hey guys,
I have a twin keel fish with glass on fins. when I came out the water I saw that on top of one fin the glass crumbles and I can see/touch the wood. fix it, or leave it? The fish has seen a lot and had a pretty good life, but all I need is another solid 14 days out of it…
any advice?
14 days only? Leave it alone. More than that, then fix it.
14 day…and then what? You turn into a pumpkin?
Keep you boards tight and in good working order…they will respect you for it.
alright! fixed it… I love the board and why not treat it good. thanks…
That’s what happens when not creating a glass halo.
Could have been worse.
The foil doesn’t seem very good either. I hope this fin is not made by a pro?
Not a difficult fix. Sand down all the delaminated fiberglass to the wood. You can even sand the wood to 220 grit making sure there aren’t any scratches. Sand down the entire Keel so you can add glass. Make sure the wood is completely dry. Before adding new fiberglass to exposed areas it is best to do a cheater coat. This is laminating resin mixed with about 5-20% Styrene. If you don’t have Styrene you can just use laminating resin.
Personally I would leave the keels on the board and place fiberglass on each side of the keels. Place your pre-cut patches on a piece of wax paper and wet them out. Then apply the patches to each side of you keels at the same time with the patches extending above the keel and below the solid glass line. Using UV resin makes this job painless. Trim your glass and finish.
Another option would be to place some wet-out roving on the edge of keel. This can be done while you are laminating the patches. Just place the roving between the patches and the patches will hold it in place.
Dave
it is a Kane Garden Twin fish shaped by Larry Mabile…
Mabile makes bitchen fishes, but the fins do have big flat spots. I’d clean that curve up with a sanding block. Sand around the area. Tape it off. Wet it with lam resin. Lay down some glass roving and a bit of fiberglass over that. re foil. Hit it with sanding resin. Sand it smooth. Don’t forget to let the wood dry out first. If you have sun cure you could do it in about 30 minutes. Mike
Sorry to say but all too many fins by reputable, even revered fin makers are simply accidents waiting to happen. Even with kid glove treatment, basically disposable pieces of crap. Another example of weight savings at the expense of durability gone too far.
The good news? An easy fix! Some 5-minute epoxy from the local hardware store should get you back in the water in a pinch and preserve what’s left for a ‘real’ repair when you get a chance.
5-minute epoxy - a must for any traveler’s repair kit.
But wait, there’s more ! Cyanoacrylate Glue, aka Super Glue, will wick into hairline cracks, and does a great job of sealing exposed wood from water intrusion.
Oh, I like that tip! thanks!
