So I made a plywood light-wind kiteboard and used t-nuts from the hardware store for the footstrap and handle inserts. It was a hassle and they aren’t stainless so I’m sure I’ll have problems with them down the road and I was wondering what some of the kiteboard guys on here are using. I glassed it with one layer of 4 oz. top and bottom to seal it but had to cut out for the t-nuts since they protrude above the deck. They weren’t capped with the glass.
I saw that Fiberglass supply has some kiteboard inserts:
Anyone have any pointers for the proper way to install inserts into a kiteboard (or surfboard for that matter, since I’ll probably add some straps to one of my old boards once my skill level improves)
The t-nuts you used are very common, although they should be stainless and no longer than 3/8"
Google www. snowboardmaterials.com, they have some very nice 6mm. inserts that come in various lengths and are sealed on the bottom, not open like the t-nuts…
The inserts in the Fiberglass Supply catalog are the ones I’m using on my current kite-surfboard builds, although I’ve bought the ones further up the page having 10/32 thread inserts… This type are probably too long(deep) for the twin-tip style shown in your photo, although you might be able to cut off some of the plastic on the bottom to reduce their height… I won’t be getting my shipment of that kind until next Monday, I’ll let you know what you can do with that kind once I see them myself…
i’ve done a few repairs for kite guys here, and i think i would use the inserts from fiberglass supply. once you have the inserts drill out a hole a little larger than the diameter of the insert, grind away the excess plastic from the insert so you get a flush fit. mix up some resin and hammermill and stick that thing in. you could tape it down like installing a leash plug on a surfboard. i plan on using those inserts to set straps for bodysurfing hand planes.
Fiberglass Hawaii has the good sealed-bottom t-nuts like the ones used in snowboards. They’re also sealed on the top, so you can glass right over and then cut out the glass & plastic with a sharp knife. You just have to make sure you set them at the right depth…
I’m sorry I only have a beginning and an end photo of this -
I set the inserts into a high density piece of SpyderFoam (like XPS, used in model airplanes) from the bottom. Then I cut them into singles or strings of 3 and set them into the KB core (Corecell) with epoxy. At this point, the plastic tops are sitting about 3/32" proud of the foam, but set in from underneath.
Then I bag on a 1/16" balsa skin with the holes for the inserts pre-drilled. That actually serves the second purpose of ‘indexing’ the balsa skin so it stays straight in the bag. Once done, they should only be sticking up a tiny bit, like the thickness of a sheet of paper. Seal the balsa skin with a thin coat of epoxy & make sure to let it fill up around the inserts… Then while the seal coat is still tacky, glass over the top. Cut out the glass & plastic caps when the cloth is firm enough to cut without stretching, but soft enough that I can still press it down all around the inserts and it will stick.
Thanks guys. The capped t-nuts are what I had in mind for the next one. I’d like something I can glass over and then sand back. The t-nuts I used I put in from the bottom and it was just more work for myself.
I’m doing el cheapo solid plywood boards, so I can just rout a hole to the depth of the insert and set it in a resin/chopped strand mix, and then cap it with a layer of 4oz. and I’m hoping I won’t have any issues with them pulling out.
Benny, got any finished pics of that board? Looks good, bet it’s LIGHT too. Mine is pretty damn heavy but I put a solid bead of glass rope all the way around the edge and it’s 3/8" marine ply. On the next one I’m going to taper the core more like what yours shows, starting just outside the footpads. No need for a full 3/8" thickness all the way out to the rail and it’ll be easier to put a nice edge on it that way too.
Are those Fiberglass Hawaii inserts stainless or brass? Hard to tell from the photo.
