RC Laser sailboat keel fin repair part

thingiverse

This is a part that will let you make a fairly easy repair of an expensive replacement part on your RC Laser sailboat. Sometimes, through mishandling or aggressive launch techniques you may break the loop at the top of your keel. It means you have to buy an entire keel with ballast and pay extra for shipping that lead. With this part, you may only need to order the small keel part repair kit that includes the toggle, post, and spring if you lost them when the keel broke. With this STL, a 3D printer, small hacksaw, and a few small files, you can fix your boat! Look at the series of pictures above that show the parts. 1. Print the part 100% infill and keep it oriented flat when printing for strength. I used PLA+ filament. Lightly file the inside corners flat if they are bulging. 2. Test fit it in the hull slot. 3. Align the step on the printed hoop with the flat top of the original keel. Trace the inside line of the printed part on your keel with a fine marker. 4. Use a fine tooth saw to cut the recess for the new hoop in the fin. File the cut edges of the fin for a snug fit, but be careful not that the hoop is not distorted when fit on to it. 5. Test fit the assembly in hull slot. Adjust as needed. 6. Make sure the toggle pin will fit in the hole in the printed hoop. You may need to clean up the hole with a 2mm drill. 7. Install the toggle, pin (with flattened section up), and spring on to the fin. Then push on the hoop at 90° to the fin and rotate it into place. The spring tension will help hold it together. 8. Test fit the assembly in the hull slot. Adjust as needed. 9. You could fully glue this in, but it may not be not necessary. Just a few tacks of glue will keep in place and allow easy replacement if you break it again. *If you race this boat in an event where rules are strictly enforced, you will have to use a completely new keel, since only 100% stock mfg. parts are allowed by class rules. This part does not enhance performance in any way, it just allows a costly repair to be done quickly and affordably!