Build an own stabilizer?

[wavy navy]

Inspired by the thread " build your own foilwing from plywood" is it easy to build an own stab?

I just took a look in my moses 483 stab. Not easy because it's not flat. But it's only a stab - if you guys can do a frontwing, then I should be able to do a stab!

I want to build a much smaller stab, like half the size of the original. Something between a stab and stabless.

From plywood? Or from HPL (high pressure laminate)?

Because the stab is under much less pressure - can I skip the carbon-epoxy-vacuum part? Never did that, I'm not competent at that.

[grigorib]

I’d use 380 race stabilizer which would be close to what you’re looking for. Not self-made but cheap and easy

[airsail]

You can easily make a solid carbon stab if it is going to be small. Find a mould, I used a upturned metal baking tray, cover with release agent or cling wrap.
Start laying carbon, wide first, then getting narrower as you build up thickness so you get a slight aerofoil. Allow to cure then remove and lay up the other side same way. Now give it a coat of filler, micro balloons or similar and start sanding, wear a mask.
Here are a couple I did to fit my Levitaz, very stiff.

[tegirinenashi]

The smaller the stab, the less important its stiffness. However, for longevity and water resistance it's better be laminated. For flat wing it is quite easy to laminate it without vacuum bagging. The idea is to clamp the stab between the two plates, and squeeze the excess resin to the wing boundary. So, take or make the two flat rigid plates with the size just enough to cover your future wing. Then, glue layer of soft padding over each plate, and, finally, plastic film over the soft padding. Plastic film is there for the resin not to bond with the padding.

Cut the stab from one sheet of plywood and carve, shave, sand it to approximate shape. Or you can buy a ready wood blank from clearwater hydrofoils. Then, wrap the wing with couple of wet fiberglass cloth sheets, cover it with the padded plates on each side, and clamp the assembly.

[kollac]

There's an older gentleman on Youtube (Rob Rock Windsurf or something) who has videos on building foils for a windsurfer without vacuum bagging. He builds super simple plywood jigs ("molds") and clamps the laminate between some poly and the ply jigs. You're right - a stab would be easy to build.

I actually laminated 2 simple wood cores I got from Clearwater Hydrofoils but could easily just build a blank if I wanted a smaller size. Or go with what other suggested - no core, just glass/carbon and resin.

[Windigo1]

I built several stabilizers with plywood covered in fiberglass on both sides. No vacuum bag. I used them on several different foils. They work great almost indestructible. The design is loosely based on my Shinn ST1 stabilizer but oversized with a swept back profile. I find that works better in the summer with weeds since we get a lot of weeds where I ride. The top is flat and for the bottom I shape the curve on a bench type belt sander glass on both side. You have to fill the screw holes with epoxy and re-drill.

[wavy navy]

I will try windigos approach. The other ones seem to be too complicated for a small stab firstie...

[plummet]

My suggestion is to make a basic press, press a couple of layers of plywood into a radius. Then get out the angle grinder with flapper wheel/40 grip sanding disc and go hard making a wing shape.

Then glass or carbon over top. Job done.

PS make sure you use a hydrofoil friendly NACA wing profile and you will be all good.

Check out my hydrofoil build thread. That will give you and idea. Vac bagging isnt required. Its a nice to have as you end up with a better resin ratio. A reasonable hand layup will work. Hell you can probably get away with no glass/carbon with a wood core build.

viewtopic.php?f=107&t=2394150&hilit=plu ... rhead+foil

[juandesooka]

Yup, agree with the k I s s posts above.

Easiest is a pice of g10...sand it to shape, drill holes, done. But material is fairly expensive.

Plywood easy and cheap. If you want ome curve or winglets you can glue on some chunks to ends to carve. Or can use some pour foam. Some people say just a couple laywra of cloth but go a couple extra, doesn't cost much and will increase longevity.

[wavy navy]

Yup, agree with the k I s s posts above.

Easiest is a pice of g10...sand it to shape, drill holes, done. But material is fairly expensive.

Fairly cheap for a small stab I think. Esspecially because I don't need no laminating if I understood it right.