fin plugs

What removable fin systems are most of you using for shortboards? What’s the easiest to install? Any advice concerning the installation of the system you are using would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for all of your help.

What removable fin systems are most of you using for shortboards? What’s > the easiest to install? Any advice concerning the installation of the > system you are using would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for all of > your help. I can’t tell you which is easier, for I just installed my first removable fin system, but I will tell you that FCS is far easier than glasson, and I didn’t buy anything more than an 1 1/8" holesaw bit (the kind with removable pilot bit)… granted I had access to an old board with FCS to template off of, and I used the old fins to make the holders. I’m sure the installation kit makes it even easier, but I’m just a hobbiest, so spended an ten twenty minutes seting things up and cleaning things out doesn’t bother me. I’m sure others have more efficient methods, but this worked fine for me. Grab an FCS board and remove the fins. Take some tracing paper and sketch the plug diameters as well as the slot outlines. Note how the sidefins flat side (inside)lines up flush with the inside of the slot. Line out your fins as normal, sketching a line on the foam where you want them. Lay the tracing paper on the board (remember the offset on the sidefins - I lined up the inside of the slot right on my fin line)and poke a little hole in the center of each circle onto the foam. Use the hole saw with a small pilot bit (as in just barely sticking past the holesaw) and start the holes on your marks. Once you get a decent circle started - stop. Make a jig guide out of a thin piece of scrap wood. Remove the pilot bit, place the jig over one of the circles you scratched and drill a hole to the depth of an FCS plug (note the lip on the top - they dont go in all the way) Remove the core with a screwdriver like you would a leashplug (or buy a 1 1/8" bore) and clean the bottom with the screwdriver. For the side fins, reinsert the hole saw and lightly drill untill you almost hit the glass on the other side. Blow out all the dust (wear goggles - see my earlier thread [wink] and voila - an H pattern. Maybe not the cleanest, but I think it should work. Repeat 5 more times. Hope this was clear, I bought the installation video for about 5 bucks from EZFoam just for a visual reference, then mimic-ed with what tools I had. Oh yeah - I took some old fins and sanded down the base to keep it clear of the resin pool - put the plugs on to make sure the distance was correct and glassed it like that. Use a resin thickener, the right amound of catalyst, and simply tweak the fins till they look right as its settling. Next time I don’t think I’ll pull out the pilot bit and use the jig… might as well drill the initial hole with it in, resin will just fill the hole. Just make sure you pull it out before doing the H pattern - don’t want to put a hole in the glass. Hope this helps Cheers

What removable fin systems are most of you using for shortboards? What’s > the easiest to install? Any advice concerning the installation of the > system you are using would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for all of > your help. Fin Solutions

Fin Solutions Where can I get some infor on Fin Solutions? Who sells them?

I can’t tell you which is easier, for I just installed my first removable > fin system, but I will tell you that FCS is far easier than glasson, and I > didn’t buy anything more than an 1 1/8" holesaw bit (the kind with > removable pilot bit)… granted I had access to an old board with FCS to > template off of, and I used the old fins to make the holders. I’m sure the > installation kit makes it even easier, but I’m just a hobbiest, so spended > an ten twenty minutes seting things up and cleaning things out doesn’t > bother me. I’m sure others have more efficient methods, but this worked > fine for me.>>> Grab an FCS board and remove the fins. Take some tracing paper and sketch > the plug diameters as well as the slot outlines. Note how the sidefins > flat side (inside)lines up flush with the inside of the slot. Line out > your fins as normal, sketching a line on the foam where you want them. Lay > the tracing paper on the board (remember the offset on the sidefins - I > lined up the inside of the slot right on my fin line)and poke a little > hole in the center of each circle onto the foam. Use the hole saw with a > small pilot bit (as in just barely sticking past the holesaw) and start > the holes on your marks. Once you get a decent circle started - stop. Make > a jig guide out of a thin piece of scrap wood. Remove the pilot bit, place > the jig over one of the circles you scratched and drill a hole to the > depth of an FCS plug (note the lip on the top - they dont go in all the > way) Remove the core with a screwdriver like you would a leashplug (or buy > a 1 1/8" bore) and clean the bottom with the screwdriver. For the > side fins, reinsert the hole saw and lightly drill untill you almost hit > the glass on the other side. Blow out all the dust (wear goggles - see my > earlier thread [wink] and voila - an H pattern. Maybe not the cleanest, but I > think it should work. Repeat 5 more times.>>> Hope this was clear, I bought the installation video for about 5 bucks > from EZFoam just for a visual reference, then mimic-ed with what tools I > had. Oh yeah - I took some old fins and sanded down the base to keep it > clear of the resin pool - put the plugs on to make sure the distance was > correct and glassed it like that. Use a resin thickener, the right amound > of catalyst, and simply tweak the fins till they look right as its > settling.>>> Next time I don’t think I’ll pull out the pilot bit and use the jig… > might as well drill the initial hole with it in, resin will just fill the > hole. Just make sure you pull it out before doing the H pattern - don’t > want to put a hole in the glass. Hope this helps>>> Cheers Nice post Rook…that took some time.If I may I will add that make sure that the resin cures before you try pulling the fins out. R.B.

Nice post Rook…that took some time.If I may I will add that make sure > that the resin cures before you try pulling the fins out. R.B. Just trying to throw my two cents in; figured you vets need to save your typing for the real tough ones…

As far as I’m concerned, It’s pretty hard to beat RED X or Future Fin Systems & for my money they are the two best. With Lock Box being a decent choice for third. There are lots of them out there but these seem to be the most straight forward and strongest of them all. Mahalo, Rich

As far as I’m concerned,>>> It’s pretty hard to beat RED X or Future Fin Systems & for my money > they are the two best. With Lock Box being a decent choice for third. > There are lots of them out there but these seem to be the most straight > forward and strongest of them all.>>> Mahalo, Rich i use speeedfins, easy install, the problem is there are only 3 templates. http://www.speeedfins.com/

there is some info about them on my website in the fin section, at present you can buy them from south coast foam… im supprised rabbit wasnt hard selling you already. they are fitted exacly the same way as fcs and you can put fcs fins in them… look for their own website soon. http://www.feraldave.com

there is some info about them on my website in the fin section, at present > you can buy them from south coast foam… im supprised rabbit wasnt hard > selling you already. they are fitted exacly the same way as fcs and you > can put fcs fins in them… look for their own website soon. Rick should have some set for sale if not e-mail me and i will send some to you been to many storms and profiling to get on the net Rabbit http://www.southcoastfoam.com.au