Author Topic: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?  (Read 10724 times)

magentawave

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #15 on: December 13, 2014, 08:57:31 PM »
The foil looks clean on those so I'm thinking it wasn't dumb luck.  ;)

A couple questions for you please...

1) Did you use a 3D printed box for these fins?

2) Was that 1/4" baltic birch plywood you used?

3) How many layers of cloth did you use on each side and what weight was the cloth?

4) Polyester or epoxy resin?

Thanks


A combination of dumb luck and ignorance has led me to liking these a lot.

Also check out the guy on swaylocks who has a file to 3D print the base so you can just easily slot in the wood part above. Way easier. A search will get you there. The file is free to use. I wanna try a big set of quads.
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

surfcowboy

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #16 on: December 13, 2014, 09:16:02 PM »
3/8" birch ply (I think from Michaels craft store.)

I did these the hard way. The 3D base would make this much easier.

2 x 4oz glass but that's too much. I'd do one layer probably now.

Epoxy but it was early so I never really got a proper hot coat on them.

One tip, if using plywood, make sure to foil the same side of the cut pieces. This is hard to explain but easy to see. If you grind the same side, the plys match and they look better and are way easier to keep consistent.


magentawave

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #17 on: December 13, 2014, 09:39:44 PM »
Thanks. Was that a Futures box or a 3D printed box?
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

peterwSUPr

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #18 on: December 14, 2014, 08:43:25 AM »
I made some futures fins this fall and found an easy solution for the base.  Make the fins with the bases slightly undersized, then cast them.  I found a piece of plastic that was as thick as the base (shimmed with a vinyl clear report cover), and sandwiched that between two thick strips of plexiglass, and clamped the whole thing together with an existing futures fin in it, to double check the size.  If you want to have the fins canted to the side, make sure the fit of the fin you made is loose enough that you are not prying the mold open when you pull them to the side.  I just blocked off the ends of the channel I created with putty.  I mixed some resin and chopped fibers and set the fins in.  Once cured, pull apart the mold, and shaping the ends of the fin base is really easy.  I've made a number of fins over the years for windsurfers, and the futures base was the easiest one I've ever done.

I should add though, that I was experimenting to see if I could make some nice looking fins with a corecell core, along with fiberglass, a bamboo veneer and a bit of carbon.  The foil turned out terrible on them, since things were lumpy after vacuum bagging the veneer on, and yet I did not want to sand through the veneer to fix it.  The main reason I finished them was to see if the casting of the bases worked, and it did work well.  The fins don't ride well though, but that's due to the poor foil.

Peter


magentawave

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #19 on: December 18, 2014, 09:13:34 AM »
Thanks.  :) I don't suppose you have photos of the process you'd be willing to share with us, do you?


I made some futures fins this fall and found an easy solution for the base.  Make the fins with the bases slightly undersized, then cast them.  I found a piece of plastic that was as thick as the base (shimmed with a vinyl clear report cover), and sandwiched that between two thick strips of plexiglass, and clamped the whole thing together with an existing futures fin in it, to double check the size.  If you want to have the fins canted to the side, make sure the fit of the fin you made is loose enough that you are not prying the mold open when you pull them to the side.  I just blocked off the ends of the channel I created with putty.  I mixed some resin and chopped fibers and set the fins in.  Once cured, pull apart the mold, and shaping the ends of the fin base is really easy.  I've made a number of fins over the years for windsurfers, and the futures base was the easiest one I've ever done.

I should add though, that I was experimenting to see if I could make some nice looking fins with a corecell core, along with fiberglass, a bamboo veneer and a bit of carbon.  The foil turned out terrible on them, since things were lumpy after vacuum bagging the veneer on, and yet I did not want to sand through the veneer to fix it.  The main reason I finished them was to see if the casting of the bases worked, and it did work well.  The fins don't ride well though, but that's due to the poor foil.

Peter
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

K-541`

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #20 on: December 18, 2014, 07:56:15 PM »
Molded fins the next big thing more fin company's are jumping on the band wagon after seeing what K4 has done.MFC hawaii is coming out with a line of surf fins. Lots to like about molded fins, low cost, if done right flex any way you want. The only down side is fiberglass fins just look cool.

55NSup

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #21 on: December 20, 2014, 08:53:27 AM »
I'm seriously considering getting a 3d printer called the cube pro.  It will do nylon, abs,  pla.
I can imagine several ways to make fins with it,  even making light cores and v bagging cf on for strength. I could make a paddle blade core too,  might be able to do a lost wax type of core that can can be dissolved out if made of pla. There's a 3d scanner too,  seems capable. 

peterwSUPr

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #22 on: December 20, 2014, 01:56:47 PM »
Sorry, I did not take any pictures of what I did to mold the bases of the fins.  Was there something I did not explain well?  I could maybe find the bits and piece it together again for a picture. Let me know if there is something not clear.

Peter

supuk

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #23 on: December 22, 2014, 12:22:41 AM »
Personally with the level that the printers are at at the moment I would go with a small ridged cnc mill if you want to play with fins, at least that way you could mill solid plastic or g10 and have something useable strait away without having to do anything to it. If you know how to lay something up composite construction has far more room for playing with flex and properties by simply laying out the glass in different directions and many other ways also.

55NSup

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #24 on: December 22, 2014, 12:47:37 AM »
The pro- sumer level 3d printer would open up some interesting and creative ways for the hobby builders.  The professional printers from 3D systems can now do glass reinforced nylon. But those printers cost 150k + usd..
My thinking is that you could print a fin in 2 halves, each half done in " honey comb ". laminate a cf layer  in-between to control flex when gluing halves together bag on lamination on outside after filling voids with epoxy+ microballon filler. 
Or, make fin in halves,  hollow or honeycombed, with outer surface perfect,  glue together with cf or glass layers,  depending on flex, bag on thin layer glass on outside to strengthen. If you use colored abs or pla and 3 head printer,  you can design in the color too.
This is all hobby thinking...

magentawave

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #25 on: December 22, 2014, 10:40:44 AM »
Aren't all plastic fins molded? If so, they've been around a long time and their flex characteristics are terrible. Is anyone producing molded fins now that flex like a fiberglass - stiff at the base and flex with a pop at the tip?

Molded fins the next big thing more fin company's are jumping on the band wagon after seeing what K4 has done.MFC hawaii is coming out with a line of surf fins. Lots to like about molded fins, low cost, if done right flex any way you want. The only down side is fiberglass fins just look cool.
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

Mungo

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #26 on: December 23, 2014, 04:25:20 PM »
Aren't all plastic fins molded? If so, they've been around a long time and their flex characteristics are terrible. Is anyone producing molded fins now that flex like a fiberglass - stiff at the base and flex with a pop at the tip?

Yes, I would imagine that all plastic fins are moulded.
I haven't had much experience with older plastic fins because my background is windsurfing where the market for them really only opened up when multifins were introduced (or re-introduced, depending on your historical standpoint). The early fins K4 brought out were maybe a little soft (for windsurfing) but I guess they changed the compound. I have them on both my windsurf boards and my thinking was that if they're stiff enough for windsurfing they must be stiff enough for sup surfing. 
At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference. The thing is, if you try them and don't like them, it's not going to break the bank. 

Not that I want to put you off making your own fins. That sounds like a cool project. One I'd happily read about on here....  ;D   

Greenlight

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #27 on: February 01, 2015, 07:14:31 AM »
Here's an old 3 part video on how to make wood or bamboo fins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elB1dQBDKjc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQHkHERq6OA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhSpIvs2JX8

Same technique for fiberglass fins.

Also, for home made centerfins use the http://greenlightsurfsupply.com/products/universal-fin-tab to simplify the build and make it stronger.

~Brian

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~Shape Your Surfing Experience

magentawave

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Re: Is anyone here making their own FINS for removable boxes?
« Reply #28 on: February 01, 2015, 11:48:57 AM »
Thank you, Brian!
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

 


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