Sail Tail Material

G

Gary Walters

Guest
I would like to make my own Sail Tails for windflags. I tried Ripstop Nylon from a fabric store, but I am not pleased with the fabric. It is just not stiff enough and tends to roll-up tightly.

Does anyone know what material and the weight of the material I should use. Is Ripstop Spinnaker Sailcloth a good option? I have looked at some of the sail makers supply places on the web and am totally confused, especially about what weight to order. I guess the weight has alot to do with the strength of the material?

Thanks for your help.........GW
 
Gary, I realize

Gary Walters said:
I would like to make my own Sail Tails for windflags. I tried Ripstop Nylon from a fabric store, but I am not pleased with the fabric. It is just not stiff enough and tends to roll-up tightly.

Does anyone know what material and the weight of the material I should use. Is Ripstop Spinnaker Sailcloth a good option? I have looked at some of the sail makers supply places on the web and am totally confused, especially about what weight to order. I guess the weight has alot to do with the strength of the material?

Thanks for your help.........GW
Click to expand...

We are bunch of guys who really like to do things for ourselves, but Sailtails is not one of those things you are going to be ahead on by doing it yourself.

That in mind, They are made from either .75 oz or 1.5 oz Spinnaker cloth. Most of us, myself and Snuffy, use the 1.5 oz because the .75 is just too light for most applications. There is also 3 oz material that might have a real high wind application, but 1.5 oz is the best of the bunch. IMHO
 
Thanks

Mike and David, thanks for the advice. I will try to purchase the 1.5 and 3 ounce material. We have some pretty stiff winds here. I have had trouble with the fluorescent colors fading, so I will stay away from those.

Really appreciate the help..................GW
 
Gary

The majority of shooters at Visalia, CA shoot with this tale. Francis Lee has made them for the shooters, not sure of cost but you may be able to contact Bill Mellor at www.rollem7@comcast.net to get the contact for Francis. I did not as Bill if I could put his email on the post (sorry Bill my bad).
 
Save your time and ...

energy. Rick Graham has them all made up for about $2.50 each the last time I bought some. They can be found at this address: http://www.brflags.com/ He also ships them in a storable tube. Call him. Art
 
No matter what color

Gary Walters said:
Mike and David, thanks for the advice. I will try to purchase the 1.5 and 3 ounce material. We have some pretty stiff winds here. I have had trouble with the fluorescent colors fading, so I will stay away from those.

Really appreciate the help..................GW
Click to expand...

you get, it will fade. There is NO light-safe dye in the fabric business. Choose a color you can see easily and is different from the majority in your area. the issue is to not get lost in a sea of "all the same".
 
Francis Lee

The tails I have, are from Francis Lee. They hold up real well, and even though they do fade over time, they are still usable. I too, tried making my own, and it cost me more in time than it was worth. Never again.
 
Believe me....

By the time you drive all over town (GAS PRICES !):eek:, find the hooks, the eyelets, and pay shipping for a small quantity of material, then you need a way and a place to cut them. You will be waay ahead to buy from these super sail tail makers. Been there, done that.:rolleyes:

"Snuffy"

PS. I do sell WHITE, which will not fade as quickly as fluorescents and I do sell the "Snuffy Lites" (3/4 oz). The RF shooters seem to like these. A mix of Lites and Standards works for some shooters.
 
How do you guys get your tails to curl? Ive tried a few different things with no success. Thanks.
 
Gary

As you know, I use "Sail Tails". I would not even attempt to make them, considering Snuffy Smith and Francis Lee make them at what I think is a very affordable price.
This is one time where going to an outside source might be the best choice.......jackie
 
It's too late

jackie schmidt said:
As you know, I use "Sail Tails". I would not even attempt to make them, considering Snuffy Smith and Francis Lee make them at what I think is a very affordable price.
This is one time where going to an outside source might be the best choice.......jackie
Click to expand...

I am already committed. My wife does sewing and I have everything I need to make them except good quality material. I need a coated material. I am hard-headed and don't give-up easy. They are really easy to make. I just want to make them for myself, not to sell.

For the fellow that asked how to get them to curl, just keep them in a Tube.

Gary
 
Gary

One other note. Be sure and make up a "special" set for Denton and the right side of Tomball. About 14 inches is what I use there for those humps in the middle.........jackie
 
Magical Merlin ...

abintx said:
Rick Graham has them all made up for about $2.50 each the last time I bought some. They can be found at this address: http://www.brflags.com/ He also ships them in a storable tube. Call him.
Click to expand...

To use my own quote, the tube Rick ships tails in is the perfect storage container. It ensures the tails retain their proper shape. I slide them in the tube one at a time. They slide in smoothly and stack on top of each other. I tried laying all of them on top of each other first, before inserting, but that didn't work very well. One at a time worked better. Also, Rick will make up whatever length tail you want. Art
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Tails

I got mine at a large mzil order kite supply house. Works fine for me. Joe
 
FBecigneul said:
Is the telephone. What what these guys charge for sailtails it isn't worth the aggravation to make them for yourself.
I have seen the product that Snuffy, David, and Francis turn out and when you consider all the expenses and time spent making them, it isn't worth it for you to make some for yourself. So just order some and as soon as they get to you start practicing shooting over them.
Click to expand...

Thank you Francis. There are those who can make tings and do it efficiently and those who should consume.

IMHO
 
Thanks, Francois and David....

David has helped me with problems over time in the making of my version of sail tails. Thanks, David. I have a basement work shop set up with two long tables and a bit of storage. I began cutting them with a special knife....didn't work, then went to a rather expensive hot knife. No, that little $9.95 Xacto knife won't work. I use metal eyelets in mine, and a special tool to seat them, these things can be hard to find locally. Some suppliers have used fiberboard tubes...NO GOOD. PVC with FLAT end caps do the job, but then you need one of those PVC cutters at $39.95. I'm a slow learner, but I sure am persistent as hell. I carry several colors, my color-blind friends want BLACK and YELLOW, because they can't distinguish GREEN and ORANGE. Then some RF shooters and others want 3/4 oz material....So carrying a $300-$400 stock of material just has to be. So, as Francois and David Halbloom said, just buy them. I figure I'm making about 50 cents an hour, but it keeps me off the streets and out of my wife's honey-dos.:p

Regards to all, "Snuffy"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top