Cutting/Reshaping Glassed-in Fins

General Discussion
1

Howsit

I managed to find a sweet old fat-fish at a second hand store. It’s pretty excellent, except for the fins, which are enormous. It’s got a twin-fin set up, which is exactly what I was after, but each fin is about 2-3 times the size that I want (seriously, they’re enormous, more like keels).

 

I’ve taken it for a few surfs to confirm that they’re too big, before hacking away at it, and yeah they are. If they were FCS I’d just pop them out, throw them in my clamp and start working on them, but they’re glassed-in.

 

Any tips to cutting glassed ins to avoid damaging the rest of the board? Also, I was just planning on using a saw, then surform (maybe) then a file/sandpaper to get the shape, but if there are some better tools to use, I’d love to hear about it.

 

Cheers

2

If you do it any other way than what Barry said please post pics.  An angle grinder, and around 50 grit will get through the roving and if done correctly you can snap the fin off with your hand.  Just picture yourself foiling the fin, except your just trying to remove the rovens and cloth.  Easy job, if you take your time.  I had to fin my share of boards back in the day, and the best at it was Jeff Wells who now is the laminator at Catalyst; he would daily put on 45 fins with one bucket of resin; he used to do it every day back when thrusters first became popular.  And he wasn’t so grumpy then; welll that’s a lie, for he was grumpy back then too.

3

Do not cut the fins until you post a photo. Then,  Have John and Huck and Barry tell you if you are hacking into a classic.......and then post a photo of the fin with your "outline" marked with a sharpie.

These guys will help you. Please do not make a hack job of something that might have value to another Sway's member...............Stingray

4

coping saw works well for that also

5

Cheers John, that’s exactly what I was after. I was thinking a hacksaw would be my best bet, and of course it’s the one tool I don’t have… hah. I’ll go check them out at the store.

And sweet recommendation on the DVS fins. Hadn’t thought to give that a go. I imagine the cut-away gives the fins more flex? Letting the board get slightly more sideways during the turns? (Something I’m very keen on!).

I had thought of just choppng them relatively low in profile. I’ve always enjoyed sliding out on waves, kinda like a diet version of the way Derek Hynd rides (http://vimeo.com/56040503), probably stemmed from my love of slide skating.

So yeah, something between too much fin and no fin, maybe with a cut-away! Man, I’m excited now! Haha… cheers

6

If the keels are glassed on nice and solid, just leave 'em on.  With a couple of simple tools (assuming you have a drill and hacksaw) you can trim them down.  I'd suggest going after the trailing edges first (moving the pivot point forward) with the goal being something akin to Dick Van Stralen's cutaway keels.  I've used one of those grit hacksaw blades to modify glassed-on fin outlines.  A 3" Rol-Lok disc (36 grit or so) will make quick work of refoiling.  Give 'em a try.  If OK,  a little gloss patch and some wet/dry buff work will make an acceptably finished 'ding repair.' 

Note: If your fins have colored laminate or visible wood/foam layers you will have a hard time getting the same foil lines without doing some heavy grinding/refilling.

 

 

 


7

Hi Elbretto.........Who's the dumb guy?????          me or you?

Before you go balls to the walls grinding off fins....or resahping fins.......maybe we need to look at the fins.....and the boards....because what you see may not be what I see.......nothing wrong with glass on fins......or grinding them off..........

but I'm one guy that likes glass ons.........and I like 80's stuff...and 70's stuff....and keel fins. we could make a trade.

Please post a photo before you go too crazy...

thanks..........

8

When I worked as a fin and hotcoater for a living,

we’re talking pre-fin systems here.

I became pretty efficient at removing and re-glassing on fins.

i would literally re-shape, re-position, and re-glass my fins all the time.

all in pursuit of the ultimate ride.

Glass fins before going home, sand in the morning,

surf before the wind got on it.

I would put the board in the sanding racks, take my sander with a 40 grit grinding disk,

grind off all the fin roving.

Front, back, all of it.

carefully not going into the fin or the bottom lamination.

If done correctly, you can just knock off the fins with your hand.

The best way to describe it is to sand out the roving leaving it squared out,with a sharp 90 degree angle.

Almost like what it would look like if you just tacked them on. Pre-glassing.

If the fins are fiberglass, just draw the outline you want, cut them out, and re-foil them.

If done right, no damage to the fins or board.

Good luck.

 

9

angle grinder with a cutoff wheel works great.

Sounds like overkill but, try it!

Go at the roving at a *45 angle on both sides and that puppy will just about fall off with no damage to the fin or board.