I installed LokBox on my wife’s fish (photos of the board in the near future), the fin it’s self is very long in the base. When I inserted the fin tabs and cranked down, there was still a gap on the leading edge and the trailing edge of both fins. The rocker of the board is causing the fins to daylight.
I don’t think it will affect the ride of the board much, but I don’t want to catch seaweed and such. Is there a trick to getting them flush or filling that gap? Thinking of running a bead of clear silicone, denture style, installing the fins, and wiping excess away with my finger. I would still be able to remove the fins for travel.
I can’t see trying to put the rocker curve into the fin base. The tabs are in the center of the fins and that would have to be the high point of the arc along the fin base. It’s hard to follow, I know. Concave vs. convex. I could easily fit them to something concave, but I have to fit them to something convex, or fill the gap.
I’m not too familiar with that style of box, there the 2 step box that gets glassed over right.
So you’ve fitted them flush with the bottom then sanded them to fit the rocker and as you’ve sanded them down when you fit the fins the tab is exposed at the front and back.
If so then you cant rplace the rmoved material and keel the rocker, I guess you could try removing a mm or so from the entire length of the base of the fin tab, but then it may get hung up on the high spot.
I’ve had the same experience with my lokbox fins. It doesn’t seem to impact performance. If you check out the fins on my speed dialer you’ll find the same issue. It’s kind of a bummer given the cost of the fins though.
Ayyy… wanna take a boat ride this weekend? little NE in the water.
I came down to your neck of the woods and stroked into some thumpers at our one and only reef on Sunday. fun.
I see the weekend with me and 200 of my closest friends at Mase. My wife is pining to ride her new board, just some minor issues before wax, plus she’s sporting a new suit. I got good and skunked Sun. I did overhear of “5 guys and a couple of spongers” owning the only working peak on Sun. Would have made it 5 and a kook if I knew it was you guys.
I guess “denture style” it will be. I wonder if LokBox could build in the convex curve in production? I know rockers can be all over the map, but there must some happy medium. Maybe follow the boxes’ rocker over the length of the fin?
Try 5 guys and 20 spongers! I caught a few funs ones. Current was a conveyor belt. I’d hop in at the tip of the cove, let the backwash carry me out and drift down to the peak. I’d hang on for a few waves and then walk it back. lazy, but at least I spent my arms catching waves and not treadmilling.
Firewire was interesting in such windy conditions. Perhaps next time it will be hemp balsa. Did you reinforce your finbox area with the lokbox install? Do you have the install jigs and such?
Nice. Although it will be my wife shreding. It sucks when your wife surfs better that you. ha. I asked my friend about it, his reply was, “Sometimes the Student becomes the Master.”
Theboys, I’ll give the specifics when I post up, but I did use 8 lbs. pour foam to cast a “biscut” in place. Nice cuz it ties to the deck skin. Used it for the leash plug area and vent plug, too.
Unfortunately, there really isn’t a happy medium when it comes to rocker. Ten years ago maybe, but with the retro movent flatter rockers have come back into style. Build a curve into the bottom of the fins and your problem becomes on the other side of the spectrum. In most cases the screws can be tightened more and minimize or even eliminate the problem(most people don’t crank the screws down all the way). You can really crank on the screws without the fear of stripping or breaking anything. Use a full size screwdriver that fits the slot snugly. Grab the fin like the handle of a pistol and apply downward pressure while slightly rocking the fin forward and back. Then tighten the screw more. Repeat. You’ll be suprised how much more flush you can get them. Our widest based Keels are the KG, G&S and Zippis. These fins are usally going into rather flat rockered boards…but nowadays guys are putting lots of rocker through the fin area, then going with a full retro wide based Keel, hence some gappage. My suggestion would be a smaller based Keel if you using alot of rocker through the fin area. Rocker is to help the board turn. Shorter based keels add to this effect. Old school fishes were flat for speed, and the wider based keels go good with that bottom. When you mix the two your almost canceling them both out. Blakestah is correct small gaps won’t effect performance. Leave it to Barnfield for that waxpaper trick. Nice Bill!! Thanks Jim