I tried the search function but only found repairing the plugs.
I have a set of FCS MR Carbon Lite fins where on the tabs are cracked on one of the fins at the top of the grub screw indent. The tabs are flexing quite a bit. The cracks are 1/8" down from the base of the fin. Is it possible to fix this or are they unusable?
If it is repairable, I was thinking of sanding the tabs down and re-layer with cloth and Resin Research or would just solarez work fine?
I had a similar situation with a second-hand H2 fin, I got as much epoxy as I could into all the cracked/shattered area and clamped it well for the duration of cure. Buzzed off the excess with small air grinder and they've held up just fine since. If yours are shattered up into the juncture of tab to fin, this might not work, but it's worth a try. At some point it's just time to get a new fin...
Just today I had a phone conversation with another swaylocker, and we touched on this subject. The high-end fins (all mfrs, not just FCS) are much more subject to base/tab problems simply because their materials aren't as ''tough'' as glass layup or molded plastic. IMO it's a small price to pay for a lighter or better performing fin, but to each his own
I wouldn't sand out any of the fiber. What I did was pry open the crack (carefully), apply epoxy as far in as I could get it, and rely on clamping pressure to force glue in further. It's hard to compare your damage to mine via internet pics, but it seems to be similar to what I had.
I may have an extra one in Carbon. What I can tell it is the left one that you have there? I’ll check to see if I still have it tonight and post you tomorrow if you’d like.
If Mike’s suggestion doesn’t work you could try drilling up from the bottom (carefully!) and inserting a 1/8" cabon rod. This is how I make my bamboo fins for FCS and they’ve been working fine. I don’t know exactly what the core is in you r fins?
You can see the silhouettes of the rods in this photo. They are very close the the surface. That’s why I said to drill carefully. I have gone out the inside face of one and had to add another layer of glass.
That is a great thought. Unfortunately I do not know what the core is made of. I can see from the crack in the tab that it looks like (at least the tab) its normal resin and chopped cloth. Although the fibers can be scraped off pretty easily and appear dry. The core of the fin might be something else. As light as it is I would think it has a core that is foam or something similar.
If Mikes fix does not work I will give this a shot. Since the fin will be junk anyways it can’t hurt to try it. I can secure it under the mill and drill it accurately.
If it was me, I would just replace it. After I added up my time, I would be spending $50 worth of time for a $20 repair. It’s just not worth the trouble. But if I needed to fix it for whatever reason, then I would do it like Mike Daniel described with epoxy and let cure completely making sure the tab stayed in line. Then I would do like Lillibel described and sink two stainless steel rods per tab and set them in with JB Weld, although epoxy might work good enough.
