Jinx
05-25-2015, 11:38 PM
Hi all! Long time no type lol. I am amidst making a fast and easily traveling tail. I am going to Bermuda in July and wanted a tail to take in my luggage without too much hassle. So I took to making a fast 2 hour build fluke that I finished today and wanted to share with you all.
1st. you need fins, either a small monofin to build off of or 2 separate fins will also do.
2nd. You need to get some sheet metal or galvanized steel. This steel is covered in zinc so it will no rust.
3rd. Tin snips.
4th. A grinders ( I used a bench grinders but a hand grinders works too.
5th. 8-12 nuts bolts, and twice as many washers.
6th. Paper and a sharpie.
7th. A drill with a metal drilling bit and a hammer.
8th. a cement step... yes a cement step.
I used the newsprint I had laying around to make a pattern for the shape I wanted. I marked where I was going to mount the fin and the edge I wanted to cut onto the sheet metal. Then using the tin snips I cut it out. Then I used the grinders to shape off all the sharp edges and made everything blunt so the edges will not cut anyone or anything. First used the cement step to work as a rough sandpaper to smooth the flat sides of the metal so that you know that it is smooth and won't catch anywhere on your fabric. Then use the hammer to shape the metal to a 3d step meaning if you want any ribbing or waves throughout your fluke use the step and hammer to make the depressions. Once that is done place the fins where you like them ( clamp them down if you like or just mark the spots with a sharpie). I drilled the fins holes first then brought the fin back and marked the metal on the places where the holes are on the fins. Drill the holes. Use the bolts and washers and nuts in the pattern following to attach the metal to the fins.
Layering as follows bolt, washer(large) metal, fin, washer(large), nut. It is important to have large washers to keep the bolts and nuts from pulling through the metal or fins. Tighten down and enjoy!
I ended up going back and making the entire thing not as wide as I originally planned because I am trying to make due with what I have on hand. Total ( given I had everything laying around) I only spent $9.98 on this fluke as the fin would have just gone in the trash if I hadn't decided to make use of it.
My plans are to make a spandex skin with a thin silicone layer followed by plastic hand sculpted scales similar to what you see on the H2O tail video of the official tails being made. Yes I know how to and have made a few extended tails and can to them with these scales and such but for my purposes here I am going with a short tail even though I prefer extended tails and swimming in my extended tail better. I will update later. I leave on July 18th so I don't have long to make this work! I am attaching links to the youtube videos and Facebook photos as well as link to the metal from Home Depot.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-24-in-x-36-in-Galvanized-Steel-Flat-Sheet-GFS24X361P/202191776?MERCH=REC-_-SearchPLPHorizontal1_rr-_-NA-_-202191776-_-N
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=111972849135752&set=a.111545752511795.1073741835.100009691117139&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xat1%2Ft31.0-8%2F11312982_111972849135752_7143886778246971673_o .jpg&smallsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xat1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10686652_111972849135752_7143886778246971673_n .jpg%3Foh%3D71abc02c5d891d6dd118e3153fbf4c6a%26oe% 3D55FB8F84&size=1328%2C747
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_r9NK9BlJ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0muCN414uo
Just keep swimming y'all!
Xoxo,
Jynxie
1st. you need fins, either a small monofin to build off of or 2 separate fins will also do.
2nd. You need to get some sheet metal or galvanized steel. This steel is covered in zinc so it will no rust.
3rd. Tin snips.
4th. A grinders ( I used a bench grinders but a hand grinders works too.
5th. 8-12 nuts bolts, and twice as many washers.
6th. Paper and a sharpie.
7th. A drill with a metal drilling bit and a hammer.
8th. a cement step... yes a cement step.
I used the newsprint I had laying around to make a pattern for the shape I wanted. I marked where I was going to mount the fin and the edge I wanted to cut onto the sheet metal. Then using the tin snips I cut it out. Then I used the grinders to shape off all the sharp edges and made everything blunt so the edges will not cut anyone or anything. First used the cement step to work as a rough sandpaper to smooth the flat sides of the metal so that you know that it is smooth and won't catch anywhere on your fabric. Then use the hammer to shape the metal to a 3d step meaning if you want any ribbing or waves throughout your fluke use the step and hammer to make the depressions. Once that is done place the fins where you like them ( clamp them down if you like or just mark the spots with a sharpie). I drilled the fins holes first then brought the fin back and marked the metal on the places where the holes are on the fins. Drill the holes. Use the bolts and washers and nuts in the pattern following to attach the metal to the fins.
Layering as follows bolt, washer(large) metal, fin, washer(large), nut. It is important to have large washers to keep the bolts and nuts from pulling through the metal or fins. Tighten down and enjoy!
I ended up going back and making the entire thing not as wide as I originally planned because I am trying to make due with what I have on hand. Total ( given I had everything laying around) I only spent $9.98 on this fluke as the fin would have just gone in the trash if I hadn't decided to make use of it.
My plans are to make a spandex skin with a thin silicone layer followed by plastic hand sculpted scales similar to what you see on the H2O tail video of the official tails being made. Yes I know how to and have made a few extended tails and can to them with these scales and such but for my purposes here I am going with a short tail even though I prefer extended tails and swimming in my extended tail better. I will update later. I leave on July 18th so I don't have long to make this work! I am attaching links to the youtube videos and Facebook photos as well as link to the metal from Home Depot.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-24-in-x-36-in-Galvanized-Steel-Flat-Sheet-GFS24X361P/202191776?MERCH=REC-_-SearchPLPHorizontal1_rr-_-NA-_-202191776-_-N
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=111972849135752&set=a.111545752511795.1073741835.100009691117139&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xat1%2Ft31.0-8%2F11312982_111972849135752_7143886778246971673_o .jpg&smallsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xat1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10686652_111972849135752_7143886778246971673_n .jpg%3Foh%3D71abc02c5d891d6dd118e3153fbf4c6a%26oe% 3D55FB8F84&size=1328%2C747
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_r9NK9BlJ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0muCN414uo
Just keep swimming y'all!
Xoxo,
Jynxie