Has anyone really delved into the art of a wooden finbox/fin system? After spending a while searching the archives, I didn’t come up with too much, but it’s been visited a little before:
I’ve also found a ton of info regarding the construction of wooden fins for existing fin box systems, and glassing fins directly onto the board.
My goal is to have a board without plastic fin boxes, but the ability to try different custom fin designs. I’m pretty impressed with chipfish’s boards that seem to have limitless fin configurations. While I’d be happy to start out with a standard twin fin on my fish, I’m experimenting with avoiding the plastics route. I’ll also be doing the whole thing without glass, but if there’s a killer idea for a wood/glass box I may reconsider that one.
On a different note, I picked up 40 board feet of western red cedar today, and took measurements off a friend’s 6’2" Bob Miller fish. As soon as it stops raining the project is a go.
The Hansen fin system you mention was from the mid 60’s (1967), and was developed for him by Buzzy (Fred) Smole, one of the shaping crew at the time. Buzzy also shaped MOST of the Doyle models. There is a very clean way to do what you want to do. It’s too lengthy an explaination to cover here. I’ll be glad to cover the method at the CERRITOS event on April 22, 2006, IF you care to attend.
I would love it if I could make the workshop, but I’m locked into working saturdays. (typing from work right now.) It’s a joykill on the weekends, but having monday and friday off lets me get waves when all the kids are in school and the weekend wariors are still over the hill in San Jose. Course, with the longer days now I can hit up dawn patrol before work.
Any info you could spare over the web would be great, it could go into oneula’s CD project that way as well.
As Ambrose says, the oldest living fin system…which kinda says things about how it holds up, etc…
A notional sketch of how the things look -
I think that to build it of wood, you’d have to make it in at least two pieces, then glue it together Really Well, unless you had some sort of really small router bit to get in and cut that tab and fin cross-pin slot with. Some of the early ones were made in sections and they broke where they were stuck together.
On the other hand, a wood FCS box might be kinda easy…
Just cut the block, mortise a couple slots, drill and tap a couple angled holes and there you’d be.
Teak’s a pretty oily wood (that’s what makes it useful for boat decks, outdoor furniture, etc.) Have you heard of any resin (PU/PS) adhesion issues using it?
I just tweaked my work schedule, and am going to the cerritos workshop. I’m stoked to learn anything I can, since I’m a rank rookie here. Any chance you’re offer to go over fin box design is still on the table?
thanks.
pat
<span style="color:White"><span style="font-size:6px"><span style="font-weight:bold">[b]Replying to:</span> [/b]</span></span> <span style="color:White"><span style="font-size:6px"><span style="font-weight:bold">Re: [SuperFatPat] Wooden fin box. by Thrailkill </span></span></span> <span style="font-weight:bold">Post:</span> The Hansen fin system you mention was from the mid 60's (1967), and was developed for him by Buzzy (Fred) Smole, one of the shaping crew at the time. Buzzy also shaped MOST of the Doyle models. There is a very clean way to do what you want to do. It's too lengthy an explaination to cover here. I'll be glad to cover the method at the CERRITOS event on April 22, 2006, IF you care to attend.
I just tweaked my work schedule, and am going to the cerritos workshop. I’m stoked to learn anything I can, since I’m a rank rookie here. Any chance you’re offer to go over fin box design is still on the table?
thanks.
pat
<span style="color:White"><span style="font-size:6px"><span style="font-weight:bold">[b]Replying to:</span> [/b]</span></span> <span style="color:White"><span style="font-size:6px"><span style="font-weight:bold">Re: [SuperFatPat] Wooden fin box. by Thrailkill </span></span></span> <span style="font-weight:bold">Post:</span> The Hansen fin system you mention was from the mid 60's (1967), and was developed for him by Buzzy (Fred) Smole, one of the shaping crew at the time. Buzzy also shaped MOST of the Doyle models. There is a very clean way to do what you want to do. It's too lengthy an explaination to cover here. I'll be glad to cover the method at the CERRITOS event on April 22, 2006, IF you care to attend.
I saw a thread a while back about hollow wood boards, and one Swaylockian posted his board and also a wood version of a fins unlimited box he made. I can’t find the thread, but wanted to find out if it worked and held up. Anyone know?
It looks good tho. Could lessen the work by glue/glassing a shaved down box to the underside of the bottom skin then later route to the inside of the box. The only extra work would be cutting the little grooves for the fin pin. How did you keep the water out of the wood?
We did a thread on this a while back but here goes:
Routed the fin box slot and glued in a Bahne box with the top ground off about a quarter of an inch. Then inserted a piece of balsa in the slot and shaped it down.
Then glassed the board. Right over the box.
After glassing, cut out the fin slot with dremel.
Sealed the raw exposed wood inside the box with Git Rot epoxy. Did several applications to totally seal and soak the wood fibers. The wood is basically plstic now to a pretty good depth. Then used clear epoxy paste to seal the surface.
It was fun getting rid of the excess epoxy that seeped into the plate channel. That’s another story.
