I am about to do my first glass-on fins, and I am looking for some tips.
My biggest concern is setting the fin angle (cant) while waiting for the glue to dry. How should I hold the fins in position?
I plan on using 2 layers of 4 oz. on each side of each fin, and 7 strands of roving for the fillet on each side of each fin.
Have you tried the search function?
Seriously: set up your fins and run a length of tape from near the top of each fin down to the board, each side. This will tape the fin into position. Then get a teaspoon or less of catalyzed resin and dab it along the base where the fin meets the board. When this sets you can take off the tape and get on with rope and a couple layers of glass.
Howzit obproud, use UV resin since this is your first time doing glass ons,Aloha,Kokua
Whats a search function? Is that something that Rip Curl does?
I was looking for something a little more crafty… if possible.
Hey Kokua, I am using Resin X, so that is not an option. I think I will do 2 separate batches for each side of the board to insure that I am not rushed.
Howzit obproud, OK, well then on to the next question. Use a hot glue gun to set the fins and it will take only a couple of minutes to set up and you can use a sliding bevel square to set the angle. Aloha,Kokua
do what kokua says, or if you don’t have a hot glue gun use superglue (Zap-A-Gap is a good version for this). Sets in a few seconds so no need for tape, even. Just use the bevel tool Kokua as said or make a jig out of cardboard or masonite for whatever cant degree you want (0, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, whatever).
Or you could have set it out last night in the sand by the OB jetty...and let the Easter Bunny do it?
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Or you could have set it out last night in the sand by the OB jetty...and let the Easter Bunny do it?
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That only works during Easter. Any other time set the board and fins out at the Childrens Pool, in La Jolla, and it will be taken care of by ''The Seal of Approval.''
Last time I was at children pool it was low tide so I decided to park at the beach. It was dawn and I kept hitting these black rock looking things…
My original plan was to have these guys hold them in position, but I couldn’t find them… so I’ll have to go with the glue.
I made a set of blocks out of 1" oak tred material with angles… 2, 4, and 6 degrees on three corners. I set the block on the inside of the fin, using the angle I want, and tape the fin with the block set in against the fin. The block and tape hold the fin in place until the hot resin goes off. If it slips (which it almost never does) I just snap off the fin and do it over.
Also, remember that a thicker fillet at the base creates less drag than a thinner fillet, and it’s stronger.
…hello,
the shirt that the old guy have is super cool
by the way, why something more crafty?
more complicated?
more time and tools involved?
or exactly what?
Its the way Honolulu and Kokua said
or even with stuff like instant epoxies, etc (but in my opinion those things aren t better than the resin itself; I have been seeing lot of failures with those glues and the base of the fins)
reverb,
That is his spacesuit…
By crafty I meant a simple idea that made the process easier. On my other boards I have glassed, that all have fin boxes, I always tape some fins on to see if they ‘look right’, but it is quite the balancing act, and not super accurate, so I was looking for some better ideas.
I am well aware of the KISS (especially the last S) concept, and I am inclined to accept that the tips already mentioned are the extent of the craftiness.
…just see
I tell ya that the best way that I found for multi finned boards is this:
for white fins or clear color fins (almost all anyway)
fast, accurate and easy
plus have polyester resin between the fin and the lam (do with polyester too) is really better than have other resin or glue
so same resin always.
grab a tool called “protractor” with the desired angle
put the fins, hold em with tape, put UV resin, put in the Sun
few minutes all the operation
then proceed with the glass layers
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''.... a thicker fillet at the base creates less drag than a thinner fillet, and it's stronger.''
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You might want to re-think that one, on both points. My experience, in the pre-finbox era, led me to a different conclusion. By 1960 I abandoned the use of ANY glass rope, and only used glass cloth, cut on a bias, to mount glassed on fins. I never had a fin crack, or break, after going to that method of attachment. The boards with reduced radius fillets, were observed to be faster than when their fins had large radius fillets.
BT… that’s a trip and revelation in one. Do you still lay them up that way? does the bias config negate/reduce/other resin fill at the base where the rope is customarily placed?
P.S.
My vote’s for those pants, but I don’t golf.
Deadshaper,
It is the only way I will do a glass-on fin, though my preferance runs to FU boxes, for the ability to fine tune with fore/aft adjustability. The bias cut cloth enables more of the glass fibers to be in load bearing orientation, thus a much stronger attachment at the fin/board juncture. Less resin is used than the ''normal'' rope application method.
I decided to align the fin tips with the plane parallel to the tail planeshape. It came out to about 8 degrees for the fronts, 7 degrees for the back.
I taped stirsticks to the rail, 90 degrees from the bottom and leaned the fins upagainst them, now I am just waiting for the 5 min epoxy to set, so that I can add the glass, and (maybe not) roving.
In light of the fact that I may be removing the fins, to move them (they are in a kind of experimental position, for me, at least), should I forgo the roving?
Is 2 layers of 4oz. S-cloth enough?
With respect to the cloth bias, do you mean align the glass weave so that it is parallel with the rake/sweep of the fin?
