I'm sure that this has been posted before, but what is the best way to fit a tuttle fin that is too big to a finbox. Do you sand off the sides, ends and lower corners ?

push the fin in and pull it back out and look on the base for where the scratches are.

sand those spots lightly and repeat.

Haggar,
Rub the fin base with a cake of soap (contrasting colour better) and push as far into fin box. Pull out and where soap has rubbed sand those areas. repeat until you get a tight fit. here's one I prepared earlier.........................no just kidding

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Gestalt said...

push the fin in and pull it back out and look on the base for where the scratches are.

sand those spots lightly and repeat.

Haggar this worked for me, took some time but best to get it right.

thnx guys, makes sense

In the absence of soap.
If it's a nice fit, then stops dead, it's probably too long, if it's tight at the start, it's too thick.
If it's too thick sand the sides, if it's too long sand the back end, (it's shorter than the front end, less work)
The only trouble with sanding the ends is keeping the angle right. Also the ends should be either dead straight or slightly hollow, this stops the fin from pivoting in the box. Make sure you don't sand a convex curve into the end.

instead of sanding you can try scraping with one of those bigger stanley blades, they can be a bit more accurate than sanding

Certainly don't sand it, file the peaks, or use a stanley blade like keef said.

Wow, now I have about 6 procedures to choose from
...... well I did sand the sides initially as it was way to tight in the box (sounds nice) now I need to get the last 1 mm. The fin base is red and the box is black so it does leave some nice black rub marks. If not I'll use the soap.

sanding is fine if you use a small flat sanding block. if it's smaller than the base you can concentrate on the tight spot, with anything longer than the base, (like a file), it's very easy to take more off the edges than the middle.

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decrepit said...

sanding is fine if you use a small flat sanding block. if it's smaller than the base you can concentrate on the tight spot, with anything longer than the base, (like a file), it's very easy to take more off the edges than the middle.

I'm good at that ... always taking off more in the wrong places and getting a rocker happening .. not fun.
care is needed !

OK all good, it was a little long like Decrepit said, a bit of filing and sanding, all good ta

O.K we have sorted out how to fit a tuttle
But what happens if it is the other way around eg.
purchased a second hand vector fin and it is too loose
what is the best way to fatten it up so it can be sanded back to fit
Remember these vector have that white powder stuff on it, is there anything that will bond permanatly or is it just easier to get it reboxed
Any help appeciated

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troutty trousers said...

O.K we have sorted out how to fit a tuttle
But what happens if it is the other way around eg.
purchased a second hand vector fin and it is too loose
what is the best way to fatten it up so it can be sanded back to fit
Remember these vector have that white powder stuff on it, is there anything that will bond permanatly or is it just easier to get it reboxed
Any help appeciated

if it's only 1 - 2 mm, gaffer tape on the sides of the tuttle head.