I got a few goretex vents from PeteC last week and thought some of you might be interested in how to fit them. I followed the instructions which are pretty straightforward. Will be weighing the board every few surfs to check for the dreaded leaking board syndrome.
Okay, I’m a dummy, but I just want to make sure. Once you install the vent, you don’t have to unscrew it to relieve pressure for airplane flights or hot cars? Do I understand that right? Thanks.
firewire - yes the do; mainly because the housing peice the firewire vent plug sits in blends into the rest of the board (color wise), so you really see is the shinny metal plug, not the housing.
I think the pre-glass version is smaller than the post-glassing install version, but the black plug part in the middle I think is the same.
B.T.W. Karl, your install looks very clean, thanks for sharing.
It is quite big. The main body is about an inch in diameter. I think it was an existing design adapted for surfboards. The flange is quite thick - about 1/8" so i sanded it down to about half that but I didnt want to sand it down flat because I think it helps to seal the vent.
Thanks Karl for posting the photos. Yes, they are big but there’s a reason. The caps on the membrane vents need to be protected since they can be knocked off if exposed, so I recessed them. Well, this means you need a socket wrench to take them in and out, and the wrench diameter is about 7/8" (.875" about 22.5 mm). Allowing for wall thickness and a flange, the OD of the insert came out to be 1-1/4" diameter. Since I CNC machine these at high speed using no lubricants (so there’s no bonding issues), wall thicknesses too thin will warp due the cutting heat. The retrofit insert that Karl is using can be made to fit flush with the deck if desired. I use these on our personal boards installed this way: 1-1/4" counterbore x 1/16 deep (forstner bit) and 1" dia x 1-1/4 deep hole. Epoxy sides and flange, sand down top until flush, lam piece of 4 oz cloth over it (cutout hole of course), hotcoat, finish as wanted. For epoxy bonding, I like RR mixed with cabosil which shortens the cure time. None of the large board mfgrs. I sell to cloth over the inserts because they say it’s too much work and unneccesary, and they don’t do it for leash plugs or FCS plugs. Cloth is optional unless you’re retentive as I am.
On the Firewire vents, they use a homemade vent with just the Gore-Tex membrane. The “bolt” they made has an allen socket, so zero wrench clearance and a smaller insert was possible. Unfortunately, WL Gore only makes hex bolt-head housings, and I didn’t want to use a vent housing that wasn’t thorougly tested and field proven.
I’ve heard and read lots about these.Are they essential on all EP boards? Presumably they are there to let trapped air out of the EP. Can the air get back in again through the vent? If not, couldn’t one drill a hole through the skin, warm the board up to let the air out then when still warm pour resin (maybe and glass) into the hole to seal it? Might it then collapse under atmospheric pressure?
How much resin does EP adsorb?
Here I go again…if one infused the board before fitting the balsa skins would that eliminate the need for a vent.
Sorry to be so ignorant but I’m about to start my first compsand and need to get my head around this.
This time I installed the vent flush with the deck. And added a paua shell trim. I think this is better than the retro fit method which leaves the vent a little proud - haven’t had any problems with it - but fitting it flush is pretty easy.
Karl, thanks for putting that up. I just got some from Pete and put one in an already glassed board. Very slick. Easy to install (easier that a FCS plug). I haven’t gotten it in the water yet, but I expect no problems.
Thanks to everyone who tried the vents. Karl, that inlay is really art. If anyone has any suggestions for changes to the next run, please let me know and I’ll do it. -Pete