10.5” Re-Fiber™ Lamination Box

Last summer I started work on a prototype for a center fin box that could be installed either prior to or after surfboard lamination. My goal here is to have a fin box with a solid, conventional look (without techy flanges or resin holes) that can be reinforced under glass. I have arrived at and am testing two options that I feel will serve this purpose well: a 1”x10.5” model that fits the same routing slot as other 1” boxes and a 1-1/8”x10.5” box with stronger outer walls and less inward flex.

There are a few other points I want to address when designing a new type of surfboard center fin box. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that color choice the founding highlight of this project. Box strength and consistency in measurements is another big focus. In my nearly 40 years of riding longboards I’ve seen and taken issue with a handful shortcomings in fin box and fin manufacturing, which I’d like to remedy. These include brittleness and inconsistencies in fin-slot width found in some of the most commonly used surfboard fin boxes coming out of California.

I aslo want to begin having a conversation about what really amounts to “sustainability” in surfboard production as well as the amount of waste we produce when we make a surfboard. Are there ways we can use that waste in a circular fashion to decrease any ecological and/or economical impact of a surfboard? I think there are and I think I’ve found an approach. My Re-Fiber™ fin boxes are made from 4oz and 7.5oz volan roving which I have collected from excess fiberglass cut off during the lamination process. Fiberglass is delevered in wide rolls and cut to the necessary length of each board. This creates a long, rectangular piece of cloth. The laminator then cuts the outline of the surfboard into the cloth with a roughly 3-4” lap. This means that edges and corners of the cloth are cut away. These cut offs are normally thrown in the trash, but wouldn’t it be great if we could collect them to manufacture compnents like leash plugs and finboxes? I think so! It would ensure that we boardbuilders use all the raw materials at our dispense before turning to other material stock.

By taking advantage of 3D printing technology, I have been able to manufacture fairly simple molds, which allow me to laminate upcycled fibers with resin and compress it into what is likely the strongest component available for a surfboard today. These components will initially be made available solely via Bruce Jones Surfboards and Jones Shapes prior to moving on to other partnerships.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch.