SIMPLE INNOVATION
Take your surfing to the next level with the GEARBOX Fin System!
Updates
DAM Modifications
BOX Modifications This rendering shows the modifications made to the box as transparent green additions.
For the dam, the existing lip below the top edge was extended up to the top, allowing us to add a larger radius to the dam's edge. This makes a big difference when laying the fiberglass over the dam as it minimizes the air that wants to get trapped at the transition from the cover to the dam. Plus, it helps the cloth drape over the dam.
This change also enables the foam covers to work as they are slightly thicker than the plastic cover, so the gap between the dam's edge and the cover is minimized.
BOTTOM Modifications
BOX Modifications This rendering shows the modifications made to the box as transparent green additions.
For the bottom, the rendering shows the extra material added around the dam's perimeter. Also, four posts have been added to the bottom sides to strengthen it. The primary reason for thickening the bottom was because, in the case of an 8º box, the inside bottom edge of the slot ended up very close to the outer surface of the bottom wall. This made it much thinner there and created the potential for failure along this thin edge. We have not had failures here but wanted to make things more robust by eliminating this thinness. The addition of the posts also helps in this regard.
FOAM BLOCK Modifications
Revised high-density foam block
The HD foam blocks have also had to have their inside cavity enlarged to accommodate the increased size of the bottom of the box. In addition, the area around the posts has been tightened to reduce the amount of resin accumulating there. They will continue to work with the existing boxes.
The foam block has also been changed to a PET material made from recycled plastic water bottles! Allowing us also to reduce the price. This material is hard and porous to achieve an excellent bond.
DEPTH GAUGE
New depth gauge
A new item added to the system is a depth gauge used to set the router bit depth. The gauge has two different depths on it, STANDARD (circular notch) for most normal installs and CONCAVE (triangular notch) for installs in deep double concaves (or where extra strength is desired).
See the updated install guides for more details on how to use the gauge or the INSTALL Extras, where there are detailed instructions.
HEX KEY Modifications
Revised hex key
The HEX KEY has also undergone a slight modification to remove the embedded gear. This change made the key more universal for use with our HANALEI FINS.
COLOR Change
New box color - WHITE
The final change coming to the system is a change in the color of the boxes from the GREY we have been using since day one to WHITE.
The reasons for the change are twofold. Firstly, to better distinguish the GB23 boxes from the older versions. Secondly, to match up better with the WHITE plastic and future FOAM covers. We also feel the WHITE will allow the box to blend better on a board.
With the move to the WHITE color, we are also increasing the amount of fiberglass in the material to improve its strength.
Release Schedule
We have been doing test installations over the past few months and are gearing up for the first production run. After we finish the first production run, we will perform additional testing with the production boxes. If all goes according to plan after this testing phase, we will be ready to start selectively releasing the revised system.
The initial run was small as it was limited to materials on hand. Once we get a full material supply, we will do a much larger run.
Initially, we will only ran 4º, 8º, and CENTERS. Once more material is available, we will run all cant angles in larger quantities.
The first batch of boxes are WHITE ONLY in color, as we plan on using this color in the future as it will work best with the next planned upgrades, plus it is more readily available.
The first run was also aimed primarily at 1ROUT installs while we tweaked our bottom jig to accommodate the change in width to the bottom of the box.
All changes have been finalized, so we are moving forward with these improvements. The only remaining step will be to test a new material with higher fiber content to improve the strength further.
BTW, we are calling this update GB '23!
Stay tuned!