I have just made 2 fish a 6’1" and a 6’5" thanks to Swaylocks for help (esp Rooster), as I have not glassed on any fins for 20 years things are slightly hazy. I cannot get any fin rope or roving in the UK and yes I have searched the archives but can’t find a good guide to glassing on my keels without roving.
If I use strands of 6oz cloth how many should I have on either side of the keel?
How many football patches are required?
Thanks in advance Gazro.
The rope just provides a cosmetic fillet to the joint. The real strength comes from the strips of cloth over it. Another way to get around rope is to make a thick mix of lam resin and cut up fibers of cloth. Mold this into a fillet along the fin base and cover with a 2" strip of wet 4 oz. Use the cloth to work out the air in the mixture and refine the shape. Bring the strips together at the front and rear of the fin like you would with rope. Add the regular cloth pieces on the fin and bottom just as with rope.
Thank you for advice sound like a great alternative and will give it a go.
You can use a non-drip mix of microballoons/cabosil to make the radius, let gel, then lay it up with cloth. Works well and saves a little weight. Make sure the layup covers the whole fin, 3x4oz is good.
An alternative… commonly known as “fiberglass stove gasket” or “wood stove gasket”… fiberglass rope used for air tight furnace/oven doors, tanks and other high temp applications. Avoid gasket rope that contains mica, asbestos or graphite.
Fibreglass rope is available here http://www.epoxy-resins.co.uk/Shop/glasstape.html
Might be useful
Howzit Gazro, Cut a 8" square of 6oz glass and pull the strands apart and make you own rope. That’s how I did it when I was a youg kid fixing my friends fins. Aloha,Kokua
Kokua,
Should we pull all the strands out of the weave and then knot one end (or tape it)?
Thanks,
Sr Pato
Howzit SrPato, I just hold the strands with my fingers and saturate in resin. You can tape the strands but then you have to cut them when the resin kicks and glass rope strands are a little hard to cut when hard. Aloha,Kokua
Loads of useful tips thank you, I will see if I can order the real rope from uk epoxy now.
This is what I was using years ago.
Gazro
Fin rope can be sourced at Seabase in Newquay in the UK ! Where are you based ?
Stevo
Gazro, I’m in CA and trying to get some of the rope myself. If you are in the USA, maybe we can work something out together, and save on some of the shipping costs. Let me know 1. where you are? 2 if you are interested?
Fiberglass Supply up in Washington shipped mine to CA. http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Product_Catalog/SurfSailcom/surfsailcom.html
What they are selling is roving, what i’m looking for is rope. you can get roving from a lot of different places.
Howzit Bagman, Is there a reason why you can't substitute roving for glass rope? If I recollect right for what you pay for a 12" strnd of rope you could buy a square yard of roving. Aloha,Kokua
I have had very good luck with woven roving - cut a 4" or so square of the stuff and just take apart the weave.
Though that’s not the best deal. As some may be familiar with, many fiberglass boats, pools, bathtubs and what have you are built using the chopper gun system. A mold is made, then sprayed with gloss/gel coat, then with a chopper gun which takes a long continuous string of roving, feeds it and resin and catalyst and compressed air in and sprays it out, the roving cut into short segments.
You can buy the roving for the chopper gun ( it yields approximately 205 YARDS per pound) in 50 lb rolls ( 30,000 feet plus of the stuff) or find a company locally that does fiberglass molding work with a chopper gun and buy a pound or so from them and have a lifetime supply. Around five bucks ( US or the equivalent) should hook you up fine. They may well have the last of a coil kicking around that’s too little to do a job with, what with having to reload the gun in the middle and all.
I’d strongly suggest taking something to wind it around, though. Otherwise, after a while you’ll have a box full of fiberglass hairball. Not pretty -
hope that’s of use
doc…
Kokua, I like the rope for making leash loops, thats all. The roving that I have seen is not all the easy to handle for this job. The idea of just taking apart some 8 or 10 oz cloth will work but if I can get some rope I will be happy. Bagman
I agree that the roving does not like to gel into the curve around my waxed pencil. I’ve gone to building it up into a D-shaped hill and then drilling the hole through it later. It works well & comes out clean. Use a long bit to keep the drill motor away from the board and lay down tape to protect your deck…
I have also done that. I had a drill catch and snap off the rope loop. Talk about being bummed.