for a Bahne box since it’s 7/8s " from the bottom of the tabs to the bottom of the box. Aloha,Kokua
the fin box i have is a fins unlimited box the dept of my tail at 6" is a 1 1/8 will this work or not?
Joshmosh - The FI box is 1/8" thicker than the Bahne or O’fish’l, but it too will fit. You just might see the outline of the box due to only having 1/8" of foam left. Take shallow passes with your router when you get down toward the last 1/8" or so.
Howzit Kokua!
How deep is the fin box you purchased? If its deeper than 1 1/8…it won’t fit. The box needs to be something like 1" -7/8" in, or it will show through the deck of the board.
Now once you get the board glassed it will add 1/8th inch to the overall thickness. Thats why lots of guys think that they thinned out the shape too much, only to find out that it’s perfect after glassing. So add an 1/8th to the board thickness.
So you got a board with a finished thickness of 1 1/4, and a box depth of “x”. If your fin box 1" to 7/8" it will fit. But you tell us?
I left my OJA board at the beach you tell us the box depth??
-Jay
Box goes in after glassing…put a tail patch under the bottom glass layer that spans the fin box area and side bites (if using) and you’re good to go.
Answer…Yes, it will work.
Pete
Yeah i just got back from mike whisnants shop here in jax, and he helped me out the box actually fits fine. The tail area is a 1 1/8 so we just floated the box a tad at the rear so the tabs dont sit right on the bottom but close enough and the rest will just be ground off. Oh by the way how long do i have to let the box set before i can start to grind it down? I kicked about 4 oz of resin with a milled fiberglass and white pigment with about 15 drops of mekp ( less than 1cc i guess)
According to your measurements, you should be able to sand in exactly 5.63245 hours, thats only if your ambient temp was a consistent 75.3453 degrees.
When it’s on longer rubbery, then you can sand it. Usually overnight. Man it sounds like your on a mission to get this board done in record time. Are your waves that good, or are you out of surfboards, or just high strung.
Why not take your time and try to do the best job possible? So what if it takes a few more days, what’s the rush…enjoy the process, learn the craft.
I know i need to stop worrying and enjoy, i just want every shape i do to be perfect and get hung up when things don’t go just as planned, I want master shaper results with just a years worth of shaping and only 5 boards under my belt! I know its impossible and each board seems to get better. Thanks guys for all the help and quick responses i have some pics here of the finished board and also a close pic of the fin box that was in question- tell me what you quys think of the shape I always welcome constructive critisism it only helps my future boards- thanks again.-joshmjosh
Here a few more
Joshmjosh, that board looks fine as far as I can see. Keep up with that spirit (wanting to reach perfection) but keep in mind that the goal will always be higher. As your skill progresses, so does your demand. Flaws that you wouldn’t even have noticed before suddenly become things of importance. There comes a time when (almost) nobody notices any mistakes in your work but YOU know it’s not perfect and where the mistakes are. You’ll never be satisfied with a shape. You will like some better than others, but you will never stop and say: “This is it. This one is perfect.” But you keep looking for it. Just in the same way that you’re looking for the perfect wave…