So I was thinking about that locking system just up on the site, and the similarities to another(way cheaper) product got me thinking… This locking sytem is pretty similar to a “Club” steering wheel lock like the one pictured at the bottom of this page. Cheaper models are usually available for about $20.- and under.
Could you take 2 of those, cut off the curved ends, reverse them so they curve inward, and weld them back on. Then weld the longer parts(handle area) at 90 degrees to piece of flat stock or something similar so that the curved part stands straight up. Lastly ‘Sand that sucker smooth,’ and dip it into the heaviest rubber/silicone sustance to have to help protect your board. Drill the flat stock so you can bolt it to your roofrack.
As I envision it, you would centre your board on the rack, and slide each lock in separately. then you couldn’t lift it staight up or slide it out of one of the ends without a key. Of course these cheap clubs likely won’t stop thieves for too long if they got a hacksaw, but that’s pretty obvious and likely too much work. Might not work with the curved piece that the locks comer with standard, but if you are cutting them off to weld on as new one anyways, then you could easily bend a better one up. I don’t have a welder, but I’d like to try this out as soon as I can get a hold of one. but I was so stoked on this latest skinflint idea that I decided to share it here.
If any of you have refinements for this or make one, please hit this post with your thoughts or pics cuz I’d love to hear… Thanks eh, Red
not a bad idea conceptually, but even the cheapos are made with some serious hardened steel…it’s going to be a BITCH to cut, even with a grinder with one of those carbide cutting discs. Handheld hacksaw? better get a six-pack of blades, a replacement set of arm muscles, and clear your calendar for the next week…Also, that kind of steel doesn’t bend, it shatters…which explains how they get bikes in new york-spray with an upside down can of air so that the really cold stuff comes out and freezes the metal good, then a sharp smack with a hammer, and CRACK! the already brittle metal shatters…
Also, take a lesson from my car stereo: I had bolted it in there real good, and the removable faceplate was hidden well. They found the faceplate, attempted to remove the stereo, got frustrated, and stabbed the faceplate and the little contacts with a screwdriver so that “if they couldn’t have it, I wasnt gonna either”. Odds are that if someone tries to get past a lock and fails, they’re gonna wreck your board either trying, or in frustration after. Best to not tempt them in the first place.
Depending how far you can open it you could attach/weld reciprocating steel tubing to you roof rack. Slip the curved bits into it and lock. Then you don’t have to cut the club lock at all. You’d only need it on the back near the fins so it can’t be slipped along.
I know a guy who already uses “The Club” his fins are glass-ons. He simply attaches “The Club” in front of his fins and has “The Club” chained to the back of his truck. He surfs real nice boards, and youd have to ruin the board to get it out. He has had no problems with theft vandalism in years of use.
They might work on boards but not on cars. If the bad guys want your vehicle, they can hacksaw through the steering wheel in nothing flat. They laugh at The Club.
Here’s a real simple one that I got years ago and used quite often. I would have shown it on a board but can’t seem to find a key… I have a van now and can just put all my boards inside, so haven’t used it for a while. I’ve used it a couple times to lock my one-man outrigger canoe to my racks though… As you can see, it’s a real simple design. Just flat iron with some curves bent into it. The idea was to put it across the board inbetween the lead and trailing fins of a thruster. Of course this was back before removable fin systems were the norm. Obviously the lock and cable aren’t foolproof, and could probably easily be cut, but at the very least it’s a deterrent, and a would-be thief might not want to bother with your board and choose one that wasn’t locked down. It works for longboards too, though with the obvious problems of removable fins. Merely a deterrent. But super easy to make. I know you can’t see the curve under the padding - sorry about that - as I mentioned, I can’t find the key to the lock. Hope somebody finds this useful/interesting.
Thanks. I didn’t really think too much about the hardness of the steel, but I have enough power tools to hopefully deal with it. Power saws, grinders etc… (Speaking of which, never use a 10" cutoff disc on a 4 1/2" handgrinder with the shield removed. A guy in my apprenticeship class did and severed his tendons to his first finger and thumb. Stupid. But we all know better here, dont we?) I’m still thinking of it, and making my own curves over the board out of softer steel.
By the way pillarpoint, what is “reciprocating steel tubing?” We might call it something different here in Canada because I’ve never heard of it before. Do you have pics? anyways, thanks all… Red
Hey Red, the thickness of the steel used for that Sur-Fin-Lock of mine is probably somewheres around 1/4", maybe a shade less. I would imagine that it wouldn’t take you too long to just cut it with a hacksaw… Another thing I forgot to mention was that it appears that the steel itself (not including the padding) is coated with a layer of plastic-y (for lack of better term) sort of stuff. I’m guessing something like tool dip? I’m sure the idea was to protect the steel somewhat from rust. Seems to be working pretty good for the most part… On bending it, it’s pretty springy stuff. It has to be a bit flexible to be able to slide it over your board. I would imagine you could bend it by hand, or with the use of a cheater pipe against something else without too much difficulty. Seems to me to get the desired curve at the back end, you could bend it around a reasonably sized pipe… Then clamp it in a vise and use a cheater or something to bend the other angles… Though, thinking of that, you might want to bend the angles first, or fight with the bend, trying to get it in the vise… Good luck!
Here's a simple solution... a bronze eye bolt that fits the fin plate and accomodates a lock hasp. I could probably break it but like most of the devices mentioned, it might keep an honest person honest. With cable wrapped tight around the board and over the rack crossbar as many times as needed for a tight fit, it provides a pretty effective visual deterrent. With a glass-on fin, the bronze eye bolt is unnecessary - just wrap the cable around board and crossbar before locking. And whatever you do, don't lose the key!
