First attempt at making keels seemed to come out good! Thanks to rooster for the templates and thanks to everyone else here. I just was a little confused about the glassing procedure. For keels do i just laminate both sides? If so how many layers of 6 oz, and do i seal the bottom of the fins, the part thats going to be glassed to the board? I read the archives but it left me a little confused, a little clarification of the process would be great.
Thanks again,
George
im gonna try to post the pic again cause it didnt work the first time
kellerfreek,
Those look sweet. I lam my keels on both sides with two layers of 4 0z or one layer of 6 oz. Whatever I have laying around. I don’t glass the bottom where the fins attach to the board. I put roving around the edges when I lam the second side. When I glass them onto my boards I use roving around the base, a full glass patch that covers the entire fin and then a smaller football shaped patch. Have not had a fin crack or break off yet. So when the fins are attached there is another layer of glass to protect them. Your look great. Beautiful grain and texture. mike
sorry to ask so many questions but how do you glass the roving to the outside of the fin? Also, where does the smaller football patch go?
Thanks,
George
Those look really nice…btw what type of wood are you using and how thick
was it when you started?
-Wayne
Kellerfreek,
I’m no expert,but this is what I do. Attach the fins where you want them with a bit of hot glue. I dunk the roving strand in lam resin then squeeze the excess back into the tub. I wrap the roving around the base and smooth it down with gloved fingers. Push the bubbles out. Next, I lam the full fiberglass sheets. They spread out on the bottom about two inches. The footballs I put over the full sheets connecting the base of the fins to the bottom. Thats on both sides of each fin. Get all the bubbles out. Probably better methods. No problems yet. Check the archives and hopefully one of the experts will chime in, too. Good luck and have fun.Mike
cresote,
The wood is just some pine i had laying around and the thickness i started with was about a 1/2", LOTS of sanding to take those down to what i wanted.
Thanks for your input rooster, without you i would be using those crappy fins from foam ez
George
A belt sander is the fastest way to get it to shape you just have to be able to get the both sides close to the same.
The belt sander is what i used after i figured out that the orbital sander doesnt work too good
My procedure is this… I have used it since the 60s, but there are certainly other ways.
First set the fins on, stretch some tape from tip to board so they stay. Mix a little lam resin with chopped fiber to make a little bit of mush which you lay along the fin-to-board joint. Let it set, then remove the tape. Check cant, toe-in, positioning.
I lay the roving (I use just the threads from a piece of glass, take apart the weave) along the base on both sides, and cut two pieces of 6 ounce to cover the fin and as much of the board that you’re gonna want. Mix lam resin and apply with 1" brush. Use the brush to work the resin into the roving. Lay one piece of glass up the side of the fin and wet it with the brush; repeat for the other three pieces of glass. The brush will squeeze out most of the excess resin from the roving and smooth it pretty well; use your finger if you need but I try to keep my hands out of it.
Overall this has worked pretty well for me, keeps my hands from getting all goopy (yes I do have disposable gloves but don’t use 'em for fins), and you only have to clean the brush after. The roving and fin glass are from scrap, no extra cost; only for some resin and a bit of catalyst. Haven’t tried UV cure for this job yet, wonder if the thickness of the roving will inhibit cure down at the base. Will post another thread about that.