Removing Glass on Fins - any advice?

General Discussion
1

Hi - I’m sure this topic has been covered but I wasnt able to find it… 

I have a 5’8"  (Retro style) fish with glass on twin fins that I want to remove.  I plan to install future boxes and set it up as a quad.

Any advice for removing the existing glass on fins? 

I borrowed my friends “fine tool”.  The plan is to us a file to create a starting pint at teh base of the fin then use the fine tool to cut the fin the rest of the way off.  Next use a palm sander with heavy grit to clean up the area before begining the fin box install…

Thanks!!!

2

Best thing ever for doing this.  Just take your time and don’t overheat things.

http://www.harborfreight.com/Variable-Speed-Oscillating-Multi-Tool-61219.html 

3

Grinder with a metal cutoff wheel worked well for me.

4

Sweet !  Hey Mako - that tool is the exact one I borrowed from my buddy! 

Good advice on be carefull not to let it heat up too much.

Thanks for the replies!

 

5

With a chainsaw, Chainsaw?  I use a dremel and grind away at the base, then hit it with the heel of my hand. Clean it all up, patch it, etc. Mike

6

I cut the wood fins off my quad fish and reset the like 6 times before finding the sweet spot. I put the board in the racks on rail & used the sanderpolisher with 80 grit and sand through the glass along the fins. Then I take a hand saw and cut them right off. Takes less then 30 min to remove the whole quad set. Just cut a 1/8" up from the board and sand the rest. I’ve also used a sawzall and just hacked then right off. My recommendation for what it’s worth is to just keep it a twin fin. I love twin keeled fish

7

I reckon don’t pussy foot around. One short, sharp kick with a steel cap boot does the trick!

8

Back in the day, I was a Fin and Hot Coater at both Brewer and Linden’s.

That’s when the fin-addict thing happened.

Contantly playing with fin shape and placement.

Litterally would glass on fins afternoon.

Sand in the morning,

Surf.

Come in and take the sander with a 40 grit disk,

Grind off all fillet on both the board and the fin,

front and back.

Slap fin with my palm, and off it went.

Only took a few seconds.

Quick grind on board,

And ready for next fin job.

Did this more than I care to admit to.

But I learned a lot.

Patches under bottom lam for the fins kept the board from being damaged.

9

I removed the fin off my longboard by surfing head high shore break. 

Maybe give that a try haha

Super clean 

10

O.K.

My worthless 2 cents

sawsall fins off

GRIND down fillet and base of said fin.

OR

The Hawaiian welcome for drop in’s!

11

Saws just ruin fins.

At least shorten them.

Grinding lets you re-use them.

12

Pnumatic grinder and 4" cut off wheel, then sand=perfect

OR…a hacksaw blade removed from hacksaw, ran flush to the deck by hand and sanded smooth. 

13

    classsic Barry,  some sanders run away when they see a fixed fin board these days fixed fins are becoming so rare … as a full time contract glasser, in the last year i have glassed maybe 10 sets of fins on… I still feel lucky to having learned to glass and sand before the fin systems…

I  still to this day add patches to the bottom lamination under my fixed fins.

14

Thanks for all the info!