I’m just in the process of making a solid balsa longboard - real old school - 10’x24", rolled bottom, soft rails etc…
I’m planning on putting an old style fin on it to make it a little more authentic - I’ve never ridden one or even seen one in the flesh but I’ve seen the old D shaped fins in loads of classic images…
Heres where I need help - can anyone forward me a template for a classic fin?
I could also do with advice on thickness and where to foil it and finally where to position it.
I’m planning on making it out of strips of hardwood (european) that are not oily and need to glue it together before its glassed over and glassed on. I could do with advice on what glue to use to laminate the bits of timber together andf any particular timber I should avoid as well.
12 deep x 9 depth, about a 1 1/2 rake. Set the fin about 2 inches from the tail. This way the rake of the fin is just about perpendicular to the tail, or a 1/2" smidge less. The finished thickness of the fin is 1/4 inch, so you can make it out of 1/8" wood, with 2 layers of 8 oz on each side. You can make the fins out of any kind of wood you want, but if you use oilly wood, Ipa, Mohagany, Teak etc, once you finish the fin you should give it an acetone bath, and before the tone drys, give it a coat of lam resin. If the stuff really soaks in, good. Hit it with another coat of lam resin. Once it kicks, Lam it with the glass. There are no foils on D rudder fins, just make sure you dont put a sharp leading edge. (D fins can kill small animals) the trailing edge is slightly foiled from about 2 inches in. Any glue will work, but the best is elmers or elmers wood glue…Any Alphic type glue.
Alot depends upon how authentic or “replica” you want to go and to what vintage you want. As you know the “D” type skegs were late 50s and early 60s and even up through mid 60s, though by then you saw more of the raked back and hatchet shapes (Weber Performer, Noll / da Cat, etc.). I’m with Resin on his comments regarding size, though the earlier ones were often only 8" or so deep (sometimes even less), and many were up to 3/4" thick (finished glass). Not much foiling done at the time as Resin stated, and the skegs were set way back on the tail. Many of the “D” types had no real rake and the back edge was planed right with the tail.
I can send you a trace off an early 60s Duke Kahanamoku board if you like (send a personal message). Food for thought: Check out Tom Wegener’s site and read his “articles on design” http://www.tomwegenersurfboards.com/index.htm Also, you can take a look at some of the skeg designs I’ve done at http://www.mccormickfinewoodworking.com/ (Wave Rider Collection). Hope that helps. Enjoy the ride!
The fins we put on the balsa boards at Velzy’s in the late 50s were made from 7/16 mahogany. We cut them out on the band saw, cut out most the meat around the edge on a special saw that Able Gomes made for Velzy and then finished shaping them with the disc sander. They were glassed on with two pieces of cloth and rope on each side. They had two nails in the bottom that held them upright while we glassing them. I don’t think they were quite as racked as the one in landlock’s attachment. May be alittle more rounded and 8 inches sounds right. They did over hang the tail block a little. Hope this helps
here’s a shot my brother took of a mal he swapped for a slab [I think he meant the beer , rather than the kneeboard variety slab !]
The “D fin” on it is fibreglass , however …
bottom view …
the deck view…
While I’m on it , does anyone know of this one [or this person ?] …on the back of Simon’s photo it also said " Lindsay Hassett ‘pipeline model’ for the Melbourne Surf Shop " ?
Here you go Chipman, from Surfresearch, they want more info on this one
Pipeline Surfboards
Brendan Rose, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria reports February 2004…
a “Pipeline Surfboard” which was purchased in 1959 from the sports department owned by Lindsay Hassett , ex Australian cricket captain. Its about 9"6 , triple stringer with a “D” fin.
We glassed and fill coated the deck first. The sander, Bob Cooper was the sander at that time a Velzy’s, sanded the overlap and then we laminated the bottom and put the fin on at the same time, pushing the nails down thru the wet cloth on the bottom. We wet the rope out on the bottom a few inch from the fin and pushed it into place with the brush after it was saturated and then put the fin cloth on. After it kicked off we filled the bottom and the fin. It has been a few years, but to the best of my recollection this is how it was done.
