Howzit guys, hopefully I can get the picture uploaded, These are the plugs that need no acetone wipe or any other prep before installing.Aloha,Kokua
cheers mate !
…looks a little hard to see …do they have something like a ‘cross’ on the bottom of them ?
[do you have a shot of one on its side , please ?]
So, how do you cut the holes for THESE ones …do FCS supply a special drill bit attachment ?
ben
Howzit chip, you would want another view wouldn’t you. For some reason my photo album software is acting up and had a hard time getting this pic right, but I will take a side view and post tomorrow since it’s time to shut down computer fir the evening. As for installation, it’s the same as the old plugs except no acetone wipe neccessary.Aloha,Kokua
cheers Mike !
[yep , Amby called it …]
‘’‘where’s the photo’‘’’
ben
Aloha Kokua, I tried my demo set of those plugs. They drank resin a bit slower. If you have the old jigs they will feel tight but has no effect to how the fins fit . I also found that they were a bit harder to sand than the old plugs. I think weave around the plugs will be a problem unless you "cherry coat "or “paste” before you hotcoat. Thay are made of a pvc plastic /which is why they are so dam hard. Keep em comin’ Petey
Hey DSD,
These new plugs are made of Polycarbonate. They are tough for sure.
Our original plugs were PVC.
Good quality sand paper…say a very coarse 40 grit to get them down then proceed to finish sand the board. Works like a treat!
Would you mind explaining " I think weave around the plugs will be a problem unless you "cherry coat “or “paste” before you hotcoat” Not sure what you are doing here - maybe I can help.
Hi FCS rep and to Kokua once again! Sorry about material mess up . yeah the old plugs pvc and the new ones polycabonate. Here’s the deal If I just straight hotcoat the board and install the plugs here is the problem -those new plugs are solid(NOT dissin’ the product at all). The pvc ones sanded really easy therefore the excess resin around the plug would sand away fine . To the fcs rep- I believe it would be a sin to sand the fcs down w/40 gt. As a boardbuilder we all strive for perfection therefore I start with something that will not leave deep scratches ie something that I can still take the scrathes out of. I use 80 gt and than 150gt to get totally flush . With todays shortboards people want light really light . So here is the scenario w/ the new plugs - since they are really hard - They are so hard it is hard to sand the white around the ring until the plug is sanded down to that level. If you have a thin hotcoat chances are you will mow through to your fcs patches thus showing weave. I like to paint around those areas w/ a layer of straight LaM resin before the hotcoat . Most good glassers do this in the first place to not show weave.You know what weave is FCs rep? you know burn through ! you know when you see cloth! If you look at a good glassers job they show no weave no where. I hope my explanation was clear. This is what glassers call pasting or some call it a cherry coat. Keep em coming! Petey
Re those plugs clear? (smokey clear)
So how can the average shaper/glasser get these new plugs?
Kevin
ditto… wondering same thing…
Howzit DSD, Just got my new plugs Monday and since I’m recovering from eye operation it will be a couple of more weeks before I get back into the shop. I do a sweet coat over the whole bottom anyways before the hotcoat to seal any air from gas blowing or etc. I start with 50 grit and then it’s 80 grit for the laps. One thing to look out for is heating the area around the plugs when sanding, but you need to get the plugs sanded down to the bottom surface since they are harder than resin they determine the sanding depth around the plugs. I sand each plug in 3 stages so as not to heat them. Also if the plugs get to hot during the sanding process it can weaken the install just like if you heat up a fin box to much it can delam. This could also be one reason there are failures on boards that are factory made due to the hurry up syndome.Aloha,Kokua
Aloha again . More about the new fcs plugs. Thank you Kokua for input on plugs cherry coat etc… Good to see someone is on the same page . As for everyone wondering where they can get such plugs you have to see your local rep . They are not for sell yet and have been given to certain boardbuilders to try and fill out a survey form on how they work .Supposively all old plugs will be replaced by these new ones. I personally like the old ones and have no problems w/them . My concerns are as follows - I think that they are a little to solid . I liked the old ones because they are a little soft and are easy to sand as the resin and glass… True the new ones may be a little more durable ,have a better bond ,do not shrink when heated up (you know when you kick them off to hot and than the fins don’t fit). So I think that the system was fine. Maybe the new plugs need to have a better look at. To the fcs rep who has replied to my response please take these things to consideration . There is a reason why fcs has us "demo " these plugs. If you are not familiar w/pasting and cherry coating you may want to look deeper into glassing. I appreciate the offer that you can help but in this case I think I am helping you . Petey
Kokua,DSD et.al,
Have you tried using a router? Since seeing Cleanlines technique using shims on the router base with a straight bit for taking down fin boxes, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for FCS plugs - or any other fin box requiring sanding. Granted, you’re working near the rail but, with a little TLC and not trying to do it all in one pass - ie: starting high and lowering the bit a little each pass - it seems to me that it would work.
Been doing all single fins the last couple of boards - with great and much less troublesome results with Cleanlines’ method - but intend to incorporate his method on the next FCS job. It’s worth a shot as I’ve suffered too many sand throughs than I care to admit on those little buggers.
Speaking of Cleanlines - I hope he’s doing well and getting back on his feet.
Pete
To Pete Hardwood, there are a few guys locally (oz) who employ this method. I have tried it and it works very well. Some difficulty occurs if the rails resin edge is really proud and can foul the router base. This method does not create the heat that sanding does which is a good thing.
To Petey, thanks for your explanation. Manufacturers the world over use different terms and I didnt want to assume. The problems you describe must also be present on longboard box installations as they too are made of Polycarbonate, and in many cases are filled with a long grain milled fiber - making them even harder to sand.