Over the past couple of years I have tried to pick up cheap used surfboards fix them up and then let the kids in the neighborhood use them to learn to surf. I recently picked up a used twin fin fish from the late 70’s. It hasn’t seen much water time, but unfortuantely it has seen a lot of garage time. Needless to say, the tips on the tail are pretty bad. I would like to attach small tail blocks rather than just build up with resin or use foam. My thought was to file each tip flat and attach balsa tips. I know that balsa is not a hardwood, but it is probably better than foam. Can I just glue them on or should I attach them with a small, (1/16"), dowel into the block and foam. Are there any obvious problems with strength that I will face. Thanks for any advice.
Over the past couple of years I have tried to pick up cheap used > surfboards fix them up and then let the kids in the neighborhood use them > to learn to surf. I recently picked up a used twin fin fish from the late > 70’s. It hasn’t seen much water time, but unfortuantely it has seen a lot > of garage time. Needless to say, the tips on the tail are pretty bad. I > would like to attach small tail blocks rather than just build up with > resin or use foam. My thought was to file each tip flat and attach balsa > tips. I know that balsa is not a hardwood, but it is probably better than > foam. Can I just glue them on or should I attach them with a small, > (1/16"), dowel into the block and foam. Are there any obvious > problems with strength that I will face. Thanks for any advice. Scrap the idea of balsa, why attach a sponge to the ends of your tail? Use solid glass or cast solid resin on the tips. I have used scrap fin sheet material to make some killer tail blocks on swallows. Instead of straight across, angle them up the rail at about 45 degeers to the stringer. In this manner you will get more coverage, the swallows seldom get damaged on the inside edges.
Hi John, My first swallow tail is 30 years old. After I had it for a few months I broke one of the tips off on a reef, so I cut a vee out where the swallow tip was and stuck two toothpicks in the face of the foam and there they sit in the clear cut-glass/poly casting to this day.I had to do the same thing to the nose a few months later. The board is 8’3" X 20" and the body of it is still in great shape and may be the fast stick I have regardless of all the changes we’ve seen. If I were going to use wood I’d use something harder than balsa and key it into the shape of the board somehow for some structural intergrity. Good Surfin’, Rich
Hi John,>>> My first swallow tail is 30 years old. After I had it for a few months I > broke one of the tips off on a reef, so I cut a vee out where the swallow > tip was and stuck two toothpicks in the face of the foam and there they > sit in the clear cut-glass/poly casting to this day.I had to do the same > thing to the nose a few months later. The board is 8’3" X 20" > and the body of it is still in great shape and may be the fast stick I > have regardless of all the changes we’ve seen. If I were going to use wood > I’d use something harder than balsa and key it into the shape of the board > somehow for some structural intergrity.>>> Good Surfin’, Rich Jim/Rich, Thanks for the info. I decided to use resin blocks. I filed both tails flat on the ends. I then mixed up a batch of resin, added some black pigment and chopped glass. Rich, the toothpick idea was great. I used masking tape as a form. The resin didn’t want to fire at first but by the next day it had cured. After smoothing them out I wrapped the tails with 4 oz and sanded and polished them. Turned out great. Thanks again!!! John