glassing around futures fin boxes?

i have installed futures into my boards. the boxes are installed before the board is glassed, and then they are glassed over. if you have any specific questions, let me know and ill help you out.

Also if you are thinking about shaping your own board for the first time, look into greenlight surfboard supply, they are located in philly and have starter kits. Brian is a super cool guy and you would be able to save on the hefty shipping charges by pick up the kit yourself, if you are in the area. the starter kits are all with eps foam keep in mind though.

 

I've made about 20 boards with Futures. I picked up router bits and a metal guide jig that cuts the foam for the side boxes (3/4" depth) and center box (1/2" depth). There are expensive futures jigs available as well. bottom line you need something to guide your router - hand cutting with a dremel tool / barrel grit attachement will work but will look a bit sloppy. I'm sure there are many other ways to cut the shaped blank to fit the futures boxes.

Tape the slot shut, glue the boxes in with resin/cabosil mix NOT q-cell. Epoxy resin will heat up but ive still have used the fast cure epoxy for futures without problems..actually ive found the leash cup install heats up more. But just set up a fan to blow on it as it sets up.

Two football patches over the installed boxes under the lamination.

If you are shaping your first board i recommend against EPS. Poly is easier. You can still glass with epoxy resin - the last several poly boards ive made ive glass with epoxy and like that combo a lot.

 

...and if you don't mind my .02 worth... utilize the search feature at www.swaylocks.com

There is a wealth of information there that can walk you through almost any surf craft building question you might have. You would never even have to log in or ask anything, just use the search feature. It's incredible.

 

futures boxes ...

When I installed them I first figured out exactly where to place them and then traced a line around them. Then I took the fin box away and cut along the line with an exacto knife. That way you'll get a clean outside cut. You can ream out the inside part with a dremel tool or even with the exacto knife.

 

Glass on fins are super easy to do and really satisfying when they come out nice. Just glassed on a set of hand shaped bamboo keels and they are my favorite part of the board.

 

Check out ProBox fin systems. A thruster install set costs $55 bucks and comes with a router bit, fin jigs, and three boxes. The jigs are reusable. You can use a cheep Harbor Freight trim router ($25 or so?) to route out the box. Its a pretty simple and straight forward install done after the lam but before the hotcoat. Ive done 5 boards with them, no failures. One quad fish even fell off the wall rack (the TOP wall rack, about 6' high) and landed on the concrete floor. The whole rail got crushed despite 3 layers of 4oz S cloth but the box is still perfectly intact. Needless to say..... its strong.

Greenlight sells them- http://stores.greenlightsurfsupply.com/Categories.bok?category=Fins+&+Accessories:ProBox+Fin+Systems

And here is the home page- http://www.proboxhawaii.com/

They have a good installation guide and instructional video. IMHO its a no-brainer for the backyarder who only does a board every month or two.

I have never installed FCS or Futures so I cant really comment on them. The guy whose shop I use really likes the new FCS Fusion boxes though.

And, as Mofo suggested, check out swaylocks.

PM me if youve got any other questions.

 

Little bit of layered roven woven, some sanding, some shmu, and stick her on! Sand, final gloss, and there you go, strong custom fins at your leisure!

 

one other thing i just thought of, watch the video in the link below. its from the future fins website and it shows you how to install them. That should help some.

http://www.futuresfins.com/manufacture.php

 

I LOVE glassed in fins. Most of my boards are glassed in, the rest LokBox.
Speaking of Bamboo... here is my daily driver with glassed in bamboo fins (Marlin 101's)....

 

Just thought I would throw my $.02 in as well...

I think the experience and knowledge that you can glean from glassing on fins (working with cants, toe-in, etc) would really benefit you as you begin to build your own boards in understanding how fin placement affects your board (the plus as well is when you want to move them around just grind them off do some sanding and replace them elsewhere).

However, if you are set on going toward a system....I have shaped/glassed a number of boards with most of the major fin systems and think that futures are great, but it may be worth your while to first try to use a system that you can glass in post lam for your first couple of boards or so. The great thing about futures is that they are first routed and then glassed over, but I think that it would benefit you to work on one step at a time without the undue stress of routing prelam, making sure the boxes are flush, filling the route with resin, laying patches, etc (you can do futures post lam, but I believe it can affect the integrity of the system...as well you havel the worry of possibly over/under routing). Further, unless you plan on regularly making your own boards...i am not sure if I would drop $150 (or more...foamez) on the kit. Realistically, probox would probably suit your needs a bit better in light of the fact that kits are relatively inexpensive (jigs and route, fins boxes at $55ish from Greenlight), and are glassed in post lam. The traditional FCS could also work, but you would either have to buy another kit, or personally make the jigs...which is somehting that you may not be interested in...that is not even addressing the structural strength of that system if installed improperly.

All that to say...I think that Yankeeboy is right on. Probox is probably a good call and you would get more bang for your buck as well as a very reliable fin system. Also, would love to see some pics of your finished product...keep me updated!

 

few year back...this board rode well for a long time then i sold it on e-bay for $180. Cost of materials covered!
Fun glassing with poly resin...black, yellow, red and white pigments in dixie cups..kick off slooow! trained eye can see the colors blended to mud on the rails from squeegee buildup.

O'fishl boxes (same as futures basically but for some reason these things were popular 10 years ago) installed "old school" like the guys posted above...trace out the location, use dremel tool to dig out the foam. No problem..no expensive kits. its no way to install fin boxes but if you make one board a year you can afford to waste an hour with the dremel.

 

This is my most recent. Not sure if I like it yet. I'm always messing with the rails trying to come up with something new. This board has a chine off the bottom coming up to a 50/50 rail after a hard down on the tail. It paddles like a machine but is has almost no bite when on rail so when you put it on it's side watch out. This same rail design worked great on my last board but that one was super thinned down into the tail which made it bite more on edge. I might learn to love this one over time who knows. Hope you like it. BTW It is 5'5" and just over 2.5" thick at it's thickest.

 

Zippy- Nice looking board. "the pug" seems to be the perfect name for it. Those pinlines are awesome as well, are they resin or acrylic?

Here are some pictures of a few of my projects...

#1- 6'3'' x 21" x 3" Quad Fish. 2# EPS with PVC stringer and Greenroom epoxy. This is the one I mentioned my previous post that fell off the wall. I am currently debating whether to reshape it or repair it.

#2- 6'6'' x 19" x 2 1/2" Thruster. 2# EPS with PVC stringer and Greenroom epoxy. I meant this board to be a step-up for winter/hurricane surf but its my go-to board now.

#3- 7'4" x 20 1/2" x 2 1/2" Minimal. 2#EPS with PVC Stringer and Greenroom epoxy. Only rode it three times. It was a gift for my (ex)girlfriend, we broke up, I havnt seen it since. I suspect she might have put it through the wood chipper. 11 hours of airbrush down the drain.





#5- 6'8" (?) funboard- This pic was taken before I sanded the laps and laminated the deck. I shaped it for my room mate who is stationed in Pensacola now and I dont think its ever seen the water yet. Paint job was inspired by airplane nose art (hes a pilot).



#6- 6'5" Compsand Thruster- This is my first attempt at a compsand. Its a 1# EPS blank (a piece of packing foam i found in a dumpster) with DOW foam rails. This pic has the balsa wood layed up on top of the blank before it went in the vac bag. The board is just about done now, all I need to do is sand the hotcoat.

 

Board #7 is sitting on my bed at home right now. Its a 6'5'' compsand construction. I have the rocker cut on the blank (another piece of dumpster foam) and balsa veneer layed up and glassed. Its going to have 2oz under the balsa and 2oz+4oz over. The DOW extruded cell (similar to XTR) was a ***** to shape on the last one so I might try divinycel i can find some cheep. I estimate in will weigh about 5lbs but i have no idea when im going to finally get around to.

JDallam- Here is a close up of the proboxes on the fish. I used the McKee Quatro setup which can be found on his website.

 

Here is one I made during the summer--never had any finished shots (the first pic is the board post lam b/f the filler). JD this is the only board that I have ever done dropping in futures post-lam and not having a problem (probably b/c I used epoxy over poly). Anyway, totally love this board (MTF inspired)...super fun in flatter surf with a bit of push. I'll even throw in an action shot...this shot was from the first sesh I rode it in!

 

Here is one of my newer boards, dims are 6' 0 x 18 1/8 x 2 3/16 with a single concave all the way through and lokbox fins

 

5'10" x 21" x 2.5" Fish made from a Rhino Foam poly kneeboard blank - epoxy glassing...futures fins..note the fin football patches pick up extraa pigment color. I do them with clear resin now. pinline is black pigment over the lamination under the hotcoat.

 

Hey JDallam

Check out the surfer/shaper picture gallery on Greenlight's website:

http://www.greenlightsurfsupply.com/Picture_Gallery.html

Most pics are 1st time builds with the Greenlight method.

All the best

~Brian

www.greenlightsurfsupply.com