Hey guys …ive noticed both here and at surfer mag ,crew are always asking about how to make wooden fins,so now i got my digi camera im posting the full wooden fin production start to finish…
there is 30 photos in the series so if you could wait till the whole series of posts is up before replying…much appreciated…
also at the end of it ,if anyone has any ideas that may improve the system im always open to suggestions, but so far after building thousands of sets of wooden fins this is the simplest way ive found yet…
im also happy to answer any specific questions on details that may not seem apparent in this series…
i can always post more pics in the future that highlight a particular stage in the construction…
ill always come back and check this thread for any queries…
ok description time…
1; mark fins on 9mm exterior ply and cutout with jigsaw…
2; clamp fins and clean up outline first, with sander…
3; foil fin using a medium soft pad , that way it comes out smoothe and blended avoiding the need for hand sanding…
7;pull up the 2 layers of 6oz combined with surfboard lam resin…
8; carefully lay the glass over the centre fins , making sure you dont let the glass touch the table , keeping the glass just above the centre on the leading edge (allowing for roving reinforcement later)…
9; using the rest of the resin in your tub ,spread a thin layer of res over the table and place all your side fins flat side down in pairs, keeping a comfortable distance between them at the base so you can run you saw through later…
13;cut wet rovings to length and place against leading edge of side fins(fins dont move coz there stuck to the table)…
14; lay your 2 layers of 6oz loosely over the top…
15; using your brush , press the the glass against the table between the fins (make sure you start in the middle of your row)coz the resin you used to stick your side fins down is tacky the glass will stick and you can get a tight stretched glass job over your fins, each time you press the glass between the fins it slides across the top of the fins you havent done yet(so make sure you cut your glass a little longer…
19;clamp the sheet of fins to a work bench and sand the flat side , also taking the opportunity to make any needed adjustments to the foil or the shape on the flat side…
20; your centre fins can be turned over , lay rovings in the leading edge (7 strands) in the same manner as the side fins, glass and work out bubbles…
21; lay 2 layers of 6oz down and laminate with standard surfboard resin ,glassing the flat side is fast and easy (no need for longer pot life resin) also you can get away with doing the centre fins with standard lam as well (coz its quicker ,and not as contoured , quicker and easier to work out bubbles…
22; hot coat and go for a surf, when you get back you can pick up your sheet of fins and take a picture of them…
23; clamp your finished sheet back to your work bench, you need to sand your fins in odd spots later on anyway , so rather than sand each fin by itself sand each fin while its still in sheet form (makes it way easier to handle and is heaps faster)…
24; clean up all the bases of your centre fins and sand flats while still in sheet form…
25; using a glass cutting blade in your jigsaw, cut your fins out of your sheet(make sure you leave enough excess so you get a nice shape…
26; carefully pair your side fins, clamp and refoil(they stick together well coz youve already sanded them,if you dont sand the flat side they slide around on each other and its hard to get both fins even)…
thanks Bert, nice series of pics, very clear descriptions.
Do you always use exterior 9mm ply? I like the same thickness but thinner plies, but basically just for the looks of it… and I’ve been both truing up the outlines after cutting, then foiling on a bench mounted belt sander (with vaccum hookup, less mess). But, I think I’ll try your way to compare… I typically only make a few fins at a time, your way is more production-oriented. thanks again,
i get at least 150 fins from a sheet of ply thats 30 cents each,the glass is off cuts,and you only using enough resin for 4 layers instead of 28 ,
so at least 1/6th of the resin for solid glass fins…
extra labour but some of that offsets by cheaper materials…
end result is a fin thats half the weight and looks great ,still extremley durable with roving leading edges(takes the knocks), plus out performs a thinner fin anyday…and the fact the fin floats adds a new dimension to performance as well …
keith your right about layers adding better looks ,you need at least 5 layers or else your fins end up breaking coz you expose sections of single layers of timber when you foil them and it snaps on the grain…
as a general rule the more layered stuff seems to be harder and your sanding through more glue layers ,that then becomes work…plus its more expensive …
It’s a beautiful thing you done here with all the steps of wood fin fabrication laid out so nice. They are many grand ideas here that make production go smoothly and many great time saving ideas here. You’ve really gone the extra mile with the presentation and I count you as a most generous of fellows in the surfcraft world. Many thanks for all the details and all the time it took to put this presentation together.
Note: I used to use a jig saw but have switched to a bandsaw with a rim-grit carbide blade. It makes cutting fiberglass much easier if you have any thickness in it. I can see how a jig saw would server quite well when you only have to cut through a couple of layers of glass though. The fins you show are very light no doubt. I’m sure they float. Up to a point lighter has always been better when it comes to surfboards. I think the same thing applies to fins.
In 4 1/2 years that is the best I’ve seen something explained. Loved the photos for every step.
Guess now I’ve got no excuse for procrastinating, so I’m heading out to the garage to finally make the pair of keels that I’ve been putting off for the last month
It’s impressive to me when I see somebody doing something nifty as a one-off, but I am REALLY impressed when I see something nifty set up for production. Step by step, with the how and why… oh yeah.
If you ever get to the States, I do believe the first few rounds are on me. Or if I turn up down under sometime.
Super and perfect timing as I’m half-way through a smaller project.
Some questions:
Why not epoxy?
Why not 4oz?
What kind of jigsaw blade for glass?
I had 2 layers of 4oz with some thin self-pulled rope that I tried to lay down dry after glassing one side. A little difficult. Cut the extra glass off with scissors.
Thanks for the inspiration and information to finish my fin making ahead of schedule.
Bert----------- That was fantastic! I’m not tyed into wood the way you are, but learned alot from you post. I like doing ply when I do them. I like the way it looks. I was checking out you clamp, which is very similar to what I use, but I like yours better. How do you like that Makita? I picked one up a couple of years ago discontinued at Loews $125. They had a few, wish I had bought an extra one. I was so used to a side handle though, that I looked around 'til I found one that would fit. I hardly ever use my Milwakee any more. McDing
