How to add a kicktail

**skeeterdechico** · 08-15-2007 11:52 PM

Title pretty much says it. I have my plys ready to be glued together but im waiting for advice.

Any ideas would be awesome.

**David H** · 08-15-2007 11:58 PM

Soak it in water to soften it up, and add a wedge to the back of your press, then crank it on down and let it sit overnight. angle and length are up to you, but common is about a foot, 30*. I think.

**bombing_is_fun...** · 08-16-2007 12:42 AM

add a foam-a-matic like on the loaded fish

**skeeterdechico** · 08-16-2007 10:42 AM

What's the fish's kicktail made of and where would I buy it?? It's a good idea.

**johnspurlock** · 08-16-2007 01:23 PM

how thick are your plys and how many are you going to use?

**skeeterdechico** · 08-18-2007 12:38 AM

I'm going with 2 sheets of 3 ply birch that I'm going to glue together and cover the rest with fiberglass. It has some flex.

**johnspurlock** · 08-18-2007 08:30 PM

A real simple method of adding a kick to a boadr is to simple clamp the plys down to a board with a wedge the size and angle you want to copy.

**Fat Bastard** · 08-18-2007 08:35 PM

Ok guys...here is the best way.

Cut like 6 parallel groves in the bottom of the board all the way until ~1 ply is remaining.

Clamp the board to a jig, and clam the tail down to. The more force applied, the wider to groves will become. When you get your desired kick, mix up some epoxy, and fill up the groves with epoxy.

Let dry.

Once dried you just sand the excess epoxy away and vuala.

**Shimotakimas** · 08-19-2007 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Fat Bastard

Ok guys...here is the best way.

Cut like 6 parallel groves in the bottom of the board all the way until ~1 ply is remaining.

Clamp the board to a jig, and clam the tail down to. The more force applied, the wider to groves will become. When you get your desired kick, mix up some epoxy, and fill up the groves with epoxy.

Let dry.

Once dried you just sand the excess epoxy away and vuala.

Whoa I never heard that method before. Sounds like a really good idea. I like the way you think

**jspats40** · 08-19-2007 02:58 PM

Ok guys...here is the best way.

Cut like 6 parallel groves in the bottom of the board all the way until ~1 ply is remaining.

Clamp the board to a jig, and clam the tail down to. The more force applied, the wider to groves will become. When you get your desired kick, mix up some epoxy, and fill up the groves with epoxy.

Let dry.

Once dried you just sand the excess epoxy away and vuala.

I don't quite understand what your saying... can you explain better.

**Shimotakimas** · 08-19-2007 03:06 PM

Then you bend up the tail and fill those little grooves with epoxy and you have a kicktail! Really clever Fat Bastard. Props.

**Fat Bastard** · 08-19-2007 05:40 PM

shimo nailed it on the drawings...

Heres it in action

And here is the finished board...you can faintly see the lines, but that's because I used stain. As long as you use paint it's all good.

I didn't do much kick on this board, but you can do much more.

**ConcreteSurfer72** · 02-20-2011 11:52 AM

heres venom's approach... soo sick!!

Venom Sicktail Kit

**Hello People** · 02-20-2011 11:58 AM

I put a flat piece where the tail started(to flatten out the concave) then put a wedge at the end. |\- like that.

**longboarder1** · 02-20-2011 04:14 PM

Gravity Skateboards - Hyper & Mini Carve Foam Kicktail

**embarg0** · 02-20-2011 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by ConcreteSurfer72

heres venom's approach... soo sick!!

Venom Sicktail Kit

Damn! Beat me to it!

**virx67** · 02-20-2011 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by David H

Soak it in water to soften it up, and add a wedge to the back of your press, then crank it on down and let it sit overnight. angle and length are up to you, but common is about a foot, 30*. I think.

No. Soaking plywood = bad. Use thinner wood for more complicated bends.

Originally Posted by Fat Bastard

Ok guys...here is the best way.
Cut like 6 parallel groves in the bottom of the board all the way until ~1 ply is remaining.

Clamp the board to a jig, and clam the tail down to. The more force applied, the wider to groves will become. When you get your desired kick, mix up some epoxy, and fill up the groves with epoxy.

Let dry.

Once dried you just sand the excess epoxy away and vuala.

Interesting. Could work, but I think that there are stronger ways to do it; if you have a couple of boards to practice on, then try this out.

Originally Posted by ConcreteSurfer72

heres venom's approach... soo sick!!

Venom Sicktail Kit

Hell yes.

Originally Posted by longboarder1

Gravity Skateboards - Hyper & Mini Carve Foam Kicktail

Maybe.

Easiest way to make a sicktail is to take a street deck, and then cut off the tail at the mounting holes so you have a sicktail. Easy, and the most cost friendly if you have some popsicle decks lying around. Easiest way to PRESS a kicktail would be to use foam, as you don't have to worry about all the calculations that go into offset, etc.

**masterochicken** · 02-20-2011 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by virx67

Easiest way to make a sicktail is to take a street deck, and then cut off the tail at the mounting holes so you have a sicktail. Easy, and the most cost friendly if you have some popsicle decks lying around.

A la Kraffft

**bartmoyers** · 02-20-2011 07:22 PM

There is a surplus of bad advice in this thread. OP gives too little info to solicit useful responses. You have plies ready to glue together, and are waiting for advice?? 1) Glue plies together. 2) ride until failure. 3) Repeat.

**virx67** · 02-20-2011 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by bartmoyers

There is a surplus of bad advice in this thread. OP gives too little info to solicit useful responses. You have plies ready to glue together, and are waiting for advice?? 1) Glue plies together. 2) ride until failure. 3) Repeat.

He wants to know how to press a kicktail......... Derp.

I said that all of the above work, but to PRESS A KICKTAIL, YOU NEED A MOLD WITH THE KICKS.