Hints for sanding Fin Plugs FLAT!!!

General Discussion
1

ok guys...

 

any tips on sanding down fin plugs and leash plugs so they are nice and flat...without trashing the sanding coat (and Lam coat!!!) around the the plugs!?

I have been using a 50mm air powered die grinder which does work well.....but would love to get a better finish!

thoughts...?

thanks

Marty

2

Hi MArty

There are a few things to get it flat, i only made 30 boards, so count me in the backyard advise group

the first is to use a power sander with a big disc

KEEP THE PAD FLAT - the golden tip

sand it down roughly with 40 grit first

leave standing proud few mm

then go to a finer grit, say 80

once it is flat, 

sand the whole hotcoat afterwards

careful to not overheat the plugs ! touch em up a lot 

you could also go for the greenlight tool, and router down the first part

sand the rest

–

Fcs Fusions dont need sanding, just meticulous working

this is my take on it, hope to learn more from other people their replies

cheers

 

3

That pretty much says it wouter.   I would just add that you do the plugs first and  they will clean up nicely with finer grit when you sand the hotcoat.

4

all these little hints are so useful guys, thanks heaps for those that contribute

 

5

the only thing that counts is;

don't over heat the plug.

herb

6

Absolutly right herb.  Spend too much time on those plugs and it's burn thru etc.  Hit 'em lightly and knock 'em down.  No extreme pressure and heat.  It took my "bonehead"  quite a few patch jobs to figure that $#!t out.  Of course that was "many moons" ago(a little Indian lingo).

7

…go easyyy bro…give a litle bit to each plug at a time…

8

hey wouter

 

whats the greenlight tool??

had look at their website but didnt see anything?!

Marty

9

Greenlight makes aj ig that can be used with a router that will flatten plugs.  I was never interested in it because I have always ground 'em and have that method down.  If you're just learning you may benefit from such a jig.  Greenlight and Shapers ozz are the most inventive tool and system wise of all the suppliers on either coast or continent.

10

Just freehand with your fcs bit and robi laminate router. Make a “sled” on the bottom base of your router with some balsa or plastic that is 1/8" wide and 1/4" high(approximately). Have your safety glasses on and orient the router with the access hole toward you.  You will be able to easily freehand the fin box caps or leash plugs to the point of minimal sanding. Final sand to perfection with a finer grit sand paper,tape off and gloss coat if polyester or final coat if epoxy resin. No heat, no drama. It is idiot proof but keep in mind they are building better idiots these days.

11

Hey saltbush,

Greenlight no longer makes that finbox finish router jig, but if you want, I can talk to the guys at Greenlight and maybe have one made for you.

It’s extremely useful for Probox and FCS X-2 installations–I use it almost every time. This is because there’s a decent amount of material that can be roughly removed before the fine tuning.

It’s not as useful for FCS Fusion or Futures installs since there’s alot less material to remove from the start.

As with everything though, practice makes perfect!

12

13

Larry- I see, so use the router at a set height to knock down the plugs/boxes to just a few millimetres above the hot coat...is that the theory? what sort of bit do you use in the router...a normal bit (i.e cuts on vertical plane, as in when cutting holes for plugs/boxes) or a bit with a disc on the end to cut the horizontal plane..as in across the top of the plug/box?

Any photos of the 'bit' you use?!

Lovin the info!!!

Cheers Marty

 

14

I made my own jig for routing down probox boxes. Easy to do. I also use the bit that comes with the Probox kits. Only thing to watch out for is not to set the bit too low as you might cut below the surface in places due to rocker or concave.

Karl

15

Just a newbie, but does it matter how flat they are or does it......?

16

Yes, it matter a lot getting them right. I use my ding sander with a very rough disk at a severe angle of 30* or so and go around the edges to “rough it down”. Prolly the same effect of using a smaller air angle grinder like has been mentioned. Then an 80 grit to flatten it out at a much flatter angle but not quite all the way down, then sand the board. Listen to the other warnings. Too much heat can cause separation, turn the resin orangeish even with the white pigment you should be using, and lots of other things like burning through the weave around the plug.

 

 

17

Good question ultimats - I suppose the most important part of the answer would be based on who’s looking at it…

As for how the water reacts, I don’t think a little wobble here and there is going to make “a dog,” as people around here like to say, out of an otherwise perfectly good board.