Fin repair question

[LeucadiaEight]

I stupidly hit my fin on the ground on a tiny little wave this morning <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cussing.gif" alt="" /> Anyway, it's glass on and it cracked at the base. Water got inside and it wiggles now. I assume it's not salvageable and I'll have to take it off and glass it back on right?

Tell me if I've got the right idea:
First take the fin off and sand the board flat and fix it if the water ruined the foam there. Sand any bits of glass off the base of the fin so that it's a clean edge. Tape the fin in the right position (should I use some catalyzed resin to glue it down too?). Cut lengths of rope that go an inch or so beyond each end of the base. Mix a batch of resin and put the rope in and then lay it down along each side of the base of the fin. (Do I only want one length of rope per side?) Then, using the same batch of resin, lay down a piece of cloth that goes part way up the fin, over the rope, and onto the board. (How big should this patch be? How long relative to the fin base, and how far up the fin and onto the board should it go?) Just one patch per side, or two layers?

Am I on the right track or will I just make a big mess??? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/foreheadslap.gif" alt="" />

 

[highline rider]

when you go to take it off, if you can use a grinder it will help alot. A surform will work really good to make sure the bottom of the fin is flush. Catalized resin is the way alot of people glue their fins on. Some say to use hot glue or other glue, but i read somewhere on swaylocks that alot of repair people notice that the fins hotglued on came loose most often.

 

[JJR]

highline you right. Hot glue never hardens completely, and has the fin wiggling every time you turn. Eventually it breaks. L8, i'm impressed with how close you are to the proper method. I usually re-foil the fin while it's still on the board. Makes it easy. You need to remove all the glass back off the fin(2 layers) to get it ready to glass back on. Sand the area under and around the fin area with rough 60 grit paper and try to remove all the hotcoat with out going thru to the foam. If water has contacted the foam, the glass will need to be cut back until you get to solid glass and dry foam. Next fill with cabosil or q-cell. Sand flat. Apply 1 4oz patch cleanly and squeegee off excess resin. Now Tack on fin with lam resin and set proper angle by taping into position. Use the good fin on the other side for angle reference. Once hardened completely. Cut fin rope as you mentioned length wise. I use 8 strands on each side of fin. Cut 2 patches of 4oz shaped like a pear that cover the entire fin, and extend at least 3 inches out onto the board. Tuck rope up against fin neatly and saturate with lam resin. With the same resin, apply patches and wet out onto fin. Using gloves, work the bubbles out of the rope and patches without moving the rope around too much. Rub the sides of the fin with your fingers to chase air bubbles out of the patches. Point the rope together at the front and back of fin. Let harden, then trim off excess glass around fin with razor blade. Hot coat, sand, finished.

Or you can bring it to me and I'll do it for 25 bucks. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/monkey.gif" alt="" />

 

[LeucadiaEight]

Thanks JJR! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/applause.gif" alt="" />

 

[LeucadiaEight]

Another question: The patches I lay down obviously won't match the fin exactly. So do you just glass it on there with the excess cloth and then after it hardens sand it to a nice foil? Should you be careful to cut the patch really close to the same shape as the fin? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

 

[000]

razorblade it of when its semi hard jelly

 

[LeucadiaEight]

makes sense... thanks!

 

[JJR]

Make your patches an inch larger around then the fin. Then trim excess off with blade like 000 said.