Chipped Performance Core Fins

Hi everyone,

Long time follower but first time posting :slight_smile:

I bought a used surfboard and it came with some nice FCS PC-7 fins, but they’re really chipped (photos attached).

Should I try sanding them? Add suncure to fix? Surf them as-is?

Thanks!



You might try creating a ‘dam’ of sorts using tape, wax or modeling clay around the edge leaving room for filler. Mask off the undamaged area with tape, sand the repair area and fill with sanding resin and cut up strands of fiberglass.  If you can find some styrene, dab it along the damaged area immediately before adding the resin/chopped glass.  It might not be an invisible repair but once it’s all filled in and sanded smooth, at least it won’t interrupt water flow.  The styrene can really help making the damaged glass go clear again.

Thanks John! That sounds like a bit of work, but not impossible.

I hadn’t even heard of styrene, so will research :slight_smile:

Cheers

I think it’s definitely worth the effort to put a repair on them.   You can also build a dam using multiple layers of masking tape, except you’ll only be able to do one side at a time with that method.   .  You might also consider using a dremel to (very gently) clean the cavity up and give it some texture so as to get a better bond with your repair.   

Five Minute Epoxy.  May need to thicken it with Cabosil.   Orderwise Bondo with Q-cell.  You can thicken either to the point that the mixture can be spread on with a popsicle stick like it was butter.

Thanks for the great input, everyone!

I already sanded the area and will use some sanding polyester resin with cabosil and some fiberglass fibers.

I’ll provide pictures, in case someone’s interested in the future.

If you have any other advice, please keep it coming!!

Hopefully catching you before you go at it- 

these things might be made with epoxy resin rather than polyester. Infusion-molded stuff tends to be.  Now, epoxy sticks to polyester real well, the reverse not so much. If you can get your hands on some epoxy resin, you can thicken it a little if need be and have at it as has been described.

hope that’s of use

doc…

Thanks doc! I’m glad I didn’t start with it last night, I was going to do it early morning and saw this right before :slight_smile:

I’ll get my hands on some epoxy resin today (my friend borrowed it for a quick fix) and update you all.

Cheers