Hey,
is it possible to add holes for foot strap on wing boards?
I have a smik board with only holes for two separate front straps, I am unable to use a v-strap.
is it possible to add holes to make this possible or would I just be wasting my time, and I should suck it up and pay for two separate straps?
Cheers 
The cost to lift the deck grip, install footstrap plugs then re- attach the deck grip would far outweigh the cost of two footstraps.
Select to expand quoteairsail said..
The cost to lift the deck grip, install footstrap plugs then re- attach the deck grip would far outweigh the cost of two footstraps.
Fair enough,
thanks 
I 3d printed a mount that goes on the deck instead of under and it's a clean instal. Send me a DM and I'll get you a file and go print it at the library(that's what I did). You just clear off a 2" circle on the deck, drill a 1/2" hole and epoxy on the mount. Works great
www.thingiverse.com/thing:6973643
I designed this insert and 3d printed it at the library. Its designed so you drill a 1/2 in hole in your deck and clear off the traction and sand the deck where the flange is going to go and you sink it in with epoxy on both the hole/shaft and the flange/deck.
I used it with self tapping screws for a bit then i drilled it out and tapped it for m6 for more reliable machine screw operation. If using m6 like that make sure you have the right amount of bolt length in the insert - atleast 1 inch of bolt in the insert so 1.25-1.5 in total bolt length.
this is a dowel successful in use for decades already:
www.handmade.de/repair/makoduebel
That dowel is a really bad idea. It would be almost impossible to get a perfect seal from the thin deck laminate to the insert. Then the tiniest crack later lets water in. It might have been in use for decades - but not into EPS cored thin skinned composites.
That is why TooMuchEpoxy's design has a flange to sit on top of the deck and create the seal / add bond strength. It a good DIY option
Personally I'd still do it with a 5 hole block glassed in etc, but not everyone wants to left the EVA and use a router etc etc. I like the simplicity of his design.
The design is good, but I wouldn't trust the 3D printed material - long term. It is a fraction of the strength of the glass filled Polycarbonate that the Chinook inserts are made of...
Select to expand quotegorgesailor said..
The design is good, but I wouldn't trust the 3D printed material - long term. It is a fraction of the strength of the glass filled Polycarbonate that the Chinook inserts are made of...
That's why it goes so deep and I recommend a full inch of screw at least in the insert. The screw is holding the insert together as much as the plastic is. The real reason I developed this is because I have never in any board either bought or built had the foot straps come out in exactly the right place. This way I get to ride the board first then decide exactly where the straps go after marking my foot position. For strapped prone and riding offset I would never even consider stock foot placement position
also, having seen under the traction pad on a few production boards, a lot of the factory foot strap installs are pretty terrible and really compromise the deck laminate. "Carbon" boards with the carbon all sanded through under the traction pad and the strap inserts installed AFTER the carbon. So the deck and the straps, where it takes the most abuse from your feet, are really just held together by a layer of glass
Agreed, What a pain to peel the deck pad & add inserts! ... at least the old ones had glass over - some brands don't even have that. The ones I added have carbon wrap & carbon over.
Select to expand quotegorgesailor said..
Agreed, What a pain to peel the deck pad & add inserts! ... at least the old ones had glass over - some brands don't even have that. The ones I added have carbon wrap & carbon over.
Yeah, my Fanatic is 100% taking on water and I'm almost positive it's a strap insert split or deck crack related to that. I really think also the self tapping screws in the plastic are an issue, too imprecise and potentially causing the insert to split or crack. I really like drilling out the insert and tapping for m6 with really precise and careful depth measurement and control for all 3 steps - drill, tap, and bolt. It also means I can run strap screws that are more consistent with the rest of my foil gear - Torx pan head m6 for less wrench/ driver confusion etc.
You don't mean M6 metal thread ...surely?
you mean M6 plastite coarse thread stuff like windsurf uses? a factory insert like the chinook ones in the pics above, when drilled to 4.2 or 4.5mm are perfect with the proper M6 self tapper
it's all designed to work together and has done for 30yrs in windsurf so I dunno why you'd screw with it
Check out Flikka Boards. They do metal thread inserts in their boards. I link the idea ??
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
You don't mean M6 metal thread ...surely?
you mean M6 plastite coarse thread stuff like windsurf uses? a factory insert like the chinook ones in the pics above, when drilled to 4.2 or 4.5mm are perfect with the proper M6 self tapper
it's all designed to work together and has done for 30yrs in windsurf so I dunno why you'd screw with it
I use my DIY SUPfoil board strapless for surfing and strapped for low wind winging.
Plastic inserts, even Chinooks, wear out very quick if you remove/add straps a few times.
I make my own SSteel and carbon inserts.
Added plus is they stick to resin very well,unlike plastic.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
You don't mean M6 metal thread ...surely?
you mean M6 plastite coarse thread stuff like windsurf uses? a factory insert like the chinook ones in the pics above, when drilled to 4.2 or 4.5mm are perfect with the proper M6 self tapper
it's all designed to work together and has done for 30yrs in windsurf so I dunno why you'd screw with it
I just run a m6 machine screw tap into the plastic.
^^ That's what I meant by metal thread (machine screw)
Its gonna rip out unless you are really easy on it. The ultra coarse PT screws rip out on occasion with jumping or crashes.
Select to expand quoterukra said..
Check out Flikka Boards. They do metal thread inserts in their boards. I link the idea ??
Sorry I meant the screw as per my last post. I should have said machine screw not the very rarely used 'metal thread' when describing the screw. Yes some brands use a metal insert and I'm well aware of Flikka.
Not a fan of them - its too easy to jam up in a hostile environment. I have made exactly what you have, with nutserts into composite and metal, on other products. You can rough them up, crimp them and bond any way you like but when it jams up the insert will spin and then you're stuffed.
Like I said, M6 PT screw into the chinook 5 hole insert has been used for decades and is the right blend of simplicity and holding strength.
I see no need to get creative. But every time there's a new discipline, there's all this far king around and stuff
But I love it cos I get to charge to remove all the creativity that failed and bung in what works. 
I did a test with the screws I'm using in 3-D printed plastic and with a full 1.25" of screw into the tapped thread. I can break the head off of the screw with my impact before the plastic fails.
I don't really trust any industry standards. I think there's a degree of designed obsolesce with boards built to fail and builders doing whatever is easiest as opposed to what's best
Select to expand quotegorgesailor said..
The design is good, but I wouldn't trust the 3D printed material - long term. It is a fraction of the strength of the glass filled Polycarbonate that the Chinook inserts are made of...
Months later of regular use jumping and pulling the screws in and out all the time these 3d printerd inserts are going strong. The m6 tap into plastic is nice, doesn't bog down like metal if a little sand gets in and doesn't wear out with repeated re-tapping like with self tapping.
I think the key is not trying to make it flush with the deck of The board, let that insert sit on top of the deck for ease of install. With the traction it's nearly flush with the traction and if it's in the right spot (and it is cause you placed them) it's not an area your stepping on.
Also, I really feel strongly that strap inserts should be added after the board has been ridden - esp for prone/sinker wing. My foot location - especially where I need them for getting in the straps on a prone session, is so far from "stock" location is just doesn't make sense for them to be in the board from the factory. Even my own shapes that ive tried to place traditional inserts correctly I have 20 spots for inserts and none of them are in the right spot.
If you really want new inserts in the board then just take it to Mark (Aus) and get it done properly. I'd presume you are in west aus with that sail nom.
footstrap inserts done wrong can lead to water ingress, or they could rip out prematurely. Better to get them installed by someone who knows what they're doing than take the risk on forum unknowns.
Select to expand quoteTooMuchEpoxy said..
I 3d printed a mount that goes on the deck instead of under and it's a clean instal. Send me a DM and I'll get you a file and go print it at the library(that's what I did). You just clear off a 2" circle on the deck, drill a 1/2" hole and epoxy on the mount. Works great
AM curious about which filament material you used to print the insert and the orientation for the print?
Abs and just printed with the flange on the print bed. The fastener is kind of holding all the layers together when in use.
Select to expand quoteSubsonic said..
If you really want new inserts in the board then just take it to Mark (Aus) and get it done properly. I'd presume you are in west aus with that sail nom.
footstrap inserts done wrong can lead to water ingress, or they could rip out prematurely. Better to get them installed by someone who knows what they're doing than take the risk on forum unknowns.
Thanks, mate, I think that'll be the go.
