Awesome work dude, I was thinking of setting a little business up selling homemade fins (locally), my job is a resin infuser so I think I could implement this technique quite nicely... Love the box idea, I did wonder about that but I think I know how you've done it.... Keep up the great work.... See you out there 🤙
That's awesome! I'm also thinking of trying to sell some locally to help fund projects. Resin infusing is something I want to start doing with my fins I just need to see if my make shift vacuum pump can pull the resin through. Let me know how your fins turn out!
Sick one brotha !! Fins look amazing!! I want to make a keel set for my 5’-6 fish .. the knowledge i have of many years surfing and fun setups that work best for my style in surfing .. I love the Bamboo with carbon wrap they give me the best power on the bottom turns and the best drive to get in front of the white water .. I have them on my other boards but my Fish I can’t seem to find them in the keel fins .. it’s a bummer but it’s time to make some ! Lol thanks for sharing and also how did the fins work out ??? Are they as stiff as they look ?? Yeww .. one lov 🤙🏽
I surf them mainly in my 5'3" Vader style board I shaped and in larger surf so the stiffness helps in those waves. They do have some spring/flex to them which is nice but not enough for small days. Bamboo/carbon fins sound like they would be awesome. I've been eyeing some cheap bamboo cutting boards to make fins from. If you make some let me know how they turn out.
You could but getting the thickness correct after you fibreglass and hotcoat the fin would be tricky. Thats why a lot people pref to build the tab up after glassing the wood fin or use a full fibreglass tab that goes up into the wood. If you meaning going with no fibreglass it would depend on the type of wood the fin is made of. Most likely you would need to have some sort of reinforcement to keep the fin from braking. Something like veneers sandwiched with fibreglass between the layers could work.
@@WaveWasters Thanks for the answer. Yes, i suppose you would have to have some sort of resin/fibreglass or the wood would expand due to water absorption. I understand nothing of the subject, that's why i was wondering.
@@quimlima you might be able to seal the wood with an oil finish or even a marine varnish, it may still swell over time though. But it would be an interesting experiment to try different woods and sealers to see if a all wood fin is feasible.
Your video is just what I was looking for! I’m about to make my first set of fins. One question though, what material were you using when you placed the fin in a slot to glass The front and back of the portion that locks into a futures box? This is the one step that I haven’t been able to figure out and it seems like you have a really clever way of adding fiberglass to the base so that you can cut in the part where it locks into the fin box
The slot is made with silicone. I usually put small bits of extra fibreglass and chopped glass at the ends to give the tab more strength then just resin. I have have video on making the mold which might be helpful too. ua-cam.com/video/qkVutYonQhM/v-deo.html
I like the way you made this fins. I'm just curious about the strength in the plug area. Have you ever had any problems of fins snapping while surfing, using this technique? Thanks for the video
I've snapped a few sets early on. Usually it was when I only used one layer of 6oz per side or I made the tab too think and sanded too much glass off between the fin and fin base causing a weak spot. Now I go with at least 4 layers total usually five(3 on one side 2 on other) between the tab and the fin as that's the weak point. I rarely break fins now, I think I've broken two sets in last 4+ years. Both sets cracked but one side of glass still held. One fin cracked at the tab where I sanded threw to much which I knew would happen but it lasted years before cracking. The other was a set of keels I snapped half way up the fin due to the board getting slammed in shore break which would probably have taken any set of fins out. There not going to be as strong as full glass fins, they as stronger then the thermotech styles fin in my experience. This is all future fin bases too for fcs1 your going to want more reinforcement at the tabs or full glass tabs as the design is weaker in general.
Yeah I made a mold using silicone and mdf. I plan to make a video on the mold at some point. If you have any questions I can answer them in the meantime. If you want some photos of the mold I can send you some threw Instagram @wavewasters
great vids. I've been have a crack at making a few fins and enjoying the process. my results are slowly improving. do you always hot coat your fins. and what sort of grits do you sand too before and after hot coating? Cheers
I don't always gloss coat them but usually have to hot coat them to fill the weave in. However I've been playing around with a really simple vacuum bag method that I haven't always needed to do a hot coat. For sanding, anything I'm going to put a another layer of resin on I try to use 80 grit so that the resin will bond well to the lamination. Depending how smooth the hot coat comes out I usually try to start at 180/220 then go threw the grits to as high as I have. If the hot coat is lumpy I'll go lower to a 80 or 120 grit.
@@phil6732 it's a video I have planned but not sure how soon it will be. What I've been using is the cheap ziplock vacuum storage bags and a shop vac. And inside I use a perforated release film on both sides of the fin. The film I made with plastic and poked lots of little holes in it. It's not perfect but if you don't use to much resin it pulls the fiberglass around the fin pretty good. Works pretty good with epoxy, but I wonder if an actual vacuum bag set would with a hand pump would be cheaper. I've thought of using the food saver vacuums but it would have to be used solely for resin.
Hello there! Awesome content as always. Maybe you can give and advice. When I put the resin on my fins, over what material do you recommend you lay them untill it cures so when I pull them up, they dont get sticked to it? Hope u understood what I meant. English is not my language :D
I use scraps of vapor barrier which is polypropylene. A thick film of plastic works well or tuck tape on a surface. If you glass one side at a time you can raise the fin up with something and only glass the top side.
I usually try to aim for an 1/8 inch or roughly 3mm all round. If you want more of a resin halo aim for 1/4". However I do make my templates to the exact size I want I just know for wood fins the fins they will be slightly bigger. If your copying a fin you already have just pull the template in sightly all around.
I usually aim for just under 1/4" (7mmish). I also thin the tab section a bit so that the glass layers don't make the tab area too thick before molding them. Let me know how your fins turn out, I'm always stoked to hear about others projects.
I used some extra 6 mil poly vapor barrier I had on hand, its used in home construction. I also use a bigger piece to protect the floor when glassing or to protect tables from epoxy. Nice thing is after the epoxy cures it will peel right off.
@@WaveWasters Ah cool I think that must be what we call 'polythene groundsheet' in NZ, it's usually black from the hardware stores here. I just finished my mould yesterday and am glassing up my first set of rear quad fins right now. I'm using polyester resin because it's all I have at the moment. I've used vaseline over a metal road sign to stop the resin from sticking. I've had some troubles with air bubbles on the leading edge, which I can't get out. I think I will refill the holes with more resin when it's almost dry. I'm making fcs 1.0 plugs... but will upgrade them to longer tabs or make a mould of fcs 2.0 plugs when I can borrow or afford some new fins to replicate.
@@ray.singer It might be the same stuff just its clear here, I'll check and see if I can find the exact material. I do use small food polypropylene(5pp) contains to mix resin in and it comes off every time as well. I've never tried poly in the mold but it should work fine, you may need a release film for it. For air bubbles try adding some roving along the leading edge of the fins between the two sides of the glass. I still have trouble with bubble there but the roving helps fill in some space so the fibreglass doesn't need to bend as much. Let me know how your fins turn out!
Very nice!!
Thanks Craig
Those are beautiful, great job!
Thanks Louis! Surfed them once and they worked really well.
Beautiful 😻
Thanks! These fins have been really fun to surf
Awesome work dude, I was thinking of setting a little business up selling homemade fins (locally), my job is a resin infuser so I think I could implement this technique quite nicely... Love the box idea, I did wonder about that but I think I know how you've done it.... Keep up the great work.... See you out there 🤙
That's awesome! I'm also thinking of trying to sell some locally to help fund projects. Resin infusing is something I want to start doing with my fins I just need to see if my make shift vacuum pump can pull the resin through. Let me know how your fins turn out!
Awesome dude, thanks for sharing. I’m feeling pretty inspired to try to make my own fins now 🤙
Its a lot of work, but super fun. Even when a set doesn't come out great its still fun to surf fins you made.
Interessante seu trabalho, nos mostra como pode ser simples desde que em uma sequência lógica, obrigado por seu esforço, parabéns
Obrigado
Sick one brotha !! Fins look amazing!! I want to make a keel set for my 5’-6 fish .. the knowledge i have of many years surfing and fun setups that work best for my style in surfing .. I love the Bamboo with carbon wrap they give me the best power on the bottom turns and the best drive to get in front of the white water .. I have them on my other boards but my Fish I can’t seem to find them in the keel fins .. it’s a bummer but it’s time to make some ! Lol thanks for sharing and also how did the fins work out ??? Are they as stiff as they look ?? Yeww .. one lov 🤙🏽
I surf them mainly in my 5'3" Vader style board I shaped and in larger surf so the stiffness helps in those waves. They do have some spring/flex to them which is nice but not enough for small days. Bamboo/carbon fins sound like they would be awesome. I've been eyeing some cheap bamboo cutting boards to make fins from. If you make some let me know how they turn out.
Great work.
Wouldn't be possible to sculpt the base of the futures/fcs system into the wood?
You could but getting the thickness correct after you fibreglass and hotcoat the fin would be tricky. Thats why a lot people pref to build the tab up after glassing the wood fin or use a full fibreglass tab that goes up into the wood. If you meaning going with no fibreglass it would depend on the type of wood the fin is made of. Most likely you would need to have some sort of reinforcement to keep the fin from braking. Something like veneers sandwiched with fibreglass between the layers could work.
@@WaveWasters Thanks for the answer. Yes, i suppose you would have to have some sort of resin/fibreglass or the wood would expand due to water absorption. I understand nothing of the subject, that's why i was wondering.
@@quimlima you might be able to seal the wood with an oil finish or even a marine varnish, it may still swell over time though. But it would be an interesting experiment to try different woods and sealers to see if a all wood fin is feasible.
@@WaveWasters Will be looking into trying this.
Your video is just what I was looking for! I’m about to make my first set of fins.
One question though, what material were you using when you placed the fin in a slot to glass The front and back of the portion that locks into a futures box?
This is the one step that I haven’t been able to figure out and it seems like you have a really clever way of adding fiberglass to the base so that you can cut in the part where it locks into the fin box
The slot is made with silicone. I usually put small bits of extra fibreglass and chopped glass at the ends to give the tab more strength then just resin. I have have video on making the mold which might be helpful too. ua-cam.com/video/qkVutYonQhM/v-deo.html
I like the way you made this fins. I'm just curious about the strength in the plug area. Have you ever had any problems of fins snapping while surfing, using this technique? Thanks for the video
I've snapped a few sets early on. Usually it was when I only used one layer of 6oz per side or I made the tab too think and sanded too much glass off between the fin and fin base causing a weak spot. Now I go with at least 4 layers total usually five(3 on one side 2 on other) between the tab and the fin as that's the weak point. I rarely break fins now, I think I've broken two sets in last 4+ years. Both sets cracked but one side of glass still held. One fin cracked at the tab where I sanded threw to much which I knew would happen but it lasted years before cracking. The other was a set of keels I snapped half way up the fin due to the board getting slammed in shore break which would probably have taken any set of fins out. There not going to be as strong as full glass fins, they as stronger then the thermotech styles fin in my experience. This is all future fin bases too for fcs1 your going to want more reinforcement at the tabs or full glass tabs as the design is weaker in general.
@@WaveWasters thanks for the reply!👍🏻
Very inspiring what you are doing
Hey can you explain how you made the fin boxes it looks like you made a mold great job!!!!
Yeah I made a mold using silicone and mdf. I plan to make a video on the mold at some point. If you have any questions I can answer them in the meantime. If you want some photos of the mold I can send you some threw Instagram @wavewasters
Can you please send pics info on the mold? Looks great 👍🏽
great vids. I've been have a crack at making a few fins and enjoying the process. my results are slowly improving. do you always hot coat your fins. and what sort of grits do you sand too before and after hot coating? Cheers
I don't always gloss coat them but usually have to hot coat them to fill the weave in. However I've been playing around with a really simple vacuum bag method that I haven't always needed to do a hot coat.
For sanding, anything I'm going to put a another layer of resin on I try to use 80 grit so that the resin will bond well to the lamination. Depending how smooth the hot coat comes out I usually try to start at 180/220 then go threw the grits to as high as I have. If the hot coat is lumpy I'll go lower to a 80 or 120 grit.
@@WaveWasters I'd love to see a short video on your vacuum method. I ve got a vac packer and was keen to give it a try
@@phil6732 it's a video I have planned but not sure how soon it will be.
What I've been using is the cheap ziplock vacuum storage bags and a shop vac. And inside I use a perforated release film on both sides of the fin. The film I made with plastic and poked lots of little holes in it. It's not perfect but if you don't use to much resin it pulls the fiberglass around the fin pretty good. Works pretty good with epoxy, but I wonder if an actual vacuum bag set would with a hand pump would be cheaper. I've thought of using the food saver vacuums but it would have to be used solely for resin.
Hello there! Awesome content as always.
Maybe you can give and advice. When I put the resin on my fins, over what material do you recommend you lay them untill it cures so when I pull them up, they dont get sticked to it? Hope u understood what I meant. English is not my language :D
I use scraps of vapor barrier which is polypropylene. A thick film of plastic works well or tuck tape on a surface. If you glass one side at a time you can raise the fin up with something and only glass the top side.
@@WaveWasters thank you AGAIN haha
@@alfonsos-q4634 No problem!
How much smaller do I make the wood core compared to size of the fin I want? I want to make a twinzer set
I usually try to aim for an 1/8 inch or roughly 3mm all round. If you want more of a resin halo aim for 1/4". However I do make my templates to the exact size I want I just know for wood fins the fins they will be slightly bigger. If your copying a fin you already have just pull the template in sightly all around.
@@WaveWasters Thank you. And I do want a halo look. Will see what I can do.
@@joeytaylor8767 No problem, if you have any questions just reach out and I'll try to help. Good luck on your fins!
Love the videos so much I made my own mold! What starting thickness of wood do you use for the fins before foiling and fiberglassing?
I usually aim for just under 1/4" (7mmish). I also thin the tab section a bit so that the glass layers don't make the tab area too thick before molding them. Let me know how your fins turn out, I'm always stoked to hear about others projects.
Awesome thanks! Will do!
Super cool! What is the plastic that you use as a non-stick wrapper for pressing the fins?
I used some extra 6 mil poly vapor barrier I had on hand, its used in home construction. I also use a bigger piece to protect the floor when glassing or to protect tables from epoxy. Nice thing is after the epoxy cures it will peel right off.
@@WaveWasters Ah cool I think that must be what we call 'polythene groundsheet' in NZ, it's usually black from the hardware stores here. I just finished my mould yesterday and am glassing up my first set of rear quad fins right now.
I'm using polyester resin because it's all I have at the moment. I've used vaseline over a metal road sign to stop the resin from sticking. I've had some troubles with air bubbles on the leading edge, which I can't get out. I think I will refill the holes with more resin when it's almost dry.
I'm making fcs 1.0 plugs... but will upgrade them to longer tabs or make a mould of fcs 2.0 plugs when I can borrow or afford some new fins to replicate.
@@ray.singer It might be the same stuff just its clear here, I'll check and see if I can find the exact material. I do use small food polypropylene(5pp) contains to mix resin in and it comes off every time as well.
I've never tried poly in the mold but it should work fine, you may need a release film for it. For air bubbles try adding some roving along the leading edge of the fins between the two sides of the glass. I still have trouble with bubble there but the roving helps fill in some space so the fibreglass doesn't need to bend as much.
Let me know how your fins turn out!