I’ve received a fin box repair for a Channel Islands that has a 2 tab CI fin box. I have no idea where to obtain this box. CI customer service does not reply to emails and the sales rep. does not reply to text messages. I’m hoping someone at a glass shop building boards for CI can help me locate this box.
I’m sure someone with more knowledge will chime in later, but it looks like a gearbox fin box. You can customize the top side of them to match the rest of your board. Other than your sales rep routes, not sure where you could find an exact CI branded box.
I don’t recall seeing this box but it doesn’t look like a Gearbox to me. The “oval” on a Gearbox is more blunt at both ends and the box has a lip that’s exposed. The customizable top plate sits in the frame whilst still leaving the exposed lip of the box. The combination of the frame+top plate is way thicker than a Fusion or Future top plate; it’s perhaps 3/16th thick.
I don’t know much about Gearbox. Is the extra thickness there so that it can be shaped to better fit an extreme bottom profile?
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I’ve only done a few Gearbox installs because I’m mostly doing rout-in type glass-ons.
Of those boxes the “frame” for the oval connects lower on the slot so the overall “trussed” thickness is intended to reduce twist and flex, which I think their explanation mentions. It’s really hard to imagine a Gearbox actually twisting the way a Future box will twist. If you add the high density collar then it will be just as hard to roll one of these as it is to roll a Fusion install.
Robin Mair’s boards use a lot of concave so maybe accomodating some extra contouring of the top is part of the plan. However, those swappable top plates are only 1/8th thick so that’s still a distinct limitation. I think the FCS X-2 plugs are still better for tight spaces or heavy contours.
Its been a while but one of the surfboard supply houses like Fiberglass Hawaii was carrying those boxes. Forget who it was now thougth.
Probably, as they are in the same general neighborhood.