Hi guys, i want to make some wooden removable fins. Like the one in this pic. Does anyone know how to attach that fiberglass base to the wood fin? Whats the best method? thanks!
Read this thread first:
http://www.swaylocks.com/forums/dont-build-your-own-fins-thread
I’ve tried building my own fins (wood and fiberglass) and they were epic fails. Keep in mind I’m a backyard hack but I thought to myself “…I’ve made a couple of boards…I’d like to have a set of fins too to go with the boards…” I wish I could have that time back.
I know someone sells a fin base so that you can “drop” the wood part into it but I can’t find the link and if I remember correctly, the reviews were average. To build your own, you’re going to glass several layers of glass at the bottom of the fin and then glass the fin onto the base. Then you sand the base down to fit the fin box. There are are ton of home made fin threads here that will get you all fired up to build your own fins. Then you try it yourself…and realize fins are pretty cheap to buy.
Some ideas for you mgcorrei:
http://www.swaylocks.com/groups/re-moulding-fin-bases
http://www.swaylocks.com/comment/237551#comment-237551
http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/yet-another-fin-thread
Hey mgcorrei,
Have you found anything yet? I know some fin makers and I would say that your pictured one is actually a wood veneer that has been put inbetween glass. I know there are FCS kits that can change fin stups but I havn’t seen them in a while. I would shape the wood slightly thin thinner than the base plate. I’d also probably sand the base plate down a couple of mm on either side. Then lay to layers of 4 oz either side all the way from the base plate to the tip of the fin.
That’s all I’ve got.
Felix
This disscusion has some info on how to make a mould to fit a box. Could you just make a wood fin able to fit into this and then fill a mould up with fibre glass and poly resin? http://www.swaylocks.com/groups/re-moulding-fin-bases
I have used the following method a number of times now without any failures (breakages) so far.
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Foil your wooden blank which includes the base that you leave at a uniform thickness of about 6mm.
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Glue a 6mm thick piece of fibreglass fin panel to each end of the wooden base - these will be the tabs you eventually drill holes in for the screw and pin.
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Laminate it all (on both sides of course) until your fin base area is about 9mm in thickness.
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Trim it all up, sand it, hot coat, gloss coat, etc.
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Seal the exposed wood along the bottom of the base which will have been exposed after your trimming and sand the base sides to achieve the thickness you need to fit perfectly in the fin box.
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Drill the screw and pin holes in the fibreglass tabs at each end of the base and fit the pin.
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Go surf it.
Here’s one that I have laminated and hotcoated but haven’t sanded or trimmed yet. But you can clearly see the fibreglass fin panel inserts added to the base at the front and back.
I lke my fins thick, so the base is actually thinner than the maximum thickness of the fin itself. I use 10 to 15mm thick panels and router the thickness down to 6mm just in the base area, then begin the foiling.
Nice work, that’s definately like what I would want to do. What do you use for the firbreglass blocks? and how are the blocks attached?
Felix
The fin posted by Mgcorrei is not a wood fin. It is a very nice fin…a very thin fin…but not a wood fin…it is a thin laminate inside a fiberglass fin…
I know this because I bought one as a gift for a very good friend of mine…I thought it was a wood fin…it’s not…The fin works awesome…but it is not what i thought it was when I dropped down $75…
Looks good , works good…not wood…ray
Making a wood fin takes a few hours. Making a wood removable fin nice takes a bunch of hours. One option is to build a mold to set a wood tab into and use some wet-out roving to build the base. Pull from mold and then glass over the entire fin and base.
This is a fin I made from a template Bill T. shared with me. 7.5" deep, 3/4" thick with a roving micro halo. Wood or is Royal Mahogany.
I just use scraps from 6mm thick fin panels. But you could use anything that is strong, waterproof, won’t shatter when you drill it and adheres to resin well.
Just make sure whatever you use is the the same thickness as the fin base. I just glue them on the ends with five minute epoxy. Once everything is lamintaed over it’s stong enough.
Here’s the same fin sanded and trimmed back a bit - but no holes drilled yet.
