Hex screws for fins and footstraps.

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leto said..
Hi Mates. I got to love that Severne is using Hex screws for pretty much everything: fins, footstraps, etc. It means I can have one tiny metal L-shaped stick or Severne red key hex tool that fits into a wetsuit/sail pocket to detach and attach anything on the go. Same tool also works on my foil screws. No stupid screw drivers needed.

Severne has a kit which is not available LOL ...
www.severneshop.com/shop/product/severne-hex-4-upgrade-kit/

It's only two types of screws basically. One for footstraps, another for the fins. Does anyone know where to buy them, specs? I bet similar should be available somewhere on ebay, amazon etc.. I want to replace all my windsurfing screws with Hex. Would be awesome to find same hex head size for US Box fins and mini Tuttles..

Thanks

Got stuck out on a sand bar with a broken boom head, thanks to the batten key I was lucky enough to put it back together. Would be great if it was all standardized.

You won't find the footstrap screws anywhere that I know of, its hard enough to find them in a normal phillips / Pozi with the correct plastic thread - so we're stuck with Cobra stuff at ridiculous $2 ea, Severne if you want Hex..... or ordering 1000 of them. Sigh

Easy to fin the fin bolt with a 4mm hex, just might have a different shape head on it but will still work fine. Only place to get the foot straps bolts from seems to Severne

For fins and foils I use stainless hex bolts. 1/4-20 since they are easy to find in the USA.

For single-screw footstraps I use 6x25 mm stainless with T30 torx.

No philips screwdrivers needed. If you slip a philips, you end up with a hole in the board. Not good.

The foot strap screws are called PT thread screws. PT being a trade mark. They are also called plastic thread forming screws. They have thread specially designed for self tapping in nylon or plastics. Older boards use m6 28 or 32 length. Some newer boards have a bigger pilot hole for m7. If you use regular self tapping screws for wood or metal you may damage the insert or maybe you won't.

Starboard is actually using Torx for straps and fin bolts. If I were you I would go Torx, they are nice, even better than Allen. Allen bolts are easy to find (I get titanium ones for the fin on e-bay) but I do not know where you can find Torx head screws for the straps. Again Starboard is using them, so a dealer might have some.

the problem with using torx screws or anything other than Phillips or pozi head for foot straps is that won't release (cam out) when they are over torqued, which is easy to do if working with screws isn't your day job. So keep that in mind and don't wreck you board...
Stainless screws will bend when they are overtorqued and fail later (snap off) in use.

Phillips for footstraps is a sensible choice IMHO.

My footstrap screws are the 6x25 from here:

us.screwerk.com/en/products/stp/stp38.html

Well I ordered 500. Anyone who wants some I can post them in North America for $2+1.25USD each which will work out cheaper than if you ordered 50.

Hopefully unlike the 50 I ordered from McMaster Carr these will be the correct thread shape.

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Grantmac said..

segler said..
My footstrap screws are the 6x25 from here:

us.screwerk.com/en/products/stp/stp38.html

Did you order directly from them? What was the cost per screw?

I tried some PT screws from McMaster Carr but they weren't quite the right thread shape with the central "barrel" being a hair too fat and the threads too shallow.

What do you mean by too fat? Generally speaking the PT type screw calls for a hole roughly 90% of the thread O.D. The screws with larger core diameters are stronger, so there would be a trade off & it is unlikely you would need the more open thread design for footstrap inserts as they are usually made from glass filled Polycarbonate or other dense engineering grade plastics.

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gorgesailor said.. What do you mean by too fat? Generally speaking the PT type screw calls for a hole roughly 90% of the thread O.D. The screws with larger core diameters are stronger, so there would be a trade off & it is unlikely you would need the more open thread design for footstrap inserts as they are usually made from glass filled Polycarbonate or other dense engineering grade plastics.

I think it is much less than that
The PT stuff for windsurfing has been M6 with a minor dia of 4-4.2mm for many years. That's more like 66%
I drill my inserts to 4.5mm so there is good engagement but they won't split if there is a tiny bit of sand or salt residue in there
Inserts are not glass filled its just thermoplastic so does need PT

I agree Torx is BAD as when it is too tight the driver does not cam out (pop out upwards) like Phillips and Posi does.

My only issue with footstrap screws is since we went from normal self tappers in the late 1990's and Cobra started using the correct thing (PT / Plastite/ thread forming screw) now there is a monopoly and you just can't get them at a decent price. Unless you order 500 from screwerks ......

THAT, we can agree on....

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Grantmac said..
Well if anyone in North America wants some I'll get them to your door cheaper than Starboard or anyone else. Similar to Cobra screws likely.
As for over torquing them: just use a screwdriver that doesn't allow it, at least these won't round out and leave you stuck.

I'm interested. I have a Roberts board which uses four screws per footstrap. I think the screws are thinner than the cobra ones. I'll check and let you know.

Looks like the thread has been hijacked and now selling the Torx screws... Come on where are the Allen A4 head strap screws..?

I found some possible USBox fin screws but I guess FCS form Allen key (below). Wonder if anyone makes these in A4? So we can keep a single size L stick.

www.surffcs.com/products/fcs-long-board-screw-and-plate?currency=USD&variant=7411508936765&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAys2MBhDOARIsAFf1D1cjpqtpD1YsEyS9H0KG1lUXWSXpuwfC55hZ2ng6cXsDeSD_H-KZz44aAs0oEALw_wcB

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304024727021

Foot strap Fastners are called a PT screw not common but not that hard to find try Beaumont trading Brookvale might have to be a special order. Fin/foil or others are socket head cap screw M6 (I.e threaded all the way to the head) need to know the correct length. Half the drama finding stuff is not knowing what its correct name is, of staff that have no idea what your trying to find from your description.