Reinforcing tips

Anybody got any ideas about reinforcing the tips of swallows before glassing? Thanks

are you talking about something like a mini stringer in each tail? if you are i was looking through the archives the other day and spotted one of herbs boards it looked like he had put them in each side!

Aint’ fish/swallowtail tips a pain, though. Always getting crunched, always getting beat on, from the point of view of a ding repair guy and somebody who runs a rental shop I could be quite happy if the type had never existed. While a stringer might look pretty, if it’s wood it’s likely to add little impact resistance and the location of it is going to dictate where the tips of your tails are going to be, not necessarily where you want to put them. Plus, when it does get crunched, it may act to wick water up and along the stringer. Instead, this seems like a marvellous place for a couple of small but rugged ‘mini-tail blocks’ of wood or glass. This would spread the impact over more foam area and if the glass is worn off it at some point in time water won’t necessarily make its way through a well-sealed tail block and into the foam. In terms of work/expense I don’t think it’d be much more than those extra stringers, the different color would let you hide some additional glass for reinforcement, could be a win in several ways. Hope that’s of use doc…

…I use sheet fiberglass or fiberloaded pvc,check the archives for info under “tail reinforcements”.Also I put them in after the hotcoat during the boxing.Docs just a little mis-guided, but he’s got the right ideas.Herb

Ah, no offense meant, I was thinking of stringers in general rather than the non-permeable variety you’re using.

…under archives: January 2001: “splittail reinforcers”.That should put this in better perspective.Herb

check # 200 6ft range boards.this one has a better view.Herb

Ah yes- as we say here in New England, ‘Light dawns over marblehead’. NOW I see… It occurred to me that you might like to try using something like a biscuit joiner to do the slots, and the regular wood biscuits would maje a nice, easily traced template for your inserts? That particular gizmo ( and they can be found cheap ) would allow horizontal reinforcements to be done quite easily. Only drawback that leaps to mind is that typically the biscuits and their slots run thicker than a standard real estate sign- call them a fat 1/8 thick - though I’m sure there is something similar available or possibly stick two together? Anyhow, it’s an idea. Food for thought and all that. best regards doc…