Howzit Shipman, Did you use new jigs or old ones when you installed the new plugs. I’m just trying to figure out why my jigs won’t fit in the new plugs other than what FCS rep told me about them being aware of this problem.Aloha,Kokua
I installed them with very old jigs and all it took was to clean the very fine resin layer from the jig with a bit of 120 grit. The new plugs have a much smaller slot to be an exact fit to the fin base so there is less room for mess on the jig. If you take the smallest amount off it will fit the new plug and still work just like brand new ones with the old plugs.
The new plug with old composites doesnt make much difference but when you stick a solid glass fin or the new glassflex in them it all becomes clear what FCS is raving about with the evolution thing. No more flex where you dont want it and fins sold at the same price as the old stuff that you actually want to ride…
I’m talking about new plugs with the old jigs. I did another half a dozen today. No real problems with it. My jigs are old and crappy too.
i agree the old jigs are insanely tight on the new plugs , but after the glasser soaked his jigs in acetone over the weekend , all the excess resin buiilt up over the years was removed , now the fit is tight , but not impossible to work with …
it gives a way more acurate set , as the old plugs could move slightly on the jigs …
as far as the talk about the fors and againsts of each system …
well ive got some strong views on everyones foils , as far as the ultimate performance end , no one wants to go there and include high performance foils in there everyday range , as they are not deemed as worthwhile when the bulk of your customers are average surfers …(maybe there average coz of there equipment ?)
so in every case not one fin company has stepped up with a foil that is designed around surfing , most will fall back to naca foils or start talking about numbers and data gathered from aircraft or boating …
im mainly refering to the profile of the camber and where the thickest part of the foil is situated , templates and so on are fine (except for guys over 90 kg )…
(red x are the closest to a decent location of the thickest part )
so in all cases ive always had to make my own fins for what ever system ive run …
for me its been …
A F S
F C S
OFISHLL
RED X
FUTURES
SWIVEL
and my own …
in all cases ive had dramas , as every system has always been the first thing to fail …
ive done set fins and 10 years no dramas , not one fin system including my own , has stood the test of time without being the first problem on a board …
in every case ive had to re- engineer the system to suit my boards , basically build another component into the board or around the fin system to make it more solid …
so out of all the above systems , fcs is the easiest to make work , in the sense of adding adequate reinforcing but still having a relativly simple install , plus having a simple setup means making your own fins is easier as well …
im on the 4 way system now , playing and adapting , as there are aspects that make it just as simple to make your own fins , and its just like fitting 1 big fcs plug …
until i get that system fully tested , fcs remains the easiest other system to make work if you need to modify your boards to make it real solid …
now also take into consideration , that i dont build conventional boards , so most of the reasons all the fin systems will tell you makes them good or solid , dont apply to my boards …
so before all you other guys jump in and say o but our fin system does this or that , yes it does in regular old fashioned construction …
so from an install durability point of view , all the fins systems have there failings , ive personally found fcs to have the least, combined with the easiest way of making them way more durable …
regards
BERT
Have you tried speeed fins, I have put them in about 40 boards and there hasn’t been a problem. How ever most people around are using aus fin systems or fcs , I use ofishl as well in long boards for personal reasons.
What do you se as the down falls with speeedfins.
Pandanus, Bert have you guys used fin solutions? They seem to get used a bit around here (Newcastle). I’ve just been PM’ing Ben about them as he hadn’t seen them before and to be honest neither had I until I got a board from a local shaper out Long Jetty way. When I first saw em I thought WTF but they seem to make sense to me. I’m thinking of fitting them to the next board I make and just wanna know if anyone has had any dramas with em as opposed to FCS?
How about a pic of the Fin Solutions? thx
no worries , Greg …
…the ones I HAD seen , which I thought may have been the fin solutions system were , again , fcs type triple plugs , but with a removable plastic insert in the ‘groove’ …ANYONE know what these would have been , please ?
[they were on a byron bay kneeboard… a parkes four finner…
cheers !
ben
next time I surf with Pete the kneelo , I may be able to tee up a photo of them , hopefully ?
Fin solutions take fcs plugs, the system was designed after fintek went bust . It uses the same principles of instalation and is so easy that I feel it will be the system in aus. (my opinion isn’t much). Most of the boards on the gold and sunshine coast are using this system. The fcs range is quite extensive and it fits.
…haven’t seen it here in the West yet …
ben
Bert,
If you like our foils and you are using 4-Way fins, you're going to be really happy that 4-Way just recieved their first article samples of our foils with 4-Way's root. They can get any of of templates with their roots. They can even get any of our templates with the new material. Just ask Dean or Charles for them.
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…700 or whatever miles of california coastline does not make it the centre of the [surfing, or surf industry] universe.
cheers !
ben
Beautiful…
…what is a "4 way root "?
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…what is a "4 way root "?
Me, my wife, Elizebeth Hurley, and Heather Locklear.
Howzit Bert, The thing is I clean the jigs after every installation so the jigs are clean as they can be with no resin on them. Got an e-mail from my rep this morning and he is sending me the new jigs for the new plugs and also some of the new M5 fins. I will be making anorder on Monday so I think I'll order another set of the new jigs since 1 set is not enough in my case.Aloha,Kokua
Maybe I am bitter , When I first started ding repairs and shaping I aproached O’fish’l , Fintech and fcs, o’fish’l were great the sent me the jigs free , had to buy fintech but helped out to no end. Fcs on the other hand told me I didn’t qualify to use their system as I didn’t make enough boards, wouldn’t return calls , so made ding repairs a nightmare as most boards at the time had fcs. I won’t put fcs in a board won’t reccomend fcs and won’t buy a board with the system in.
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Most of the boards on the gold and sunshine coast are using this system. The fcs range is quite extensive and it fits.
atleast 1/2 to 3/4 on the gold coast for sale where with fin soloutions plugs.
Oh I AM, benny. I am 
-doug
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…Can’t wait to see them since the ProBox systems are really coming on over here,just did 3 boards with them and one of my shapers is switching over to them and my other shaper recommends them to his customers. I just might have to sell off some of my FCS sets if most of the boards I do get ProBoxes. Mitch and Robin are great guys and I’m glad you got the work.Aloha,Kokua
I agree, they are great guys. I haven’t had the opportunity to check out the new FCS stuff yet, but I jumped on the ProBox bandwagon right off the bat. I offer them as the standard alternative to the old FCS plugs.
Not that odd that the new FCS would have foils similar to the Futures Vectors. Those guys have something with those foils. I bought a $180 install kit just to be able to offer those foils. The upper echelon loves 'em. Maybe I need to talk to FCS again also.