So I started work on the fins for the fin cans. The fins where cut from .05 inch thick G10. I cut out 6 of them because I wanted to double them up with fiberglass in between and also sandwiched by fiberglass. Once the fins where cut I stacked them together and drilled holes to put some machine bolts through them. This allowed me to sand all the fins at once so they are the same size and shape before starting to glue them together.
I mounted a belt sander upside down in my vise to use as a sanding belt for the fins. Please wear a proper mask to filter the G10 dust. Once I got all the edges sanded down and even, I unbolted the fins and started cutting fiberglass cloth for the insert's in between the fins. I then cut three pieces of fiberglass cloth to wrap around the two fins with the small piece of cloth in between the two fins. Before I started with the epoxy process, I scratched both sides of all the fins with an old jig saw blade. This gives the epoxy something to grab onto the G10 fins since the epoxy can't etch into G10. I then got the vacuum bag ready along with the two small pieces of plexiglas and mixed up some epoxy. I poured a small amount on the cloth between the fins, them I wrapped the fin with the bigger piece and put some epoxy on both sides of the outside fins. Then I laid them on the plexiglas and put that into the bag and started the vacuum bag process. Once the bad was sealed I put it aside to cure.
The fins where cut out of the bag once they cured and I used tin snips to cut away the excess fiberglass. Then again with the belt sander mounted in the vise, I sanded down the ecess fiberglass down to the edges of the fins. Please wear a proper mask to filter the fiberglass/epoxy dust. They came out very nice and strong. The holes on the G10 for the bolts also really helped to bond with the fiberglass in the middle.
More coming soon.
Fin Can Build
