Warped Fins
 

I am building a Big Red Max and one of the fins has a bad warp in it. It is cupped along the long axis.

Has anyone ever had this problem, and if so, how did you go about fixing it?

Thanks!

Cut A New Fin ?

Put it under a couple of heavy books for a few days. Lying flat, of course. ;) If that fails, try spraying it down and repeating the process.

When spraying wood to flatten it I thought I remember hearing ammonia water works well.

Probably because it smells so bad that you don't want to lift the board until it dissipates. :D

Heh, while that may be true I believe it had to do with the ammonia softening up the wood fibers.

I always defer to you when it comes to the subject of soft wood. :rolleyes:

So you guys are saying that if I mix some ammonia and water, soak the fin, and then place it under something to hold it flat, it should straighten out? If I'm understanding that correctly, I'll give it a shot.

Is there a ratio of ammonia to water that I should use?

Thanks!

Straight water will work. Straight ammonia based Windex will work. Any ratio of the two mixed will work. What's most important is that it gets damp and gets held straight until thoroughly dry.

Will windex turn the wood blue?