fin making

I’m ready to begin making my own fins now and was interested in learning from you guys just how difficult it is to make your own longboard fins. I wanted to make a few for myself. I wanted to make a few to glass on and a few for my fin box. How difficult is it to create the base for the fins that go in the fin boxes? Also, what do you use as for the pin that goes into the fin?

Mahalo

Kevin

Glass on fins are pretty easy to make. I just cut traced a fin i like, cut it out and foil.

I’m still working on a mould for a fin box. I made a wood jib and poured laminating resin. But the resin gets so brittle that it cracks really easily. I’ve heard 36 layers of 6 ounce cloth should be the proper thickness for the box.

For the pin, i just drilled in a 1/4 " stainless steel screw(one that had machine thread on it) and cut/dremel off the end.

Quote:
I'm ready to begin making my own fins now and was interested in learning from you guys just how difficult it is to make your own longboard fins. I wanted to make a few for myself. I wanted to make a few to glass on and a few for my fin box. How difficult is it to create the base for the fins that go in the fin boxes? Also, what do you use as for the pin that goes into the fin?

Mahalo

Kevin

Please spend a few hours reading all that is in the archives. There is literally hours of reading on making fins in there, and if you need further clarification post back here.

Try searching “fin grinding” “wood fin making” “molded box” etc etc

Must you always use a mold when making the base of the fin, or can you sand it down to the dimensions of your box?

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Must you always use a mold when making the base of the fin, or can you sand it down to the dimensions of your box?

Tight fits are a must. Sanding it down doesn’t work, machining it down does, but once you make a casting mold you can sand

the base “close”, and then drop it in the mold to finish it trivially.