hello,
routing the fin boxes on the foam? or after the lamination is done before the hot coats?
how do you guys do it?
i´ve seen both ways but always do the routing on the foam.
Cheers and good waves
Yes, I also laminate for fin boxes before glassing. Its just easier and less messy that way. I can’t recall doing it the other way, except when I’m adding fin boxes to an existing board, but maybe I have. Its do-able either way, but just seems cleaner and easier to router just foam, no fiberglass.
1 Like
Cheers and thank you very much!
good waves
I might also add, I don’t generally install the boxes until after the first layer of fiberglass. When I install a fin box, I want the thickened resin to ooze out onto the surrounding glass, not raw foam. Then I install the fiberglass tail patch over the installed boxes.
1 Like
Hello Mr. Huck,
i am really lost in the middle of your two posts.
They seem contraditing, sorry my english is not native so maybe i don´t understand what you say, would you care to elaborate how do you do the install and routing as described on the second post?
(so this is what i don´t understand how can you have a layer of fiberglass over the allready routed holes on the foam without installing the fin boxes?)
Cheers and good waves.
Yes, I would fiberglass over the routed holes, because its easiest to router the foam before glass. Then set the boxes. Then put the fin patch over the boxes. Not sure which part of this is confusing to you. But I am not giving lessons, just telling you what I do. If its confusing, then by all means just proceed with the way that makes the most sense to you.
Ok.
Now it makes sense to me.
Thank you for the picture.
And if you dont mind just a few more questions?
You lay the fiberglass Over the board and cut holes on the cloth Over the routed holes?
Do you route the holes deeper then normal?
Cheers and good waves.
Thank you for everything.
Yes, I lay the fiberglass over the board and cut holes in the cloth over the routed holes. You can cut the holes out with an exacto knife or a razor blade after the resin gels or even hardens. Just don’t use so much resin around the fin plug holes that you’re oozing it into the holes, obviously.
In the case of the pic I tried something a little different in that I coated inside the boxes with resin also. It was the first time trying that and I liked it because it made setting the boxes easier later. This is because usually when I set the fin plugs the surrounding foam is absorbing resin, and I have to keep checking for low spots or bubbles. I’m not sure, because its been a few years since I made that board, but I may have put a little fiberglass in there also.
No need to make the holes deeper than normal, just standard depth.
Again, I’m just a backyarder doing a couple boards a year in my best years, so my methods will probably be different from a production glassing shop. I just do stuff that makes sense to me, or that I find works for me.
Ok.
Now its all very clear.
I am going to do some tests on scrap foam.
Also when i set the plugs on the foam i put painters tape arround the hole and then when the resin gels i peel it off. (Minimizes the mess)
Thank you for the help.
Good waves.
1 Like
Yes I’ve done it that way also. I find for myself that the less work I do on a raw foam blank the less problems I have. I know its unconventional but if you look at that pic you can see that I also prefer to add nose and tail blocks after the first layer of glass. To each their own.
Also I have added fin plugs to finished boards plenty of times, so routering after glass isn’t really a big problem.
I think there have been several discussions on the topic here over the years.
Cool, Mr. Huck.
Cheers.
Will do some digging on the forum for old posts.
Good waves.
1 Like
Try “setting fins”
“Setting fin plugs”
“Setting fin boxes”
“Installing fins”
I’ve also read many people put a thickening agent in the resin they use to set the fin boxes. I’ve also had trouble with the board absorbing resin and having the box holes not totally filled. It usually just means a little extra resin when I laminate over the boxes.
I will try the thickener on my next board. Taping off the foam around the box holes is good practice too, especially if you are doing color.
Hello,
I am not a professional its a hobbie for me.
I found out that for the fcs 2 boxes i use 15 mililiters resin per box and its just enough.
For the future boxes i fill up the holes untill 3-4 milimiters before the deeper cut and its enough also.
I use a 2cm brush to spred a bit off resin on the holes and on the plugs side before i fill the hole.
As for the thickening powder its called cabosil and you can buy it cheap on supliers of art restotation (they use it to thicken the ink).
Cheers and good waves.
1 Like