Surfboard Fin Panel Experiment Gone Wrong: Lessons Learned
Vložit
- čas přidán 9. 08. 2023
- For this fin panel I wanted to try an idea I had to speed up doing multi-colored panels. I want to find a way that is faster than waiting for each layer to cure before doing the next. So I came up with the idea of trying to separate all of one color with plastic and then wait for it to gel. Then try to time it just right so that they would release and I would be able to do the next color so it would all cure at once without color bleeding. I knew the timing had to be perfect unfortunately I missed timed it slightly and had to change my plan. Although these fins didn't come out as planned. I learn a lot and have some other ideas of how I can speed things up.
Join the discord to share and talk about home made fins and surfboards
Discord: / discord
Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/WaveWasters
Tools and supplies I use:
Dewalt 5" Rotary Sander (DWE6401DS): amzn.to/49cPInZ
Porter Cable Sander/polisher: amzn.to/2UG7H4J
3" Resin roller: amzn.to/3KBHBqp
3M Dual Cartridge Respirator: amzn.to/3Ec9aB0
Reusable stir sticks: amzn.to/3kILNIG
6oz Fiberglass
Entropy Epoxy(for glassing)
Amazon Affiliate links - I earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases this comes at no cost to you. - Jak na to + styl
Great video and really great workshop setup. I love the custom jigs and your experimenting with techniques and materials
Thanks, my space is pretty small but I'm making it work. I really enjoy experimenting even if I know a way that will work for sure. I find that sometimes an experiment gone wrong you learn tricks to improve other techniques.
Watching from Australia. They look really awsome!
Thanks Joey. I love the colors but not so stoked on the bubbles. Lots of ways to do it better next time
Love that jig with the machinist's vice
Works really well, just need better dust collection system.
Great information! Thanks
Your welcome, hope it helps you in your fin making journey.
very nice technique ! i tried to swirl red and blue pigment for fins, turns out mostly black not my finest attempt :'D
shouldn't you go with a hot coat on finished fins to take out external bubbles ?
I was really hoping it would have worked better, it would make making multi layer panels soo fast and easy.
Hot coating them was a fix I thought about. I decided to surf the thruster set I made from the same panel to see if it was noticeable first. For me it wasn't really noticeable, and I figured I was better putting what resin I had left towards repairs and other projects.
Livin’ and learnin’! So cool to see your tools and techniques as you create. I made a fin for a windsurfer once…it’s at the bottom of Lake George here in Kings County LOL! It was fun making it though and it worked for a little while before it broke off! I had satellite dish mesh as a reinforcing layer but I didn’t take it into the tab and it cracked and broke off where the mesh ended. Needless to say, it was fun sailing back to shore with no fin! I have made suspension support bulkheads for R/C cars by laying up fiberglass on a piece of glass, like you did, but I only made one layer and then cut the layer into pieces and CA’d them together in a press. They worked for their intended function but where they weren’t sanded, I don’t know if there was air bubbles in between the layers. Would it help if you put your final laminations in a press not worrying about the outside layer being smooth as you mostly sand that layer off?…just thinking out loud… As always, cool stuff Matt 👍 Cheers, John
Thats rough, how much harder was it to go finless? I've never tried a windsurfer before. A press would have solved a lot if not all of the bubbles. I should have tossed it in my snowboard press. I was originally going to use it but where I was testing multiple things at once I didn't want to complicate things too much.
@@WaveWasters Hiya Matt, it was not easy to go finless on a windsurfer as you need some sort of lateral resistance to counter the lift of the sail. If I remember correctly, ( this was over 35 years ago! ) I had to put one foot on either side of the mast and try to bury the leading rail to make it act like a bit of a keel to keep the board from just skipping sideways. I was close to shore so it was no big deal and I just jigged and frigged my way back in. My years of windsurfing made me think I would be good at surfing...boy was I wrong! The only thing in common with the two sports is the word "surf". To me, at least, surfing is way more challenging as there is nothing to hold on to like the boom of the windsurfer. Of course, I might say that windsurfing is hard if I had started it at 54 as well!
Yeah, a snowboard press would have worked nicely ( I think ). It's still cool to see you innovate and invent no matter what the outcome. What if you dropped some CA in those bubbles on your fins and sanded them? Or are you even concerned and just counting this as a learning experience? I bet the next multi layer fins will be perfect.
Cheers, John
Sounds like it would be a challenge with out the fin especially with how windy it can be. Have you been able to get out surfing again this summer?
I have a set from the same panel I've been surfing, so far its not enough of a hindrance for me to fix them. When we get more powerful surf it will be the real test. Then I might fix them or might not haha.
@@WaveWasters I've only been out once and that was in June for a local Dr. who is leaving the Yarmouth area for a year to upgrade her medical licence to handle emergency trauma. She is up your way doing the training and is probably out and about in your local surf spots at times. Her name is Emma and she rides a pink longboard. Anyhow, there was a going away party for her at another surfer's house in Mavillette and I was down for that and got out for a few rides in late June. I'm going out this Sunday for my 2nd session to Mavillette to try to get some cobwebs brushed off of me and my equipment.
I have some interesting news though. I just had my 60th birthday and my wife arranged a special surprise party for me with a lot of friends and family. One of the guests was Brian Carey, who used to rent boards at Mavillette and is a board builder. Apparently, my wife had been talking to Brian to get him to make a board for me for my birthday. He came to my party and showed me pictures of a 9"6" board that he's building for me but it's not finished as it's been too humid to lay up fiberglass. He wanted it to be ready for my birthday but where it's been so rainy and humid all summer, it has put his progress behind and he's still working on it.
I may have to venture up your way to one of the local surf shops to get a proper length leash for the board ( I say may as I don't know yet if he is supplying one with the board ) and if I do I will try to contact you to meet you if you like. I could be a "cameraman" for you for a sesh if you want... Anyhow, I'll have to wait for a bit yet as it's still a work in progress and I don't know when I'll be getting the board.
I'll probably be getting out a bit more now as we've been busy with weekend trips with the family, camping with our granddaughter and two back to back weekends with birthday parties at our pool. Same thing happened last year as I didn't get out for my 2nd surf until September 11 and then I was out almost every weekend until November 13.
There...a long winded answer to your question...lol! Cheers, John
@@funafter5081 Happy Belated Brithday! A 9'6" will be a great board for a lot of the surf we get. Let me know when your headed this way.
Looks like you're not using either of your tab creation moulds, what's the reason for that, is this way (using the router) just a better way?
These are solid fiberglass so it's easier to cut the cant into the fin then to mold it on. The molds generally work better for wood fins when you want to save on fiberglass.
@@WaveWastersThe cant needs to go on both sides of the tabs though right, so that both sides are parallel? I don't think you showed that? Any chance you could do a close-up video of the jib you're using to cut the cant into the tabs, with explanations? Thanks!
@@KimCarterNet Yeah you need the cant on both so the sides are parallel. This can be done a lot of ways. I've been using my jig to cut the angle then clamping the angled side down and milling the tab parallel using drill press. Its not idea but its worked ok.
At some point Id like to do a more in depth tutorial however the set of single fins i'm working on now will probably use up the rest of my resin. I don't know how soon ill be able to afford more epoxy either(currently im not making money on these videos). Luckily I have two videos I'm editing as well as the set im finishing so I'll have more content. If you have questions I can try my best to answer them with text if its not in a video.
If you have cured panels between wet panels of course you're going to get air bubbles /pockets. Best to gel then next colour
Your right waiting for it to gel is best for multiple reasons, epoxy complicates it some but still possible. I knew the chances of bubble were high and I would look like a kook for trying this haha. I know a few ways I can solve the bubbles. I should have used them but I want to limit my variables on this test.