ideas needed to mount hydrofoil to board
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:23 pm
I made a hydrofoil out of plywood and fiberglass. The keel part is nice rigid aluminium extrusion. Now I need to tie the hydrofoil to the kiteboard in such a way that it can be assembled/disassembled for transport.
My first try was to epoxy the extrusion into a 1.5inch thick block of wood, and reinforce with fiberglass. I hen bolted the block of wood to the board. This worked well structurally, but the water drag is way too much. I thought it would not matter since the board lifts off the water, but getting the board going fast enough so that the foil can lift is proving difficult.
The board is only about 2inch thick. I was thinking of putting tuttlebox insets into the board, and tying the hydrofoil on like a fin. But I do not know if this would be strong enough, and I cannot get any tuttlebox inserts in South Africa. So now I wonder whether it is possible to cast my own mold using resin.
Does anyone have any ideas?
My first try was to epoxy the extrusion into a 1.5inch thick block of wood, and reinforce with fiberglass. I hen bolted the block of wood to the board. This worked well structurally, but the water drag is way too much. I thought it would not matter since the board lifts off the water, but getting the board going fast enough so that the foil can lift is proving difficult.
The board is only about 2inch thick. I was thinking of putting tuttlebox insets into the board, and tying the hydrofoil on like a fin. But I do not know if this would be strong enough, and I cannot get any tuttlebox inserts in South Africa. So now I wonder whether it is possible to cast my own mold using resin.
Does anyone have any ideas?