Hey All,
Just picked up a second board, although it's never been waxed or surfed.
9'8" x 23 1/4 x 3 1/8 by Friedman Flyer. Apparently based on the McT Cruiser. Looks like a sweet board, and certainly different to what else is in the quiver.

Only issue is that the fin box is seeming a fraction too narrow for any of my fins. So the question is, do I shave a fin down to fit (and it'll then be pretty much no good for any other board), or do I somehow widen the fin box?

Cheers!

try as many fins as possible, even if you need to borrow one or two, just to make absolutely sure it's the box and not that one fin.

Those boxes are churned out like sausages and they are almost always perfect.

About the only way I can imaging they would narrow is if the resin is too hot and expands, but that would be incredibly rare, I don't know how the pros set them in, but I always used a cut off fin base in them as I was setting them in.

If all the other fins are really tight, it may be best to open up the box, even though it would be harder than narrowing the fin, because you're going to need to narrow every fin you put in it.

It would be reasonably easier to do it if you had an old broken fin, you could narrow it down so it fits in the box real sloppy, (take the roll pin out of the fin). Then put some 600 wet N Dry around the fin base and work it backwards and forwards keeping the area wet and checking it for size frequently.

If you go too far you'll need to put thin plastic shims on the side of your fins, so you want to avoid that.















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What he said....

But I'm lazy..

I reckon 90% of the fins I have bought haven' fit properly, some fit some boards and not other so I just sand them down to fit the narrowest box I am going to use them in and have a roll of duct tape in my surf bag for the ones that need to be packed out. Pain in the butt but different fin and box manufacturers seem to have slight differences in their products. Also seem to get minor difference in the glassing.

I wouldnt touch the box.

The most annoying one is when you screw them up tight and they don't do up cause the bottom depth is different.. Easily fixed by a twig underneath the fin but still a pain in the butt.

As for sanding them. Wet and dry paper is ideal but if you don't mind a few scratches just use a file or ordinary sand paper. A linishing belt is also a great quick way to sand them.

Buy one one the FCS II fins that snap in. They should slot in as they seem a touch wobbly and need packing in a lot of the standard boxes I've tried them in.

I've rarely found a fin that goes nice and snug into a box, unless it came with the board and is specific to that maker..e.g. Mct
Mostly always need to sand the centre fin to get them to fit..sometimes need to take a smidgen off the base as well..and any slackness can be overcome with a piece of your old credit card cut as a shim if it's too loose in another board

Cheers All!
From running the micrometre through the box, there's definitely a compression/narrowing in the middle of the box.
That said, i did find a couple of fins that kinda fit. Just none of the ones i wanted to use. Guy i bought it from suggested an 8" plus slides. My 8" FCS ii is no where near fitting, so i went with a 7.5" centre fin for now. it was either that, or a 9" old NSP fin.

And because no one asked, here's some pics of said board.

Try a good old fashioned rubber knockometer.
Really you have no real option but to reduce fin base to fit. Just choose the right one.
Board nice.
Ps ive had to shave one side of a fins from nothing to a 1.5 mm or so and then put in wedges other side to get the fin to point to the nose. Lots of race Board fin boxes dont line up to the nose. So a little bit of a thick fin is a minor problem
Cheers

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surfbroker said..
I've rarely found a fin that goes nice and snug into a box, unless it came with the board and is specific to that maker..e.g. Mct
Mostly always need to sand the centre fin to get them to fit..sometimes need to take a smidgen off the base as well..and any slackness can be overcome with a piece of your old credit card cut as a shim if it's too loose in another board I us dc

Really I've owned a million mct and never had a issue, I had another board that I used a mallet to bash the centre fin in and move it up and down the box.

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Macaha said..

surfbroker said..
I've rarely found a fin that goes nice and snug into a box, unless it came with the board and is specific to that maker..e.g. Mct
Mostly always need to sand the centre fin to get them to fit..sometimes need to take a smidgen off the base as well..and any slackness can be overcome with a piece of your old credit card cut as a shim if it's too loose in another board I us dc

Really I've owned a million mct and never had a issue, I had another board that I used a mallet to bash the centre fin in and move it up and down the box.

My fins had to be packed in a couple of my mct,and sanded in another...

You see mac ,you might feel like mct don't love you anymore ,oh but they do it seems mr my fins always fit


Good score on the board mate

nice board

Yeah looks good....often happens to me, nothing rubber souled shoes can't deal with

Beautiful board mate I can't see the makers logo, I think it's a box issue not a fin.

the middle sides of longer boxes can get pushed in a little by the resin fibre mix when thre box is being set


. if you had the balls and skill you could route the middle out a bit

wouldnt be pretty if you got it wrong thou

Great looking board. Post up a ride report when you get a chance to ride it.

A bit of wax on the base of the fin helps them slide in easier to if they are borderline.

I've had to sand a few fins, then carry a bit off wet & dry sandpaper to wrap around the base of the fin when you insert it into the box if it's too loose in other boards. Sometimes takes 1 or two layers to firm it up.

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vanders1 said..
I've had to sand a few fins, then carry a bit off wet & dry sandpaper to wrap around the base of the fin when you insert it into the box if it's too loose in other boards. Sometimes takes 1 or two layers to firm it up.

Bloody hell. Even you vanders

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laceys lane said..
the middle sides of longer boxes can get pushed in a little by the resin fibre mix when thre box is being set


. if you had the balls and skill you could route the middle out a bit

wouldnt be pretty if you got it wrong thou

Id love to see that,can just see the trimmer catching then spinning out of control across the board,you'd need a steady hand and a good grip but it could be done by a black belt trim master

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Macaha said..

surfbroker said..
I've rarely found a fin that goes nice and snug into a box, unless it came with the board and is specific to that maker..e.g. Mct
Mostly always need to sand the centre fin to get them to fit..sometimes need to take a smidgen off the base as well..and any slackness can be overcome with a piece of your old credit card cut as a shim if it's too loose in another board I us dc

Really I've owned a million mct and never had a issue, I had another board that I used a mallet to bash the centre fin in and move it up and down the box.

You misunderstood me Mac... the ones that always fit well are the McT ones that come with the McT boards..Dumbcoff..
BTW that attractive lady of generous proportions has been asking about you at the Woopi Bowlo

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surfbroker said..

Macaha said..

surfbroker said..
I've rarely found a fin that goes nice and snug into a box, unless it came with the board and is specific to that maker..e.g. Mct
Mostly always need to sand the centre fin to get them to fit..sometimes need to take a smidgen off the base as well..and any slackness can be overcome with a piece of your old credit card cut as a shim if it's too loose in another board I us dc

Really I've owned a million mct and never had a issue, I had another board that I used a mallet to bash the centre fin in and move it up and down the box.

BTW that attractive lady of generous proportions has been asking about you at the Woopi Bowlo

He gets that everywhere he goes, seems to make an impression with that particular demographic.

Nice board...Heaps of rocker.

I've had a few fins and boxes that have not been quite right. Usually looser than tighter and when it is loose I've found that the old plastic bags to pack out have been ideal. Now i have a selection of plastic bags of different thickness for certain set ups. Lay them in trim the edges and whalla!

Where they've been tighter I've generally persuaded in gently and consistently and that has done the trick.

The ratio of perfect fits to not quite for me has been 60/40, 60 bang on 40 not.

So what is the course of this problem

Cheap fin boxes
Poor quality fin boxes
Pressure at the glassing stage
or

They're hand-made & there's always going to be millimetres in or out

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thePup said..
They're hand-made & there's always going to be millimetres in or out

Fins no way I've has a fin that fits all y boards but it wouldnt fit another guys board

And who puts the finbox in mate and did they put a blank in for spacing

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thePup said..
And who puts the finbox in mate

Ok I get it your saying the slot is not cut out of the foam

could be - might just be a tighter box unit too

You know what they say ... tight box is better than a sloppy one

mac why would you care?

you are the only bloke in the entire cosmos that has never had a problem with their fins fitting...except for a non mct board that is...

where is that falling down laughing emoji when i need him again

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Macaha said..
So what is the course of this problem

Cheap fin boxes
Poor quality fin boxes
Pressure at the glassing stage
or

Nothing to do with quality. There just slight difference caused in the manufacturing of fins, boxes and boards.

I assume yours are Mct fins in Mct boards, they should fit.

If they are hand made fins chance they are slightly different depending in the sander. Different box manufacturers are slightly different and cutting of the blank / glassing in of the box are all reason they won't fit.

Captain fins are usually narrower then alkali. Shapers are slightly wider the cpt fin too

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thePup said..
could be - might just be a tighter box unit too

You know what they say ... tight box is better than a sloppy one

Yeah but the box wouldn't like being hit with a mallet

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SP said..

Macaha said..
So what is the course of this problem

Cheap fin boxes
Poor quality fin boxes
Pressure at the glassing stage
or

Nothing to do with quality. There just slight difference caused in the manufacturing of fins, boxes and boards.

I assume yours are Mct fins in Mct boards, they should fit.

If they are hand made fins chance they are slightly different depending in the sander. Different box manufacturers are slightly different and cutting of the blank / glassing in of the box are all reason they won't fit.

Captain fins are usually narrower then alkali. Shapers are slightly wider the cpt fin too

Thanks mate a awesome reply.

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Macaha said..

thePup said..
could be - might just be a tighter box unit too

You know what they say ... tight box is better than a sloppy one

Yeah but the box wouldn't like being hit with a mallet

never force it into the box.

Signed Don Burke.