For setting foil boxes in straight - so a long DT fin that's got a buggered up tip (ie: cheap)

what about a DT foil mast?, could post in the foiling section.

^^^ if they're cheap they're bent....

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Mark _australia said..
^^^ if they're cheap they're bent....

If they are bent they are aluminum, bend them straight for your purposes. Now I do not know how easy that will be, but worse case you drive a vehicle onto it while it is on a level surface with center of bend facing up. Or a tried and tested method would be to use a blow torch to heat it and then bending straight is easy! Plus you should be able to get it for free, shops may have they laying around.

I'm wanting to set boxes perfect. So bending something back again - and nothing to line it up with as the head is tapered - is not exactly accurate. That's why I'm looking for an old formula fin etc that's all fkd up on the tip.
Cos laminates in a G10 or carbon fin won't be bent.

(obviously long std tuttle fin is OK too, but in theory a DT is going to be more accurate)

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Mark _australia said..
I'm wanting to set boxes perfect. So bending something back again - and nothing to line it up with as the head is tapered - is not exactly accurate. That's why I'm looking for an old formula fin etc that's all fkd up on the tip.
Cos laminates in a G10 or carbon fin won't be bent.

(obviously long std tuttle fin is OK too, but in theory a DT is going to be more accurate)

Ive got a stupidly big deep tuttle weedy (Select) that you can have free of charge.
its so stupidly big(for a weedy) that im not ever going to be using it. I think the only reason i bought it (in a moment of stupidity)was coz it was cheap.

only catch is i think the one time i went to give it a go, i discovered the bolt holes were spaced wrong for the holes in my board, Drilling them onto the angle to fit took about 5 seconds to fall into the too hard basket (and i've since bought a better sized fin anyway). Not sure if that and the fact its a weedy is an issue for what you want it for, but you're welcome to it if you want it.

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Mark _australia said..
I'm wanting to set boxes perfect. So bending something back again - and nothing to line it up with as the head is tapered

It's easy. Get a bunged up tuttle fin as a guide to get the foil mast straight!

Wait... oh, nevermind.

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Paducah said..

Mark _australia said..
I'm wanting to set boxes perfect. So bending something back again - and nothing to line it up with as the head is tapered

It's easy. Get a bunged up tuttle fin as a guide to get the foil mast straight!

Wait... oh, nevermind.

If he doesn't have a good level to check it with, I would be worried!

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Sandman1221 said..

Paducah said..

Mark _australia said..
I'm wanting to set boxes perfect. So bending something back again - and nothing to line it up with as the head is tapered

It's easy. Get a bunged up tuttle fin as a guide to get the foil mast straight!

Wait... oh, nevermind.

If he doesn't have a good level to check it with, I would be worried!

I'm sure he has a good level. He's looking for an simple, easy solution, not one involves levels or driving a car on a piece of aluminum to try to set it straight. As a professional, his time has value and a half hour mucking about with things is expensive. Besides, posting a fin is a lot cheaper and easier than sending a foil mast.

If you, as a hobbyist, want to use a foil mast and are willing to spend the time to calibrate and level it - no problems. The theory is sound. The execution is, imho, more complex than necessary.

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Paducah said..

Sandman1221 said..

Paducah said..

Mark _australia said..
I'm wanting to set boxes perfect. So bending something back again - and nothing to line it up with as the head is tapered

It's easy. Get a bunged up tuttle fin as a guide to get the foil mast straight!

Wait... oh, nevermind.

If he doesn't have a good level to check it with, I would be worried!

I'm sure he has a good level. He's looking for an simple, easy solution, not one involves levels or driving a car on a piece of aluminum to try to set it straight. As a professional, his time has value and a half hour mucking about with things is expensive. Besides, posting a fin is a lot cheaper and easier than sending a foil mast.

If you, as a hobbyist, want to use a foil mast and are willing to spend the time to calibrate and level it - no problems. The theory is sound. The execution is, imho, more complex than necessary.

Really pretty simple, but the advantage of using a foil mast is it is longer than a fin, the longer it is the straighter the box will be aligned in the board. If you are off from vertical by 0.05" with s fin it may look straight, but go out farther and it could be off quite a bit. Since a foil is going into the foil box seems reasonable to use a foil mast of at least 95 cm to align it IMO.

For Gods sake , can somebody please give the man a cheap formula fin with a buggered up tip . I think he knows what he wants .There has got to be heaps lying around . Nobody uses formula anymore , most boards were used and trashed for beginner foil boards .

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Imax1 said..
For Gods sake , can somebody please give the man a cheap formula fin with a buggered up tip . I think he knows what he wants .There has got to be heaps lying around . Nobody uses formula anymore , most boards were used and trashed for beginner foil boards .

I was just thinking the same, that there should be heaps, but then I wondered if there are many formula sails/ex-formula sailors in WA.

I am not sure there was anything such as a 'cheap' formula fin though.

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Sandman1221 said..

I'm sure he has a good level. He's looking for an simple, easy solution, not one involves levels or driving a car on a piece of aluminum to try to set it straight. As a professional, his time has value and a half hour mucking about with things is expensive. Besides, posting a fin is a lot cheaper and easier than sending a foil mast.

If you, as a hobbyist, want to use a foil mast and are willing to spend the time to calibrate and level it - no problems. The theory is sound. The execution is, imho, more complex than necessary.

Really pretty simple, but the advantage of using a foil mast is it is longer than a fin, the longer it is the straighter the box will be aligned in the board. If you are off from vertical by 0.05" with s fin it may look straight, but go out farther and it could be off quite a bit. Since a foil is going into the foil box seems reasonable to use a foil mast of at least 95 cm to align it IMO.

You're all assuming the fin head has been aligned with the foil perfectly in the first place. They're not. Press the face of one side of your favourite deep tuttle fin down on a flat surface and measure the height of the tip. Then flip it over. And even if it was symmetric to start with, after it's been sanded by one of the local craftsman to fit one of the unique tuttle boxes out there?

Either way it doesn't matter that much. I deliberately boxed a fin with a 17 degree lean one way to see what would happen - the difference was noticable but It was sailable in both directions. If it looks straight by eye it'll be fine.

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Sandman1221 said..

Paducah said..

Sandman1221 said..

Paducah said..

Mark _australia said..
I'm wanting to set boxes perfect. So bending something back again - and nothing to line it up with as the head is tapered

It's easy. Get a bunged up tuttle fin as a guide to get the foil mast straight!

Wait... oh, nevermind.

If he doesn't have a good level to check it with, I would be worried!

I'm sure he has a good level. He's looking for an simple, easy solution, not one involves levels or driving a car on a piece of aluminum to try to set it straight. As a professional, his time has value and a half hour mucking about with things is expensive. Besides, posting a fin is a lot cheaper and easier than sending a foil mast.

If you, as a hobbyist, want to use a foil mast and are willing to spend the time to calibrate and level it - no problems. The theory is sound. The execution is, imho, more complex than necessary.

Really pretty simple, but the advantage of using a foil mast is it is longer than a fin, the longer it is the straighter the box will be aligned in the board. If you are off from vertical by 0.05" with s fin it may look straight, but go out farther and it could be off quite a bit. Since a foil is going into the foil box seems reasonable to use a foil mast of at least 95 cm to align it IMO.

Its actually not. I've watched people try to get an ally foil mast back to semi straight with the weight of a car. Didnt happen. Problem is you're working on a piece of aluminium that has stretched/elongated on one side (two separate walls as well). It would be extremely hard to get it semi straight, let alone back to precision straight.

I've got an offer of a carbon mast now so should be in business. Thanks guys