Fin boxes after boards is glassed

Have any of y’all retroactively installed side bite boxes?

I love a stubbie I shaped myself, but wish I had put in the FCS plugs for the tiny side bites. 

 

Has anyone done this? If so then how? Would glass on be better etc… thanks

 

Otherwise I’ll shape another. Lol

Google surfboard finbox replacement,  totally doable. 

pic of fcs to futures change out








I’m assuming that you are referring to the old style fcs x2 plugs (2 plugs per regular fin). If that’s the case, they are normally installed after hotcoat anyways. Installing 2 on a finished board will be the standard procedure of drilling hole, cutting h-pattern to connect to deck, filling with resin/milled glass, set in plug, sand smooth once cured.

Yeah that’s it. I knew they went on after hot coat but I normally do a gloss coat on mine that goes over as well so wasn’t sure. 

 

Sounds like I can just drill and set though so thanks. 

 

What’s this H pattern? I installed some on another board and didn’t see anything about that in their installation guide. 

 

By milled glass do you mean you just add chopped up cloth? 

 

Thanks

The h-pattern is when you drill the hole the depth of the plug with a spade/forstner type bit. Then you take a hole saw style bit and finish drilling the outer edge of the hole all the way to the underside of glass of the deck. It creates a column that attaches all the way from the bottom to the deck to give it more strength. The milled glass i use is almost like powdered fiberglass. I’m sure chopped would be fine as well. Here is a cross section of the h-pattern.

Greenlight has a link to the fcs install manual with all the drill depths and resin ratios.

https://greenlightsurfsupply.com/pages/how-to-install-factory-and-fcs-x-2-fin-plugs

Milled Fiber.  1/32" ( I think?).  Can be bought at most supply shops.  I put a dab of white pigment in mine.  I like to use one plug and install the little single tab fins like Rainbow and True Ames makes.  I’ll post up a pic of a single plug install later.