Just a basic question…
Anyone know where I could get some Marine Plywood here on Oahu? Enough to make a few sets of fins. Sounds like its not the easiest stuff to find if you don’t know where to look…and I don’t yet. If not here, where else should I look? If Marine Ply is too hard to come by are there any similar alternatives?
Aloha.
Josh
Woodcraft on Waikamilo has that 7 layer Baltic Birch ply in a variety of sizes but it’s kind of expensive.
You’ll see a mess of hardwoods there too for an arm and a leg…
Some here have recommended going with the 7 layer birch stuff instead of the 4 layer homedepot stuff easier to foil with those layers…
Old furniture. Sometimes the sides of drawers are made of high grade birch plywoods.
kilgos on sand island access. not sure what size pieces they sell though
Man, three weeks ago threw away a ton of scrap 1/4" and 1/2" Meranti BS 1088. I still have some prime pieces laying around for making a couple skateboards out of. I’ll take a look to see what I have left.
I live in Fla. but shipping couldn’t be that much if you can’t find anything at all.
Personaly you have some very pretty hard woods over there that sould make great fins
Skimmer,
Thanks for the offer. I may have to take you up on it if you can find something that you wont need, and would throw away otherwise. 
I’d like to make a bunch of different fins and for all the boards I plan to shape. But my quesiton to you is…what is Meranti BS 1088?
Aloha.
Josh
I’d like to make a bunch of different fins and for all the boards I plan to shape.
Thats the spirit! I reccommend looking through the trash near shops and tips etc. you can find so much! incredable potential for surfboard materiel is everywhere, you’ve just got to find it.
As an example, the other day I found a piece of eps that was perfect density and thickness for making a hand-board. and just like that it was on the ground!
Josh, Meranti BS 1088 is a marine plywood. Meranti as I have read it is brother to mahogany. The BS 1088 part is the Britsh Standard spec in which it has to be made. You know moisture content, no knotts, no voids, all Meranti plys, thickness, # of plies, and some other stuff.
I’m building my boat out of it. I’m telling you. I tossed a ton of scrape away. I still have to look to see if I have any pieces that I’m not gonna use.
But, couldn’t fins be made out of nice 1/8" hard wood? Man, make some Koa fins, or look into vaneers. Crazy Lacewood or flame maple would be crazy looking. Both of this can be dyed for added effect. Here that type of vaneer is only like $2.00 a square foot.
I don’t know how fins are made but I’m comming up with some nice idea’s right now.
Dave
go to any of the boatyards and you will leave w/ marine plywood scrapes. The most common is fir. no voids / marine glue.
don’t trip over the ice hEADS.
Oahu
You making keels or regular fins?
Got a set of Lis-Design keels I cut out of the Woodcraft 7-ply Baltic Birch ply that I haven’t found time to get to to foil.
PM me with an address if you’re interested as it shouldn’t cost too much to mail it local.
I also have a 3/4 finished foiled set of small keels out of 1/2" Bubinga of you’re interested too.
Gotta epoxy them though the wood’s too oily.
Skeltor is right, Kelgos has it in 4x8x3/8 perfect for alot of fins, cost 40 bucks, home depot only has 3/4 inch marine the 3/8 is great for fins, nice 4-5 layer patterns emerge in the foil.