Im thinking of challenging myself & building a Campbell Brothers Russ Short influenced craft around 6’4" in length. I found a diagram explaining the complex concaves. So if anyone knows the fin placement, cant & toe-in of the runners and/or the center box location that’d be great help. Some rocker numbers would be good too. Thanks in advance
Son,
You are asking for information that has been earned.
Malcom and Duncan worked years, decades and more than paid their dues.
PLEASE be cool here.
You asked for advise.
I love shaping and glassing boards.
And if some one falls by and wants " a Bonzer"
Ah, I also repair boards and have nothing but respect for the Bros.
Quality stuff!!!
I send 'em up to see and hopefully purchase the real McCoy.
And more importantly “Be Mindful”.
SO…
Unless
#1. You can lam real good.
#2. And an advanced sander!!!
Just buy one.
OR
Begin your quest.
Aloha
Your taking things a bit to seriously. Lighten up. If someone wants to help me great, if not please keep it to yourself
Nice picture Matty, lots of info to be gained from pics on the internet for those who spend a little time studying them. When I did my bonzer a few years back I just studied all the pics at the surfy surfy blog, there are tons of them - plus any info I could get from googling. There are some diagrams on the net, IIRC. Been awhile. Anyway, I didn’t have all the specifics spelled out for me, just gave it my best shot, and figure I must have been pretty close, cuz the board worked great. Seems like there are some past threads on the subject too, here and ERBB.
BTW, the fin cant varies, I think the latest bonzers are a little more canted, less on the older ones. There is actually a bit of variation in fin size shape placement etc. that you will notice if you really study the bonzer pics. So in other words, I don’t think there are absolutes, just some narrow parameters that seem to work best.
Yeah Buddy,
Have “Guru” buddy on Maui.
Mucho history.
Eh?
Be Mindfull
Is just too cool
Fool
Aloha…
Somewhere out in the internet world is a Bonzer fin placement diagram. Try Googling Bonzer fin placement. I have a copy in on my old computer. Some say it isn’t a correct Bonzer fin system But it sure is close and a great place to start. Another place to look for a simlar set up is Bob The Greek Bolens shorty flex boards. His boards have a very wide tail so his side fins are larger but have an over lapping side fin set up very much like a Bonzer. The Shorty flex is an interesting looking board.
The rear fin placement is also on the bonzer5 website.
Bonzers are fun 
Except that the front and rear runners are supposed to overlap 1/2"
Thanks John, that’s the diagram I remember, I used it on my bonzer HWS. I’ve since retired that board, but have been thinking of building another, that one worked so well for down-the-line point break surfing. I do recall there being some variations (in fin placement or cant) from the diagram, on some of the modern bonzers. If you search internet enough, I think you can find it, but like was said, the diagram is close enough.
The bonzer5 site tells exactly where to put the center fin. From the pics it looks like the leading edge of a properly placed center fin lines up with the back edge of the rear runners. From what I gathered the front and rear runners overlap about a half inch. So it pretty much lays itself out. I took some mental notes from some guys CB bonzer at the lane today. Reassured my thinking. Anyways thanks for the tips.
Take your exact numbers and go pound sand…ok…Gosh …maybe you should build a few…ride a few…challenging your self to do some research would be good…Hey …Bro…
Are you China or what?..Re-read your post. Hey dude…give me the numbers now…I can’t even use a tape measure to rip your dims…just post them now …for StayR…
everyone copies…you too…big time…in a bad way…I copy too…but I actually hold the boards in my hands… not demand numbers on the internet. Wow.
We all suck…Thanks in advance…Ray.
Give me a break ray. I’m a long way away from ur competitor. I’m just trying to get the fins in the right spot. Even if I get them in the right spot it dosnt mean the boards gonna work right. I cut the glass on fins off my quad fish and re foiled new ones 6 times. It took forever, turned into a hack job and the board looks like shit now. I’d prefer to never have to do that again. But I got them in the right spot & the board rips now. I’d happily share my numbers & fin template with anyone to prevent someone else wasting time.
Stayrelaxed, don’t worry about it mate! As soon as you start talking Bonzers the nutccuppers come out of the woodwork to prove their devotion. They are like Moonies, but probably surf worse.
It’s a bit like starting a McCoy thread,…
I’ve done some “Bonzer inspired” shapes of my own and retrofitted a couple too. I like em.
@6’4" you want the runners at about 11". 1 1/4" — 1 1/2" off the rail toed 2" off the nose (parallel to each other though) and about 22* cant. There is no overlap on the Campbell bros bonzers ive ridden, or on the boards I’ve made. The runners are thin too. Not quite 1/4". I’ve gone 1/8" with nice results.
As for the centre box, don’t put a huge one in, the fin will sit within 1/4" of the rear runners every damned time. Probably within 1/8". Remember to leave room in the foil for the box to sit.
The bottom usually has a Vee with the deep cons cutting through it. My advice to you is that less is more. Otherwise they are power hungry.
I’m starting to think the cons are not necessary if the Vee is fairly subtle, but there needs to be some kind of convex feature or they feel tracky and gross.
Dunno about rocker, I’ve not been to attracted to the model you’re trying to emulate. My last 6’0" was 1 7/8" tail and 4" nose with super flat entry. It seems to do the trick, maybe tack a little on that and see how it goes.
Dont take any shit. You can lam and sand these things, just be neat about it and wear garden gloves, because they will cut you up.
Hope you post it, you’ll love it!
“toed 2” off the nose (parallel to each other though)"
How can this be???
I think he meant the pair of fins (on each side) are parallel to each other!
But I know what you mean, he doesn’t make clear if it’s the front, or the rear (of the pair) that is toed 2" off the nose… it makes a difference.
The diagram is clearer, 1/4" toe-in on both.
Lots of good posts from ace in the archives
That diagram will give you slightly more toe on the fronts due to the base lengths.
Build it surf it lots and post some pics.
Yep my bad, use the rear runner as the reference, and toe the front one parallel.
The toe is not a sacred number, you should play around and reset a few times if it doesn’t turn you on. Some use 1/2" on the 10" Bonzer3 runners regardless or 1/4" on B5’s but I like to keep it consistent with other multi fin setups.
If it’s a compact shape designed to feel longer, ie round nose, increase the distance from the stringer at the nose.
