You $%#@^ you beat me!! I was about to start this topic.
Anyway here's the details.

On Monday I hit something just under the water at 31kt, (maybe a big crab???) with my favourite 20cm cedar/carbon/stainless weedy.
Unfortunately the stainless is only at the tip end, whatever it was penetrated deep into the cedar, delaminating the carbon on 1 side. Couldn't sail with it flapping so tore it off and sailed the ~1.5km home with care.

On Tuesday, coming out of my last gybe hit a rock, with my 23cm tuttle weedy. Sailed the ~1km back before turning the board over to see the damage, quite surprised me as it didn't feel too bad, perhaps I don't need the tip on this fin???

G10 probably wouldn't have sustained so much damage, but one of hardys lessacher carbon's had a similar delam, without the big impact crater.

G10 and an orbital sander

a crab crushers best friend

Still reckon you hit a big fish there were quite a few out on the coarse

I can guess that last night was in Cox Bay?

Bender said...

>>>>>>
So decrep can you do G1?

I've just finished a fin for the good lady, not G10 at tons of pressure, but I used my anvil and boxes of spanners as weight to squash the glass together.
I'll try using some sort of clamp and see if that will produce more pressure next time.

I just don't like grinding all that fiberglass, may be I'll try a mold.

Serves me right for pushing it in no-mans land and hanging sh#t in elmo's

karma is a bitch

Anyway back on topic.

Decrep i have used presses when storing timber before to keep it flat while it dries.
Could we make a rough type press to exert lots of pressure. Maybe the use of common car jacks or something similar

Thinking about it from a different angle.

Could it not be the structural strength of the thin layer of carbon laminated on the outside of the cedar.

A normal Carbon fin has a lot more bulk in its layer of carbon (I thunk) and would be able to handle an impact better.

May be barking up the wrong tree all together, it was a lonely thought rattling around my head so I let it lose on the world

Man u guys have got the crabs bad.

elmo said...

Thinking about it from a different angle.

Could it not be the structural strength of the thin layer of carbon laminated on the outside of the cedar.

A normal Carbon fin has a lot more bulk in its layer of carbon (I thunk) and would be able to handle an impact better.

May be barking up the wrong tree all together, it was a lonely thought rattling around my head so I let it lose on the world

Not sure what you're saying here Elmo???? I think you mean that the cedar is a lot softer than carbon, and a few layers of carbon over the top don't add to the impact resistance. Oh I see you're comparing the difference in damage between my cedar and Hardy's Lessacher. Yes think you're right the inside of that seemed to be a mix of carbon fibers and resin. a lot harder than cedar. So there wasn't as much damage to the front edge, but still enough to cause the delam.

What's wrong with drilling some holes in the corners of your mould, and using bolts?

The only 2 times i have hit something in the water the fin was okay tuttle bolts were bent but nearly ripped the tuttle box out of the board sticking out a couple of mil.I'm surprised you guys don't do any damage to the box itself.