Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Greetings fellow kneelos

I've been out of the loop for a while so I haven't kept my finger on the pulse but....

I'm searching for a good positive flex fcs fin for the front fin set of one of my quads.

Presently riding a glass Mark richards Twinnie set at the front which gives wonderful quad boost courtesy of the tip and rake flex - but is too "tight" for small waves.

I have feeling the MR positive flex is a byproduct of the height of this fin (and possibly the way they are layed up) but I'm seeking something smaller with the same flex characteristics.

Any clues or recommendations are appreciated.


cheerios

headwax

BTW Sonny Garcia fins proved to be at the other end of the spectrum.

which MRs ?
the MR-78 or the MR-Tx

I have trouble coming to terms with flex and when it is working for me.
and I know this thread is aimed very much at flex so I know I'm not bringing good flex info

however I can bring a little based on surface area
the MR-78s are big and perhaps the biggest FCS have to offer

just a little smaller is the LM-T
I have a set on my newest board
I think these have more flex
(with a G-7000 in the centre ...perhaps the biggest FCS centre)
so far so good and I really like the combination

and for an FCS compatable
I have a set of Shapers DP (Dave Parkes)
there too are big but with a wider base , little less height with more rake/sweep and fibreglass
these are in use on my small wave board as a quad with S3 trailing.
lots of hold
but
I can't give you much idea on flex here as my small wave board (the FatBoy) just doesn't talk to me that way
.... either that or I just can't feel it.

Hi Kev, thanks for responding. These are the buggers. You can see they are layed up in three 'layers". I think the pigment alters the flex characteristics in the three layers so you get more flex in the tip/rake than you might on another fin with no change in material.

Course I could be wrong

As far as flex?

The flex in the front fin of a quad is important cause it gives you a boost halfway through the turn as you transfer weight from the front rails/front fin to the back rails/back fin.

You usually don't feel the flex, just the results - as opposed to flex in a single fin which if you have too much can be really wierd - as there are less stabilising points (ie fins).

If you are getting them made the trick is not to have too much resin in the fins - which casual observation tells me is very hard

Took out my Sonny Garcia's today in twoo footers and they ripped. But they could still use more tip flex .


cheers for now

headwax

ok so there are a lot of FCS fins
and not all of them on that simple fold out sheet

I have the MR-TX Glass Flex ... the plastic looking off-white things
not your multilayered Performance Glass

the LM-T are the Performance Glass (picture below)
and all one colour - white
you don't see obvious layers
available as a Twinzer or as a Quad
1164-125-04-R
1164-125-14-R (with trailers)


the Shapers DPs are typical old styled fibreglass
they have a look that you made the from nomal stock and hand shaped them
I can't find a picture
but Shapers do use words like
Performance Fibreglass Fins - FCS Compatible
with Core-Lite centre for the best possible strength to weight ratio.
other fins are
Fibre-Flex Composite Fins - FCS Compatible
not as sweet as the FCS cheapies but seem ok as trailers and spares
I have a few sets of S3 and S5

as I said no picture to show but here is the page
http://www.shapers.com.au/category4_1.htm
look directly above the S-D-P and you will see S-MX Twin Fin
that has got to be a close impression of your MR TX fibreglass
at a price quite cheaper than my plastic MRs


I did also grab a thruster set of S6 in fibregalss but have not used them yet
... really I just wanted the centre fin

..

RMcKnee wrote: ... finding someone with a CNC cutting machine who'd be prepared to ...
A) achieve exactly want you want in terms of flex characteristics, and
B) replicate the fins whenever you want.

mmm
where is that copy of getting started with autocad
make blank stock or buy it ?

..

Speaking of MR, he just signed with my friend's company, Surftech, to have them produce a couple of his designs in epoxy. Randy is firmly set on world domination - so we make sure he doesn't get all the waves when we're out surfing. Gotta' keep him humble.

Headwax, I just put a set of the Medium FCS Q-PC5 quad my everyday board (Schoelkopf 5'10") and it has really changed the board and my riding. It sounds like I am just a rookie compared to how much analysis you have done in the area of fin changes. I can say one thing for sure so far: If you don't like your board or wish it rode better, don't sell it, try a new finset on it as it can drastically change how a board rides.

I am considering a set of the FCS H-2's which are their newest designed fin. Kind of a weird shape more like a keel. Does anyone have any experience with these?

RMcKnee wrote:Have youse thought about either vacuum-bagging or simply laminating in a press?

thought about it yes
even though I'm keen on the DIY thing
I feel that this, with everything else I'd like to do, might be too much
so it would be very nice to be able to buy some stock to help stream line the end to end process

NCountyKneelo wrote: ... FCS H-2's which are their newest designed fin. Kind of a weird shape more like a keel. Does anyone have any experience with these?

Dane H had a set on one of his Freaks
perhaps we can get him here to give a verdict

another interesting shape , that also reflects a keel tendency is the
Revolution Spitfire

Hya

Sorry I have been away . My psychaitrist told me to have a few days surfing .... heh.

Kev thanks for that site, very interesting, will book mark it and keep my eye on it.

That said, I've had a few fins from various makers over the years and they've all had too much resin in them, except maybe a set from Albert Whiteman and one or two from S. Artis. Hard to remember where they all came from. I have a box of mutilated fins that I jave hacked and sawed at over the years ...........

One shaper made me a set from glass up "left over" from the minehunter project. VERY stiff. Great for minehunting....

RMknee

Thanks for that info re nat and Greenough. My memory tells me that Greenough used a truck jack to squeeze the juice out of his fin layups? Bright boy G.G. This thread where I made my own fins might be of interest.

viewtopic.php?t=2210

As far as the vacumm bagging? Great idea, just a matter of how much you want to get dirty . But I think that is the way to go from my occasionally reading at swaylocks.

In the above thread I used a pile of left over tiles to weight the mold, but I still had more resin than I wanted. Mind you I am a clutz.

NCountyKneelo:

I can say one thing for sure so far: If you don't like your board or wish it rode better, don't sell it, try a new finset on it as it can drastically change how a board rides.

That's great advice!! I moved one of my backfins on the weekend half a centimtere forward and it made my board seem like a new board.

FCS Q-PC5 . What was the tip flex like in these?

Surfhorn: MR has a shop downtown, in fact I bought my MR's off him. He just looks like in the pictures ). I'm tempted to give him a ring and ask .... hmm.

thanks for all the responses so far. Been very helpful.

I was talking with the owner of Rainbow Fins today and he told me he is coming out with bamboo fins- lightweight but stiff. I'll give them a go on my new board later this fall.

Good thing about having Rainbow Fins in my hometown- I can template whatever I want to try and they will cut it out for me.

..

As far as the vacumm bagging? Great idea, just a matter of how much you want to get dirty . But I think that is the way to go from my occasionally reading at swaylocks.

In the above thread I used a pile of left over tiles to weight the mold, but I still had more resin than I wanted. Mind you I am a clutz.

As far as vacumm baggin goes.... If you pull 28"Hg of vacuum, that is equal to about 14PSI of pressure.

If your fiberglass square is 12" x 12" there is 144 sq inches

Under vacuum there is 14 pounds per square inch, times 144 square inches

There is a total of about 2000 pounds of pressure on the fiberglass square

Thats alot of pressure!!!

Under one wheel of a BIG truck is less...
And if we all could stand on the same square it would be less, maybe!!!

Heh, I'm impressed. Now what if I managed to get a collection of mother-in-laws to stand ontop of my fin mold. ... hmm.

Thanks for the headsup Bill-e