Deck plug or glass loop plug?

General Discussion
1

Hi there!

I’m almost done with my very first shaped board, a 5’8 retro fish, and I need to add a leash plug. I have a translucid plastic deck plug, but I think that a glass loop leash plug would look better on the board.

I only have few pieces of fiber lay (4oz) and some resin left, no fiber rope. Is it possible to do a glass loop plug with this materials?

If I go with the deck plug, how do I glue it on the deck? Just with resin?

Thank you for your help!

Chaby

2

Do you not have a surf shop near you to go buy a 1’ of rope for a buck or so? Maybe you could unweave a piece of 4oz cloth and lay the fibers in one direction to make it like rope?

3

I’ve thought about this solution. I’ve started to lay the fibers together, it is a long long job, but eventually I will get enough materials to achieve a rope for the glass loop.

What is the right thickness for a glass loop?

And how do you manage to get a curved loopwhen you put the resin saturated rope on the deck? Do you have to wait till the resin turns hard?

4

check archives. Lot’s of info on leash loops.

But basically, just take two pencils, abut them against one another and lay them perpendicular on the stringer where you want the loop to be.

First rough sand where you want the loop to be with 60 grit. Then take the fibers and lay them acros the pencils and leave about 2-3 inches on either end of the pencils to adhere the fibers to the existing glass. Spread out he ends to create am hourglas shape witht the strands.

Use lam resin and saturate the fibers until fully wetted out. Then form the middle part of the loop by pinching the fibers together. In the end you’ll want to make the loop between a 1/4" to 5/8" thick. After you have the loop looking pretty cool, take 2 small patches and covers the ends that were spread out. this adds some strenght and reduces the chance of the fibers pulling apart later in life.

Drew

see attached pic



5

Thank you Drew for your help.

One question: how do you manage to “keep” the loop before the resin turns hard and avoiding that the pencils get stucked with the resin?

6

when the resin begins to cure it will still be very pliable. At this time remove the pencils. It’s a timing thing. Too soon and you’ll lose your nice loop shape…to late and the pencils will be hard to get out and again, you’ll lose your loop shape. It’s really not very difficult though. You have a decent window to get the pencils out. Some guys rub surf wax on the pencils prior to glassing to fascilitate this. Though I don’t think it;s nevessary. Just watch it and keep testing the strength of the loop. When you can press the loop and it barely moves, yet stil retains its shape, then you are ready to take the pencils out.

Drew

7

Hey Chaby,

Can you post a pic’ of the board when it’s all done? I’m curious to see it.

Best,

HerbB

8

Hi HerB!

My Little Yellow Fish is almost finished, I still have to add the glass loop and then sand the board (this week end). I will post the pix as soon as it will be done.

I will see then if I do or not a gloss finish, it will depend on the weight of my board. I’m not accustomed to the weight of a fish (a 5’8), but it seems to be pretty heavy… Is it the way it should be???

9

CHECK THE ARCHIVES!!!

Wrap the pencil in wax paper.

10

…you also try with mylar (form a kind of tube)

or put polyvinilic alcohol in your pencils…

11

To avoid problems with pencils getting stuck in leash loops, just roll up a piece of masking tape to the thickness of a pencil, and use that instead, makes it a piece of cake. -Carl

12

When do you apply the leash loop? Seeing that you use LAM resin, do you put the leash loop on when you have finished with the LAM process, or if not, then when do you put it on the board?

13

Or, wax up that pencil with board wax. I’ll try Mr. Olsen’s tape method next time, however. mike

14

i use a small hot glue stick… do it before hotcoating the deck… the loops that fail are the ones that are stuck on after glassing… use chopped up glass mix in lam resin for filler. i like to put a dab of chop/resin on the board then lay the glue stick on it, then cover the glue stick with some more chop/resin then lay the presoaked strands over the whole mess. use 4oz strands not fin rope. i pull about 50 strands about 3feet long. i finally use some chop/resin over the top so i don’t sand into the strands… the glue stick come out super esaily with a drill bit…