Take your surfing to the next level with the GEARBOX Fin System!

Start with the standard ABS plastic cover that comes with every box. These covers can be ordered loose so they can be modified. We recommend using GREY covers as this allows them to blend in better with the box's color. It is also recommended that HEX covers to be used for the reasons explained below.

A piece of the material that will form the inlay on the cover will also be needed. Here we show a bit of bamboo veneer for this purpose.

The cover is sanded down by the thickness of the veneer so that, once installed, the cover is still flush with the top edge of the flange. If a HEX cover is used, it is easy to gauge the depth and sand down until the hex scoring disappears. This depth is typical for a lot of different veneers. Hex covers are also much easier to sand, and it is faster to remove the plastic because of the scoring

Place a piece of veneer faces down on some tempered glass. Apply glue (we use SuperGlue) to the upper surface of the cover and place it top down onto the back of the veneer. Place a piece of wood on top of the cover and apply a couple of clamps, clamping the whole assembly to the glass. This ensures that the assembly will be flat. Wipe off any excess glue.

Once the glue has set, trim away any excess veneer from the outside of the cover. Also, cut out the veneer from the interior of the cover to remove the extra material. We use scissors on the outside and a box cutter on the inside.

Once the glue has set, trim away any excess veneer from the outside of the cover. Also, cut out the veneer from the interior of the cover to remove the extra material. We use scissors on the outside and a box cutter on the inside. Using a sanding block, true up the veneer to the outside of the cover. For the inner shape, use a Dremel tool with a 3/8” sanding drum to sand the veneer flush to the internal profile of the cover. Finally, use a piece of 220 grit sandpaper to clean up any burring on the edges of the veneer.

Once the cover is finished, it should be glued into the box with SuperGlue; this eliminates any problems if the cover is not flat in the collar. It only takes a small amount of time to glue a cover into the box, four little drops of glue. A small spring clamp on each end, and each side will hold it in place. Once installed, the resin will lock the cover permanently in place.

Bamboo veneer tends to want to splinter at the edges when being sanded. To make it easier to manage, apply some catalyzed sanding resin to the glass before placing the bamboo. This will give the bamboo a smooth finish and help prevent splintering. Also, sand the upper surface before installing it to remove the wax from the resin and improve the bond.

This process can be followed for different materials; just let your imagination run with it!

This drawing shows the glue dots' placement on the flange's inner surface. The best glue to glue the cover to the box is some form of cyanoacrylate glue (commonly referred to as SuperGlue®). We use DAP RAPIDFUSE® for all of our cover gluing as it sticks well to polycarbonates

We have previously shown how the cover can have its upper surface customized. Another aspect of the system's design is that thin overlays can be applied over the top of the cover and the upper edge of the box flange. In this section, we will perform a simple walkthrough of making a veneer overlay.

Start with the standard ABS plastic cover that comes with every box. These covers can be ordered loose so they can be modified. We also recommend using GREY covers as this allows them to blend in better with the box.

The upper surface of the cover is sanded lightly to remove the shiny surface. After sanding, clean off any burrs on the edges, particularly along the outside edge.

Place a piece of veneer faces down on some tempered glass. Make sure the veneer is large enough to allow the outside to cover the perimeter of the box's flange fully. Apply glue (we use SuperGlue) to the upper surface of the cover and place it top down onto the back of the veneer. Place a piece of wood on top of the cover and apply a couple of clamps, clamping the whole assembly to the glass. Wipe off any excess glue, paying particular attention to the outside perimeter as we don't want any glue on this part of the veneer.

Once the glue has dried, remove the clamps and trim the excess veneer inside with a box cutter. Use a Dremel tool with a 3/8” sanding drum to sand the veneer flush to the inner shape of the cover. Us a piece of 220 grit sandpaper to clean up any burring on the inner edges of the veneer. Leave any excess veneer on the outside, as this will be trimmed off after the next step.

Once the cover is finished, it should be glued into the box with SuperGlue; this eliminates any problems if the cover is not flat in the collar. It only takes a small amount to glue a cover into the box, four little drops of glue in the ends and sides of the collar. Plus, run a bead of glue around the entire outside perimeter of the cover. This will ensure the veneer is glued to the collar's flange.

Apply small spring clamps around the perimeter of the flange to clamp the cover and veneer to the box. Leave clamped for a couple of hours.

Once the glue has cured, remove the clamps and cut off any excess veneer on the outside with a pair of scissors. Next, use a sanding block to sand the veneer flush with the outside surface of the flange. NOTE: there is a slight angle to this outside the flange; try to match this angle when sanding. Try not to sand off too much of the plastic. The goal is to flush the veneer to the outside surface of the box.

This drawing shows the glue dots' placement on the flange's inner surface. The best glue to glue the cover to the box is some form of cyanoacrylate glue (commonly referred to as SuperGlue®). We use DAP RAPIDFUSE® for all of our cover gluing as it sticks well to polycarbonates