Installing Futures fin box with opaque lam

I can’t seem to find anything about this searching the archives. If I am doing an opaque pigment on the bottom or a resin swirl and I install the futures boxes in the foam prior to lamming (as per instructions); what is the next step?

Do I just look for the raised lip in the glass and grind it off? All that will show of the box then is the slot and screw hole. I’ve looked for pics as well, but most pigment jobs seem to have FCS, LokBox or ProBox systems.

What about installing them after lamming? This isn’t the way it is supposed to be done, is there anyway to make them strong/durable by doing it this way? Not to mention the shapers mark will be covered as well. I could just remark them I guess.

Thanks for any help.

Hey hows it going? You can still install the future boxes before laming, all you do is razor blade around the raised lip. You are still able to see the box a little and can tell whats going on. I mean you have to do cut laps too, and i had green tape with a green and yellow swirl, it was a little trickier to see but still doable. I guess you could install the boxes after the lam coat just put a few layers of football patches over em. I would recommend installing them before you lam though. Good Luck

at our glass shop we install futures prior to pigment. Our sander just looks for the raised lip and grinds it off after lam. We have also intalled Futures after lam. you just have to cap the boxes and re hot coat that area. either way will work fine. good luck!! just do it!!

oh by the way, yes sometimes it is hard to find the shapers fin mark after lam(depending on how dark the pigment is) we use a really bright flash light to expose the fin marks. shine the light from the deck side (underneath the fin area), or if the pigment is to dark we will take measurements and replance fin marks.

How I do it:

Take a piece of wax paper, make a template off of blank marking stringer in front of fins and at tail, of course including fin marks. Save it for later. I lam the board, hotcoat deck, grind laps and then use wax paper template to install futures, cap, grind, bottom hotcoat. Nice and clean with little fuss.