I’m finally getting to the end of my project, just need to sand the decks, shape the rails, and seal, then worry about fins. I’ve got a plan to make an attachment for my leash loop that would emulate the “ASS but plug” system:
My housemate with the camera is out of town, so I had to use my phone to take this pic. So, the horizontal wooden lines are a glued up solid block that go from the deck to the bottom of the board. The easiest thing would be to drill a hole right through, and run my loop through it. I’ve planned on doing something like the diagram, with an insert (the green block) that has some holes drilled in it (the red lines.) This would let the leash exit through the butt crack instead of out the top of the board. The ASS but plug folks said this didn’t add drag when surfing, but reduced the chance of leash breakage when you go over the falls.
Is this worth it, or should I just drill a hole through?
That looks like a pretty good system. When I was building my first board I took it to my dad’s friend who used to shape boards in Hawaii way back when the shortboard revolution was just starting and they were chopping 3 feet off of up pop-out Webers, and he asked me if I was going to drill a hole in the bottom kind of like that. I told him I was going to put in a leash cup and he swore by the other system. He said it was great for big waves.
…they were chopping 3 feet off of up pop-out Webers…
Rachel - Harold Iggy, and some refugee from a Clive Barker movie who claims to be something called “the little man on wheels”, would like to have a word with you :-> Seriously, “pop-outs” were made by companies like Dextra and Keoki; to the best of my knowledge, Weber never manufactured any boards that fit that description.
Oops, my mistake. He used to surf for Weber. I believe they still chopped them up, but they probably weren’t pop-outs. But he said that you could get cheap boards at like the general store and they would reshape them.
That looks like a pretty good system. When I was building my first board I took it to my dad’s friend who used to shape boards in Hawaii way back when the shortboard revolution was just starting and they were chopping 3 feet off of up pop-out Webers, and he asked me if I was going to drill a hole in the bottom kind of like that. I told him I was going to put in a leash cup and he swore by the other system. He said it was great for big waves.
Yeah Rachael, that’s kind of what I figured. My board is a 6’2 fish, and I’m not sure how big I’ll be surfing it in terms of wave size. I remembered reading something about this on the PointBlanks (patagonia’s boards) website, and just pulled this off:
"Another important but seemingly small detail that effects board performance is the leash plug. We use BP® leash plugs on most of our boards. These plugs attach to the very end of the tail and allow the board to quickly release from the surrounding turbulent water after a wipe out. You get the board back quicker and get out of the impact zone. If you doubt the performance value here, think about it the next time you get sucked over the falls by a “tombstoning” board with a standard leash plug. "
So, If I’m going to do this, what wood to use? I could use western red cedar, but that seems too brittle. I also have some well seasoned douglas fir that is a lot stronger, but heavier and harder to work with. Any of the wood guys have thoughts on this?
That looks like a pretty good system. When I was building my first board I took it to my dad’s friend who used to shape boards in Hawaii way back when the shortboard revolution was just starting and they were chopping 3 feet off of up pop-out Webers, and he asked me if I was going to drill a hole in the bottom kind of like that. I told him I was going to put in a leash cup and he swore by the other system. He said it was great for big waves.
Yeah Rachael, that’s kind of what I figured. My board is a 6’2 fish, and I’m not sure how big I’ll be surfing it in terms of wave size. I remembered reading something about this on the PointBlanks (patagonia’s boards) website, and just pulled this off:
"Another important but seemingly small detail that effects board performance is the leash plug. We use BP® leash plugs on most of our boards. These plugs attach to the very end of the tail and allow the board to quickly release from the surrounding turbulent water after a wipe out. You get the board back quicker and get out of the impact zone. If you doubt the performance value here, think about it the next time you get sucked over the falls by a “tombstoning” board with a standard leash plug. "
So, If I’m going to do this, what wood to use? I could use western red cedar, but that seems too brittle. I also have some well seasoned douglas fir that is a lot stronger, but heavier and harder to work with. Any of the wood guys have thoughts on this?
Pat
Sooo, since I shamelessly hijacked your thread to comment to Rachel, perhaps I can help get it back on track. The latest WoodenBoat (#192) has an article by Harry Bryan on wooden cleats. I would make the assumption that the requirements for strength, non-brittleness, and water resistance would be very similar for cleats and leash loops, and the stresses also similar. Bryan recommends black locust.
Sooo, since I shamelessly hijacked your thread to comment to Rachel, perhaps I can help get it back on track. The latest WoodenBoat (#192) has an article by Harry Bryan on wooden cleats. I would make the assumption that the requirements for strength, non-brittleness, and water resistance would be very similar for cleats and leash loops, and the stresses also similar. Bryan recommends black locust.
-Samiam
No problem iam2sam, isn’t hijacking what it’s all about anyway? Thanks for the tip on the black locust. I did a search, and found this really great table at woodbin: http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/strength_table.htm
I pulled out the stats for red cedar, doug fir, and black locust. I’m looking at the shear strength parallel to the grain as probably the most important in this application. Think I’ll go to the lumberyard and see if they have any black locust or scraps. If not, the doug fir should be OK, but not as good. Definitely not going to go with the cedar here.
<span style="font-weight:bold">Tree Species</span> <span style="font-weight:bold">Average Specific Gravity, Oven Dry Sample</span> <span style="font-weight:bold">Static Bending Modulus of Elasticity (E) </span> <span style="font-weight:bold">Impact Bending, Height of Drop Causing Failure</span> <span style="font-weight:bold">Compress. Parallel to Grain, Max Crushing Strength</span> <span style="font-weight:bold">Compress. Perpen. to Grain, Fiber Stress at Prop. Limit</span> <span style="font-weight:bold">Shear Parallel to Grain, Max Shear Strength</span> <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="text-decoration:underline">(0-1.0)</span></span> <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="text-decoration:underline">10^6 psi</span></span> <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="text-decoration:underline">inches</span></span> <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="text-decoration:underline">psi</span></span> <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="text-decoration:underline">psi</span></span> <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="text-decoration:underline">psi</span></span>
Locust, Black 0.69 2.05 57 10,180 1,830 2,480
Cedar, Western Redcedar 0.32 1.11 17 4,560 460 990 Douglas-fir, Coast 0.48 1.95 31 7,230 800 1,130
What exactly is it that you guys are doing with your leash plugs. ??? Photos please…
Saw some fish boards glassed by Moonlight where they moved the plug down into the crack. Like the photo I posted but deeper. That’s what I’m doing. Plugs are cheap and easy to install. Mini plugs…less than 3/4".
I’m interested in what you are doing ,just a confused…What ,Why,cost, preformance , hassle ect…
What exactly is it that you guys are doing with your leash plugs. ??? Photos please…
Saw some fish boards glassed by Moonlight where they moved the plug down into the crack. Like the photo I posted but deeper. That’s what I’m doing. Plugs are cheap and easy to install. Mini plugs…less than 3/4".
I’m interested in what you are doing ,just a confused…What ,Why,cost, preformance , hassle ect…
have a great day
Ray
Hi Ray, let’s see if I can give you a good answer:
I’ll have photos when I actually do it, at this rate in about 1 month.
For hassle, it would be much easier to use a pre-made leash plug or do a glass loop.
Performance comes into it a bit… If having the pull on the very back of the board causes less stress on the board after a wipeout that’s a good thing. Supposedly the board pulls through the wave instead of getting stuck perpendicular and acting as an anchor. Since I’m making a hollow wooden board without fiberglass (except maybee a bit for the fin boxes) I’m trying to minimize the potential stress. THe point blanks guys were the ones that brought this solution to my attention, it’s also been discussed under the heading of the “ASS” “But plug” This is why I’m not just drilling a hole through my solid wooden block.
So basically, I’m trying to find a wooden solution that doesn’t involve fiberglass that replicates the performance of the leash systems that have the leash coming directly out the back of the board. Guess I should have just written that first.
Thanks for the tip on the black locust. I did a search, and found this really great table at woodbin: 