DIY Sail Tails

[gdbleb]

If I were to try to make sail tails what would a "standard" dimension be please?
I have some 0.75 oz. & 1.5 oz. ripstop coming.
Also, do I need to stiffen the fabric in some way?

 

[Sleepyhollow]

I would use around 1 3/4-2" wide and whatever length you like. I've got some 2" ones I made and they work great.

 

[JMayo]

I make em 28" long, right at 3" wide.
I Lay the material out and measure 28" from the straightest side, marking several times then cutting there. I get 5 or 6 from the cut off part.
Now the rest is the correct length, just measure near 3" all along the edges and cut.
The grommet tool has been a pita. I've gone through 3 that turned into junk quickly.

I'll have 5hrs in 18 tails + glue and grommets.

The folding & super glueing is a time consuming and messy deal.

I have pink, orange, white, florescent green .75
Green 1.5.

 

[butchlambert]

I lay my material on a length of plastic pipe and use a heat gun to form it. I do not like grommets as it lets the tail flop around. Check the photo below. For me this is a better solution.

 

[JMayo]

I like that but how do you store them?

 

[butchlambert]

I like that but how do you store them?

In a plastic tube

 

[JMayo]

Where do you get those clips,

 

[butchlambert]

Where do you get those clips,

I used to sell the Aussie BRT windflags. They came with the flags. I have 4 extra that I will give you if it will help you.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

To get the foil curl, I put my tails in 1 inch PVC tube, cut to length of the finished tails and put them out in the sun with a piece of black plastic over them. It doesn’t take long to cook them into shape.

 

[JMayo]

I used to sell the Aussie BRT windflags. They came with the flags. I have 4 extra that I will give you if it will help you.

I like that. Pm sent.
I also hate the turning of the tails.

I may get a wire bender and attempt to make something similar. It would be like making a spinner bait.

 

[PatMiles]

What materials do you gents use for your sail tails? Where to buy?

 

[butchlambert]

I use sail cloth from a sailmaker's shop. You can buy different, weights, width, and colors.

 

[gdbleb]

I just bought from Sailrite.

Sailrite: Fabric and Sewing Supply Store

Your fabric and sewing supply store. Shop top-quality fabric, leather, sewing machines and more. We provide everything you need for your projects.

www.sailrite.com

They were mentioned in an older Sail Tail thread here.

Heavy / Weighted Wind Flag Tails

So this past weekend at a match, the wind was high. I don’t the actual speed but I believe it ranged 15-25 mph. I came the the realization the wind tails I’m using were too light for that condition. I use plastic 1” ribbon with a 1” clothes pin on the end. So my tails, in the heavy wind, were...

forum.accurateshooter.com

Ordered online late Monday & arrived on Thursday.

 

[jpx2rk]

I like that. Pm sent.
I also hate the turning of the tails.

I may get a wire bender and attempt to make something similar. It would be like making a spinner bait.

Buy some of the larger size paper clips and you can bend them into any shape you want/need with a flat or straight section where the tail will be. Fold the end of the tail over and make a small pocket similar to drapes and slide the paper clip thru the pocket. Strong enough to work and easy enough to bend with or w/o tools. I use small wire cutters with different tips to straighten out where needed or bend where needed.