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Soft pad eyes

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 12:50 pm
by tx river rat
This is how I make my pad eyes ,I am not sure if it i the best way but it works
I use 1 inch webbing

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cut a piece 8 inches long,I burn the ends to stop it from raveling

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now fold it so that you have 1 inch sticking out past the edge on top.

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I always have welding rods around so I use them ,a nail or any small rod will work . Heat it on the stove
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now burn a hole threw all three pieces


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this does two things ,gives you a hole and melts the area aroound the hole togeter and serves as a washer

Wala you have a soft pad eye ready to bolt on your yak,


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finished project

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are there any better ways to do this?
Ron

Re: Soft pad eyes

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:16 pm
by David Kopera
Great job on those pad eyes. I use the same technique, except I use an old electric soldering iron to make the holes. They don't let me play with the stove or matches and stuff :roll:

I top them off with finish washers and matching screws. I even found some little do-hickeys that mount in the bottom of the hole to replace the nuts for the screw. They just tap into the hole from the bottom like a small plate with a hole in them. Now I don't have to fumble with the little nuts up inside the top of the boat.

Re: Soft pad eyes

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:22 pm
by LesForgue
Very nice.
I must admit I had to read and look to the end before I knew what the heck is a pad eye.

These are almost the same as things you can make and bolt down under an automobule hood / bonnet to use for car topping a boat.
When ready to use them, you open the hood/bonnet, flap them out and close the hood/bonnet with them sticking out, then you use them as anchor points for tying down the boat.

Re: Soft pad eyes

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 7:48 pm
by Manjimike
That's a good idea, Les. :)

Mike

Re: Soft pad eyes

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:18 pm
by LesForgue
Manjimike wrote:That's a good idea, Les. :)

Mike

I agree it's a good idea -- one I picked up from an article about car-topping boats..

Re: Soft pad eyes

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:48 am
by goanywhere
LesForgue wrote:Very nice.
I must admit I had to read and look to the end before I knew what the heck is a pad eye.

These are almost the same as things you can make and bolt down under an automobule hood / bonnet to use for car topping a boat.
When ready to use them, you open the hood/bonnet, flap them out and close the hood/bonnet with them sticking out, then you use them as anchor points for tying down the boat.
Brilliant idea! One bonnet mounted pad-eye coming up!