I have been interested in trying to glass my own longboard fin for a while and I thought I'd ask the people on the forum if they had any suggestions. First of all, If i shaped the fin out of wood, say 9 inches, what kind of resin/poly would use to coat it. Can I use bartop or do i need a specific type of resin? If i wanted to sape a fin for a 7'4 retro egg what styles do you guys suggest? I'd be looking for a shape and size that would allow for a looser/slidier type ride, like a wakeskate with no fins. any ideas will be appreciated. Thanks also if i figured out what type of chemical with which to coat the film, could i take say an old magazine photo or a cutout of a map and wrap it around the fin before coating so it could show through as a graphic? double thanks to all watermen and women.
Definitely search then ask on www.swaylocks.com That's the premier surfboard design forum. Not going to get as much help here. here's a hint though: you'll need fiberglass cloth, and either epoxy resin or polyester resin.
It depends what your putting on the board itself. If it is fiberglass and polyester resin then use that. It will dry clear and show whatever graphic you put in there, if you use something else than use that just keep what you use on the board the same as the fin. Different chemicals can do funny stuff when mixed improperly. To see if the magazine, picture, whatever will handle the coating try a scrap picture/magazine/etc... with some scrap cloth/resin. You can also try different cloths from walmart or michaels or something to add design to the deck/bottom of the board as well. Some can handle the chemicals some don't. your best bet is to, as they always say "try a small amount in a hidden area to test the product". Try a little with some scrap/extra material and see what happens.
Hey Gulfcoast7 Are you planning to glass on the fins or make them for a centerfin box? Let me know and I can give you detailed info on how to do it. You can use either epoxy or poly resin. Epoxy is preferrable for a lot of reasons. Also you can use an image from a magazine or map but it would mess with the resin's bond to the wood. It would be best to scan the image and print it on logo paper with an inkjet printer. The logo paper allows resin to bond to the substrate with no problems. A good fin for your 7'4" egg would look like something this, maybe a 7" or 7.5" ~Brian www.greenlightsurfsupply.com
cutout graphics If you put pictures in the fiberglass then the picture can only be one sided. If theres anything on the back then it will show through like if you hold up a wet peice of paper to light.
