Hi all
Sold my old axis setup to a friend as I was getting new fuses and mast anyway. Was a bit surprised when I saw baseplate finish. Didn't look as nicely machined as my old one (2018?). Much rougher surface finish but didn't think too much about it.

The other day I then noticed it had some pretty big bends to it. Haven't had any seabed impacts and I ride unstrapped, so I would not say I'm hard on equipment.

Anyone else experienced this?

Thinking of making it true again and making a carbon copy of it...

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danish said..
Haven't had any seabed impacts and I ride unstrapped, so I would not say I'm hard on equipment.

When I broke my foil gear (mast or board), it was never on an impact, or while riding it, but just the gear getting rolled in breaking waves in deep water.

People do not realize the huge amount of power "mere" moving water can have on the big surfaces of SUP foil boards and foils. (some even focus on pendulum weights :-) ).

For me it just looks like usual damage from breaking waves. You must learn to not allow your gear to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, even (and especially) if you are not on it.

my newest base plate one of the screw holes for mounting is a little too narrow in the opening. Can't slide the screw in like I can the other 3 corners. but the screw fits, just have to completely unscrew it every time, if that makes sense.

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colas said..When I broke my foil gear (mast or board), it was never on an impact, or while riding it, but just the gear getting rolled in breaking waves in deep water.

Opposite for me. I have had some serious beatings but never damaged a foil. Running into the reef however a different story. I have rolled boxes before damaging the foil.

That ali looks very soft.

Thinking of it, there was quite a bit of broken gear at first when people attempted to paddle over the foam: the foam would push the board upwards while the foil was anchored in the water, resulting in dismemberment forces. We quickly learned to avoid it by either punching through the foam and not over it, or just bail...

The damage on the pic looks similar to it: like if some giant had attempted to pull the wing away from the board.

Gear has been used on prone 95% of the time. But totally agree with you Colas about the forces you describe. My biggest concern was that Axis had slacked on their quality, since my 2 year old baseplate was true, but also had a way nicer finish.

Wrote Axis and they already responded that it could be a warranty-claim. As customers we need to keep the manufacturers on their toes:)

This is amazing, I have no idea how a mast plate can bend like this, is the other side bent ?

Funnily enough the designer behind project Cedrus (you know the carbon mast that fits all brands with adaptors) he says that his mast plate is aluminium and not carbon for a reason because carbon doesn't like to be bent at the top, yet this thread...

I know a local guy who has cracked some Axis fuselages since they switched to the doodad not being integrated with the fuse, he's 90kg and is also a prone foiler. Which makes me think that the foil seems to experience way more stresses with prone over all other foil activities ? Naturally they carve and pump harder than say winging plus white water... (warranty claim was honoured btw).

Axis are one of the biggest brands of foils in the world and seems to be the most popular with heavier riders with their stiff setup, maybe that's why we're seeing more issues with them

No issues with my setup whatsoever but I am only 78Kg and I don't prone

I bent my 19mm x 75cm axis mast getting smashed by a decent sized wave. I also bent a NP mast the same way. Both times the board (sup) ended up side on to the wave without me on it which very much lines up with what Colas is saying. Neither were warranty issues.

Interestingly with the axis only the mast bent, the base plate and doodad were totally fine. Gladly that meant it wasn't too expensive.

Danish was the track mount area on the board damaged? I am wondering how the base plate could bend like that and not cause at least some damage to the board.

Yes had expected t-nuts or tracks to fail before baseplate. No sign of stress on board or tracks.

As commented - yes it looks like someone has been trying to pull the foil perpendicular away from board bottom surface

I have bent one, and then bent it back, the prongs are still a little crooked. In my opinion the flat parts of the plate are underbuilt/to thin. Everything else about my axis setups are very stiff and durable.

I have an F4 base plate that is thicker with cutouts to save weight, I have bolted it down on a crooked surface to the point that it's flexing but after unbolting it it is straight again.

I have broken the track boxes out of 3 boards prone surfing and pumping (no impact). Always wondered if the aluminum transferred more of the stress to the board/box versus carbon. Never had any issue with axis aluminum bending though.

I ran high speed into a sandbank with a 75 cm alu mast and the S1150.
I think only one tip of the foil made contact.
My 75 mast was twisted , but only the last 12 cm close to the fuse, so I took that part off and now have a 63 cm mast.

T6 aluminium cracks, it doesn't bend, I have a Naish base that cracked, no bend at all. I'm guessing they aren't using T6 alloy, maybe T4. Or if it was meant to be T6, the heat treatment wasn't done properly

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airsail said..
T6 aluminium cracks, it doesn't bend, I have a Naish base that cracked, no bend at all. I'm guessing they aren't using T6 alloy, maybe T4. Or if it was meant to be T6, the heat treatment wasn't done properly

Yes, that is something I thought about as well. Alloy 7075 bicycle handlebars never bend, they snap. And the cheaper ones bend.

Anyway, Axis has been super polite and are sending a new plate. Still seems like the best stuff out there - especially for foilers +85kg

Ali is Ali it will bend regardless of T6 , you can't compare handlebars to a base plate that's swinging a 1m wing off a 85cm mast . Hammer it straight again and away you go. I've bent plenty of Ali mast and fuse they will straighten but get softer each time . Don't like it switch to carbon .

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Piros said..
Ali is Ali it will bend regardless of T6 , you can't compare handlebars to a base plate that's swinging a 1m wing off a 85cm mast . Hammer it straight again and away you go. I've bent plenty of Ali mast and fuse they will straighten but get softer each time . Don't like it switch to carbon .

How do you straighten them mate

I straightened a bent aluminum naish fuse like he said. Literally took a hammer to it. Never bent again afterwards.

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Hdip said..
I straightened a bent aluminum naish fuse like he said. Literally took a hammer to it. Never bent again afterwards.

Did exactly same to a slingshot mast ,and it never bent again either.