i just made my first fin a couple of days ago. i used 30 layers of 7.5oz volan cloth and about 1.5 quarts of some pigmented resin i mixed up. only problem is: the resin went off just a little to quickly and so the last 8 layers didnt laminate as well as would have liked them too. so after i cut the fin out i sanded it all down and got rid of the cloth that didnt fully laminate. so i have 22 layers on the fin… a little thin. i already tacked the fin onto the board. so i was thinking that before i use the fin rope and glass it on, can i just slap a couple more layers of cloth on each side before i do so? thanks
Steve - Try cutting some pieces of cloth to fit the sides of the fin (4 per side) but allow a few inches of extra cloth to flare out on to the bottom of the board. Add a little fin rope along the base of the fin with resin and then laminate the glass pieces to the side of the fins. Add more fin rope along the base over the cloth. That should give you your original fin thickness and a nice strong fin attachment. I’ve done a lot of glass-on fins with no rope - just strips and panels of cloth. It takes a bit more sanding but seems to work OK. I haven’t tried lab studies on the strength factor but I know people who prefer it done this way.
i just made my first fin a couple of days ago. i used 30 layers of 7.5oz > volan cloth and about 1.5 quarts of some pigmented resin i mixed up. only > problem is: the resin went off just a little to quickly and so the last 8 > layers didnt laminate as well as would have liked them too. so after i cut > the fin out i sanded it all down and got rid of the cloth that didnt fully > laminate. so i have 22 layers on the fin… a little thin. i already tacked > the fin onto the board. so i was thinking that before i use the fin rope > and glass it on, can i just slap a couple more layers of cloth on each > side before i do so? thanks sure can!in fact if i have a good fin that gets a little too much flex in it i will lam on a layer or two of volan 6oz, better if you can get 4oz,sand and the fin has a new life!