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my DIY swallow tail burton supermodel 172

77K views 193 replies 29 participants last post by  ridethecliche 
#1 ·
Here are some pics of my DIY swallowtail job on my 172 supermodel.
Basically I cut it with a jig saw, cut the wood core back about 5mm between the top and bottom layers and filled the gap with flexible urethane.
It has turned my old board into an insane pow stick for under $50, cant wait to test it out in japan!







 
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#7 ·
With the swallow tail the surface area of the tail is much less than that of the nose so I can have my stance centred in relation to the sidecut radius for a well setup board on the groomers but still dominate in the pow. I am going to hokkaido in 19 days so it will definitely get a good workout.
 
#9 ·
Well it worked a treat. The swallow tail allows you to dodge trees like nothing else.
I did not mention the urethane I used before as it was untested but it stood up to temps of around -13c and did not crack or delaminate. This is what I used.

Selleys Urethane Bond - Adhesives | Selleys Australia

It takes 48 hours to cure and is very runny for about the first 4 hours, you need to mask up the top and bottom sheets of your board, let the tape overhang the edge by about 10mm and fill the gap, because it is very runny you can only do small sections at a time as it must be kept level to avoid it all running off the edge. I ended up doing about 3 layers and grinding it back once dried using a flap disc/angle grinder.
It is a bit of stuffing around but it did work flawlessly, there may be better methods, i am just telling how it worked for me.
 
#70 ·
. I ended up doing about 3 layers and grinding it back once dried using a flap disc/angle grinder.
Please do the above ^^^

I didn't and it caused the urethane to bubble a bit.
I just got carried away and made the urethane one thick layer straight away. Which caused it to bubble when I sanded it back it looked crap due to the smooth urethane surface having bubbles in it, I went to dig the urethane out with sharp flat tip and thought it would come out easy. As it come off very easy from the base and the top, but its tough as between the base and the top, so I just left it and ran a thin layer of urethane to seal the small bubbles on the surface.
 
#13 ·
It definitely would. The only swallow tail I have ever ridden is this one so I cannot compare it with others but the way this board performed just took my breath away. For steeps and tree runs it is just insane, giving you at least double the control you have with a full tail. In deep powder rear leg burn is eliminated totally.
 
#14 ·
Nice, I like it. I think I'm going to try that too.

I made a diy no-board, with a board from before the standard 4 hole disc binding era.
It has screw inserts all over the place, I just ground the heads off some longer screws. Now it's studded.
Lets just say you wouldn't want to fall face first on this thing.

But where the inserts are, is where bindings should go. But without the bindings, you can't stand in that designated area & ride very well without the nose dive bombing.

If I put a swallow tail on it, that should put me back in the sweet spot.

TT
 
#19 ·
Just by eye. Find the centre of the board, use a round object mark a circle and then draw what looks right to you from the circle back to the tail. Cut a paper template from that side and flip it for the other side to ensure symmetry. Mark and start chopping.
 
#22 ·
Ok mine measures 70mm from the back of the channel to the start of the radius and 175mm wide at its widest point near the tail.
Bunnings have a jigsaw for $30 odd and a the glue for under $10, you will also need some masking tape.
 
#31 · (Edited)
Well its useless then.

The swallow tail is back on track.

I have made a template and from my last binding bolt I have 140mm measuring to the back section that I want to cut out. Is that leaving enough meat?

What did you use to cut the wood back 5mm?

And when you cut through edges of the board with jig saw did you start cutting on the edge or did you have hole in the board and cut towards the edge?


Last night I looked at lot different swallow tail designs and I have to say your is unique and looks the best.
 
#33 · (Edited)
I made few templates, I didn't like the first one so no pics of that one.



A. Something simular style to ETM, but after looking closely at rounded ends, I decided againts it, as its going too hard to make it look neat with the edging, plus its not protected as much due too the edging stopping sooner. It would look a lot nicer with rounded ends, but its harder to do and offers less protection.
B.Same template just moved back, this is when I noticed having pointed ends would be less work and it offers more edge protection and strenght.
C.Slight change
D.Slight change, I like this one the most, but have see if there is enough room to get a grinder and dremil in.
E.Slight change, pic not taken square so template looks very off alingment.



A

B

C

D

E
 
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