Was after a bit of advice on how to fix a couple of damaged slalom fins. Just the usual nicks and scrapes from ploughing through sand banks and our lovely steps at Manly.

Do you try and simply sand them out, or should you try and fill them with something first to retain the original shape

Its a sad sign of the current wind conditions when this is what I am reduced to doing on my weekends.

I BUILD MINE UP WITH EPOXY IF THERE REALLY BAD BUT IF ITS ONLY SCRAPES THEN I USUALLY GO FOR ONE COAT CAR SPRAY FEW COATS A BIT OF WET N DRY AND YOUR BACK ON THE WATER

You should stop before you hit the lovely steps at Manly.

thanks lelos, I think that will be the plan. Hooray very funny, I do all the damage on the way out strangely!! big fan of taking one less step than necessary on launch, and fin collects bottom step. Still my shorts don't get wet which is very important.

My other favourite is to take one tack less than necessary on a low tide to miss the sandbank at Manly and just plough through, I have almost mastered this technique.

we need to pump some finer sand onto that sandbank. 200 grit or finer.

i was once told that many years ago the wello council used to put goldcoast sand around the north wall area at wello

Btw. where do you guys buy epoxy resin and fibreglass?

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Btw. where do you guys buy epoxy resin and fibreglass?

I haven't found anywhere cheaper than Fibre Glass International (FGI)
Epoxy should be $30-$40 per litre inc hardner

guys when you are buying epoxy, make sure you ask few questions. Epoxy is a different beast to polyester resin which requires an exothermic reaction created by mixing the two parts together. Epoxy's chemical reaction is not exothermic so requires a certain tempreture in the atmosphere to react. Different epoxy systems require different temps., some as high as 80 degress C. Check it out before you buy.

Also if you are going to mix a filler in to the mix, make sure you understand the different types out there. There are types out there that are for filling and are easy to sand and there are types, (which have a colloidal silica in them) which are for structural/glueing applications and are a bitch to sand.

Richie, your a genius! I will simply do a thick build up of expoxy and then run through the sandband at full speed until it is back to the original foil. You must have 2 brains in your head.

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blackattack said...

Richie, your a genius! I will simply do a thick build up of expoxy and then run through the sandband at full speed until it is back to the original foil. You must have 2 brains in your head.

heads.