Developing the Foil Box – Eng

English Version

In this post I would like to introduce the story-board about the production of a new reinforced deep tuttle foil box.
During my holidays in Maui, back in November 2017, and after visiting some friends (MFC Hawaii – GoyaWindsurfing – Kazuma SurfBoard), I experienced how Foiling was taking hold in all disciplines, Windsurfing, Sup, kitesurfing and surfing.

Because I live at Lake Garda, I started to think: “okay if I want to Foil, what do I need??”
Windsurfing board with a Foil Ready deep tuttle fin box and  the rig (which in any case I would use what I usually use).

I immediately realized that, if I wanted to Foil I would need to look for a newish windsurf board from 2018 with an approximate cost of around 2000 euros or more…!
I was thinking all my clients that wants try Foiling and that they have to get a 2018 board to be foil ready!

But at the same time I thought, but why not just change the fins box in a existing board?

All starts there.
December 2017 – Research the sizes of the deep tuttle box.
After asking everywhere I couldn’t find a correct sizes for the deep tuttle box.
(also because all the fins brand have different sizes, we are talking about 0.02mm tolerances)
Meantime I ordered 2 foils from MFC Hawaii.

Jan 2018.
I’ve got some details from MFC about the sizes, but no drawing, no files …. so my research continued.
Meantime I bought some Foil Box in USA , ( different supplier )

Feb. 2018
After getting back in Lake Garda, I started working on the my new project.
First step was to prepare a proto type for my foil box, but I need to start from inside.
(made in Polyester resin – Quick and cheap)

March 2018
After few weeks later after making the first proto type, I’ve got some “GOLD” drawings and some files in 3D.
Fixing the sizes, (and try to stay in “middle – way”) between the different sizes of the foil base.
With the 3D files ready, I started to research which company could mill out the various pieces for a mould in stainless steel.
During this research, I ordered some particular materials to build the box, special carbon, PVC, wax ect ect.

April 2018
The project arrived was coming to its final stages… I couldn’t find any manufacturing in North of Italy and Europe,  that could produce the pieces with less of 0.01 mm of tolerance, or I would have to spend more than 1500 euros and wait 6 months.
At the same time I tried some tests on the Foil boxes that, I bought back in USA, and some they broke… This was quite a surprise as the producer of the box is the same who supplies most of the fin boxes used in production windsurfing boards today.

(don’t copy because the sizes are totally Wrong 🙂 )

May 2018
After having realized that the boxes which I tested all broke, I changed all the Lamination Plan ( quantity of resin and layers of different materials), and some sizes of my 3D cam drawing.
Luckily I found a company that could produce my mould parts which would delivery in just 20working days

30 May 2018
The mould parts arrived, they looked incredible with a very good finish and exactly as ordered, with less than 0.01mm of tolerance.