Alternative fin templates & materials

[ric_vidal]

the G4, size wise, did sit roughly between 3's and 5's (which I also have) but G4's do have more 'rake' giving them drive and ability to hold in larger surf despite having a regular sized base, and also provide momentum in smaller weaker surf ... but it's the flexibility of the black plastic gives them looseness to throw the tail around and they are also quite forgiving ...

D-Surfin, trace off an accurate template (assuming the centre is the same) I reckon we can fabricate something that will come close.

Epoxy, as a resin at least, could be a good starting point.

Started making fins before I started boards... one resin I tried was a ‘flex’ resin, so mixed it was some ‘normal’ stuff and you wouldn’t believe how flexible it was - alas too flexible though.

Polycarbonate has a nice flex but it is nigh on impossible to shape.

[Surfin Turf]

^^^^^


RV ... delighted to give anything a go ... will do , and will contact ... muchos appreciartos ...

[pridmore]

i too have asked my FCS guy, he was unaware of such a fin unless before his time....No others who I have asked know anything either...I am sure you could get similar flex from some glass ones, just have to do some trial and error until you get the right thickness and flex I reckon....

Yeah, I know there's probs with aluminium as far as corrosion goes but I will coat them with something ( yet to look into that side of it ) but for weight and just as an optional material I wanted to feel how it surfed...if there was anything positive, take it from there...and cross any bridges as I go...I havent even got someone to do me a set yet, but waiting for the right tradie to order a stick...

[puurri]

^^ any metal corrodes, especially if there is another metal present. The further apart they are on the galvanic series list the faster as salt water is in essence a battery fluid. Lazza can set you right otherwise google.

[pridmore]

Derek Hynd has an aluminium board, must be a way..anyway, it was just an idea, still gunna get a set made for a test run.... what about tinny's, ???

[bohdidontsurf]

That board of dereks was made by dick van straalen , its a pressed aluminium skin

[pridmore]

hey Bohds..had a board testing day today, you may have liked it...at one stage ther was 12 of my shapes on the beach, ten were quads...

[dUg]

we know someone who is in a reasonably senior position there and has tried for us over the years but still a no ... they come back with the plenty of alternatives that do the same job and better with the improved technology story ... I have asked a number of times over the years ... I do believe that like the rest of the surf industry (and any industry for that matter) it's about making money from the masses rather than helping out an old boy with a niche product ...

The FCS of old ( pre MacBank backed management team inserted ) might have helped you out... now they answer "no" to pretty much anything that is even slightly out of the ordinary. My mate ( has an account ) wanted to stock up on Carbon lites when he got wind of FCS winding up the series and was told flatly, "no". I imagine under this new regime they sent 100's of them to landfill, just like your G4's were.

You'll come up aginst the same thing with asking about re-tooling - yep... no doubt they have all the dies for injection molding... but they won't do small runs. Not part of the business plan I'm afraid.

There's a niche out there for some enterprising individual, methinks...

[Wingnut]

When I was in Bali/Kuta this year saw heaps of original Carbon FCS fins for sale in the old packaging. Lot's of the S.Anderson shape fins...

[speedneedle]

Hey Wingy that reminds me...

These fins are meant for you. You'll have to twist my arm a bit 'cos...they're kinda tasty and I got attached...

Thicker foil so you can push them really hard without spinning out...and so light they float.

All from offcuts, with a glass spine attached to the tabs.


Josh
http://www.joshdowlingshape.com

[Wingnut]

Josh!

Holy shit they look great! Wondered if I'd ever see those, lol.

[Nick Carroll]

RV ... delighted to give anything a go ... will do , and will contact ... muchos appreciartos ...

Dude I will GUARANTEE a well laid glass fin with a good foil will be better than the polycarbonate version. G4 or any other template for that matter.

I'm sure rickity will do you right but you could also try Phil at FF, a superb finmaker.

re alternative materials, jeez I dunno why anyone would make a fin using Kevlar, strong as it is, it ain't exactly known for its stiffness. ric do you think carbon/glass layered in epoxy would be good, you surely could fine-tune the flex with such a mix, and boy! wouldn't it look good?

Think also corrosion has not proven to be an issue with aluminium towboard fins, and for a simple reason, after all, how long do you think they're actually IN salt water? Four to six hours a month in peak season? They're not a boat hull.

[daryl]

get a pea sized used up zinc block

i s'pose silk would add nothing to the mix being ultra (pr. ooltra- )-malleable and all okay,

*slinks orf*

[Surfin Turf]

Dude I will GUARANTEE a well laid glass fin with a good foil will be better than the polycarbonate version. G4 or any other template for that matter.
.

I have no doubt that you are right ... I just reckon there is an element of personal fit like anything else in sporting equipment I suppose ... and I do have a range of nice glass fins ... for me I think that those fins I keep bangin' on about fit better than anything for the way I surf, I say that becasue my brother and the guy who makes my boards also surf similar to me, ride the same shapes and love those fins too ...

I realise that the dream is over but I am just having trouble letting go ...

[huie]

Hey Wingy that reminds me...

These fins are meant for you. You'll have to twist my arm a bit 'cos...they're kinda tasty and I got attached...

Thicker foil so you can push them really hard without spinning out...and so light they float.

All from offcuts, with a glass spine attached to the tabs.


Josh
http://www.joshdowlingshape.com

offcutter_fins_two.jpg

offcutter_fins_one.jpg

hey fellas have a good look at what josh is showing you here
or is it going over your heads?

jez we are in the 21st centry aluminium haa'

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[bohdidontsurf]

hey Bohds..had a board testing day today, you may have liked it...at one stage ther was 12 of my shapes on the beach, ten were quads...

Nice!!!! I really dont enjoy riding thrusters anymore. Give me a round tail quad any day. When you doing eps and epoxy Mark ?? What was the feed back on the quads from your test pilots?

[bohdidontsurf]

RV ... delighted to give anything a go ... will do , and will contact ... muchos appreciartos ...

Dude I will GUARANTEE a well laid glass fin with a good foil will be better than the polycarbonate version. G4 or any other template for that matter.

I'm sure rickity will do you right but you could also try Phil at FF, a superb finmaker.

re alternative materials, jeez I dunno why anyone would make a fin using Kevlar, strong as it is, it ain't exactly known for its stiffness. ric do you think carbon/glass layered in epoxy would be good, you surely could fine-tune the flex with such a mix, and boy! wouldn't it look good?

Think also corrosion has not proven to be an issue with aluminium towboard fins, and for a simple reason, after all, how long do you think they're actually IN salt water? Four to six hours a month in peak season? They're not a boat hull.

Plenty of Aluminium boat hulls around that get a lot of water time. Kind of wondered what all of the discussion about aluminum in salt water was all about, its probably the best metal to have in corrosive environment, isnt it?