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 Fin Tab Repair
Related links: New fins, Used
fins, Fin
Hardware
Just because you hit something with
your fin, doesn't mean it is ready for the trash. You can get
back on the water for under $10.00. I have used fins with
repaired fin tabs for years. Here is what you will need:
- Hack saw
- Big
'ol Stainless steel cotter pin
- 5/32" drill bit and drill
- a small amount of 2 part epoxy
- A bench-mounted vise is nice
- masking tape
- Safety glasses and rubber gloves
Step by step
instructions
- With fin base firmly clamped into vise with fin pointing up, use the hack saw to cleanly
cut off old fin tab.
- With fin still in vise, drill a 5/32" hole into
the center of the base of the fin parallel to the bottom edge of
the fin base to a depth equal the length of the cotter pin minus
the head.
- Test fit of cotter pin into newly drilled hole, and turn fin
90 degrees in the vice so hole is pointing up.
- Tape off area around hole with masking tape allowing just the
hole to be seen.
- Mix up some epoxy. You shouldn't let epoxy come in contact
with your skin, so wear gloves if you have them. You will need just enough
epoxy to coat the
cotter pin. To save on clean-up, you can even use the
cotter pin to mix the epoxy.
- Coat cotter pin with epoxy, and slide it into the hole that
you just drilled. You want to have enough epoxy on the
cotter pin so that epoxy gets all the way down to the bottom of
the hole and that the hole is completely filled with no voids.
- It is important to make sure that it dries with the hole in
the cotter pin is set up to accept a fin screw.
- When it cures, you can clean up around the fin tab. You
may need to use a bit shorter screw than before, as the fin tab
will be thinner than the original fiberglass one.
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Windance 108 Hwy. 35, Hood River, OR 97031
Phone:
1-800-574-4020 (or 541-386-2131)
Email: windance@windance.com
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