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Picture Of The Month



SD2OR with a trophy fall walleye

Topic: DIY Gear Track - Build  (Read 6924 times)

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PetitPoisson

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Victoria, BC
  • Date Registered: Aug 2017
  • Posts: 105
I made my Gear Track today.  Aluminium with plastic backing plate.  I also did a tutorial for it.  It's in pdf form and the size is 2.39 MB.  I can't seem to upload it to the site.  If anybody wants it, shoot me a pm with your email and I'll send it to you.  Or if anybody knows how to resize it, you're welcome to do so.  I have absolutely no idea how to make it smaller?

Anyhow, here's a bit of what's in the pdf.

Cheers,
PP
« Last Edit: September 17, 2017, 03:02:49 AM by PetitPoisson »
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Hobie Adventure Fish (yet to be named)


AndyFishes

  • Rockfish
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  • Location: Port Townsend
  • Date Registered: Oct 2016
  • Posts: 109
Nice project. I need to get some of these and have been weighing options.

I'm wondering. if you thread both the track and the backing plate, does the thickness of the kayak throw off the alignment of the threads? Do you use a nut under the backing plate as well? (I would guess so).

Thanks for sharing your build. It helps those who follow quite a bit.



PetitPoisson

  • Rockfish
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  • Location: Victoria, BC
  • Date Registered: Aug 2017
  • Posts: 105
...if you thread both the track and the backing plate, does the thickness of the kayak throw off the alignment of the threads? Do you use a nut under the backing plate as well? (I would guess so)...

My paint is still curing, so I can't answer that just yet.

The thickness of the kayak material might have an effect on trying to keep the track/kayak/backing plate tight together.  I may need to drill the threads from the aluminium track portion but I don't think so.  When the screw is all the way through, there's a small shoulder on the screw that lets it spin freely once it is fully seated in the track.  So I don't think I'm going to run into the problem...

I'm not planning on running a nut under the backing plate but have enough screw length to do this if required.  I won't know until it's mounted and fully in use.  If you look at the wide track from YakAttack, they run 2 rows of screws.  From what I've read, many people install these with just self tapping screws and no backing plate.  I'm pretty sure my 3/8" thick backing plate will be more than adequate once some marine sealant/adhesive is in place and they are tightened down.

If a person did this without tapping and drilled slightly larger holes.  The screw would drop through and a lock nut with a small washer could be installed to tighten it all together.  I'm really trying to avoid the need to swing a ratchet/wrench around inside the kayak.  There's not a lot of room in there to make this happen.
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Shin09

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
I just purchased a Hobie TI and am starting to consider my options for gear mounting. I have been looking at similar DIY track since I think the cost for Geartrac is absolutely ridiculous.  Looking forward to hearing how this turns out.


Backroads Baddler

  • Born to Fish
  • Perch
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  • Vancouver Islander
  • Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada
  • Date Registered: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 65
For backing plates I like to use tee nuts when possible. Takes a little more prep work but is a nice clean and easy install.

https://goo.gl/images/MZdnqs

 
OK Caper
Wilderness Systems Ride 115X
Jackson Cuda 12


Shin09

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
So do you push them into a backing board or how are you using the t-nut?


PetitPoisson

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Victoria, BC
  • Date Registered: Aug 2017
  • Posts: 105
Still haven't mounted them...  Got way too busy with work!

...I think the cost for Geartrac is absolutely ridiculous.  Looking forward to hearing how this turns out...

I think the costs are insane as well.  However, I will say this project takes a little time.  It's very easy to see why the prices are what they are if they are not being manufactured in China (or similar).

I did toss these in the oven at 250 degrees for half an hour (twice) in hopes of speeding up the paint cure time.  My wife was thrilled that I used the new oven for this...  The toaster oven wasn't large enough for the longer track.  What else was I supposed to use?!?  :laugh:  Anyhow, it certainly seems to be well dried now.  Obviously, time will tell...

For backing plates I like to use tee nuts when possible. Takes a little more prep work but is a nice clean and easy install.

https://goo.gl/images/MZdnqs


Personally, I wouldn't be too quick to have the points of a T-nut digging directly into the inside of my kayak...  I wanted the backing strip simply to disperse the stresses over a larger area.

You didn't specify, so you may have been thinking "a T-nut in addition to the backing strip".  I don't know how easy it would be to bury the points of a T-nut into that UHMW (ultra-high molecular weight) plastic strip.  That stuff is pretty solid!  I suppose a person could drill it and then use a Dremel with a fine carving tip to notch out some spaces for the points to sit into.  I'm not sure the screw head would allow for enough torque to seat those points.  A person would also want to make sure they used Stainless Steel T-Nuts as the salt water would destroy the Zinc ones in no time at all.
Hobie Oasis (Le Phoque)
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INSAYN

  • ORC_Safety
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  • **RIP...Ron, Ro, AMB, Stephen**
  • Location: Forest Grove, OR
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Great job on using a DIY approach.


There really shouldn't be any reason to have the aluminum threaded. 

 

"If I was ever stranded on a beach with only hand lotion...You're the guy I'd want with me!"   Polyangler, 2/27/15


Shin09

  • Salmon
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  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
I think the costs are insane as well.  However, I will say this project takes a little time.  It's very easy to see why the prices are what they are if they are not being manufactured in China (or similar).

I did toss these in the oven at 250 degrees for half an hour (twice) in hopes of speeding up the paint cure time.  My wife was thrilled that I used the new oven for this...  The toaster oven wasn't large enough for the longer track.  What else was I supposed to use?!?  :laugh:  Anyhow, it certainly seems to be well dried now.  Obviously, time will tell...

Speaking of China, a google or amazon search turns up the China-direct equivalent of GT90 and GT175 track.  They looked like they would need a few more hold-down holes drilled but other wise could be promising.  A little spendier than this option though.


Backroads Baddler

  • Born to Fish
  • Perch
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  • Vancouver Islander
  • Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada
  • Date Registered: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 65
So do you push them into a backing board or how are you using the t-nut?

Yea sorry I should have clarified.  I use SS tee nuts and a piece of cutting board.   The holes in the cutting board are pre-drilled and then I cinch it all together pressing the points into the backing while it is on my bench making sure the tee nuts dig in uniformly.  I'm not sure about how well the points would penetrate into a harder material but I don't necessarily think that a harder material is needed. 

With some creative use of strings and magnets you can use the tee nut method to get backing plates under rod holders that there is no way to get a washer/nut on.
OK Caper
Wilderness Systems Ride 115X
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PetitPoisson

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  • Location: Victoria, BC
  • Date Registered: Aug 2017
  • Posts: 105
For those of you who might like to go the DIY Route.  GO FOR IT!!! I would absolutely do this again when/if I purchase another kayak or find that I require more on this one  :laugh:.

The DIY track with the UHMW plastic backing strip is strong.  REALLY STRONG!  I can pretty much lift the entire kayak (mine's a tandem, so it's a beast) by 1 Scotty gear head mounted to the track.  I imagine if I had balanced it better when I took the photo, I could have lifted it completely off the ground.  There was virtually no flex, so a big fish hammering the rod as it's sitting in a rod holder shouldn't cause any issue.

Little notes and some things I would do differently:

1: Do NOT thread the Aluminium track  ::).  I had to drill out the treads as it was too much of a PITA to try and connect it all.

2: Drill the holes that go through the kayak a little larger (not a lot larger) than the holes in the aluminium track.  This also gives a space for your sealant to squeeze into.  Reason for the slightly larger holes is mentioned in item #4.

3: The larger drill bit I used to counter sink the screw head holes should have be a little larger than the opening of the track.  If you look at the Yakattack track you'll notice they did this...  There's a reason for it and this is also mentioned in item #4.

4: I used a drill press so my holes are absolutely straight.  The thickness of the kayak is NOT uniform...  some areas are as much a double the thickness of others.  It would cause the holes in the UHMW strip to be misaligned if I tightened the screws too much too soon.  It was close but apparently my holes were just a little too tight!  ;D  and the screw heads/screw driver would, at times, just barely nick the side of the track.  Which in turn scratched my nicely painted surface  :embarassed:.  If I had used a slightly larger drill bit when I did the countersinking, I would have nicked the edges along the length of the entire track.  That would have given that smidgen of additional clearance needed.

4: The kayak is thicker than I thought it was (in some areas).  I used a 1" screw length and it just protrudes through the back of my UHMW strip.  If a person wanted to add a washer and a nut, they will want to use 1-1/4" long screws.  I think that would be overkill as it's plenty strong as it is.

5: I used a marine sealant/adhesive in every hole.  I've read that some people do this and others don't.  I did a general snug down of the track then went back and removed 1 screw at a time and squirt some sealant into the hole and tightened it all back up.  This is where the nicking of the track really became apparent.

That's about it!  Now to make a battery box and a 2 mounts for the rod holders...

« Last Edit: September 21, 2017, 02:31:39 PM by PetitPoisson »
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PetitPoisson

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  • Location: Victoria, BC
  • Date Registered: Aug 2017
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All 4 tracks and the nicks I mentioned...
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PetitPoisson

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  • Location: Victoria, BC
  • Date Registered: Aug 2017
  • Posts: 105
I should also mention that I did cut the track at a an angle and then sanded/filed the edges.  The hard 90 degree angle is a bit sharp.  Aluminium cuts really easy, just "DO NOT" use the fence if using a table saw.  It will bind and kick back if you do.
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Shin09

  • Salmon
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  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
Awesome! Thank you for all the details! Question: So it looks like you just used screws to self thread into the UHMW pilot holes? Is that correct?


PetitPoisson

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  • Location: Victoria, BC
  • Date Registered: Aug 2017
  • Posts: 105
Awesome! Thank you for all the details! Question: So it looks like you just used screws to self thread into the UHMW pilot holes? Is that correct?

No, though I suppose a person could use a self tapping screw.

1: Tape the aluminium track and the UHMW strip together (so they don't move when you drill them).
2: Drill through the aluminium track and UHMW using a drill bit slightly smaller than your screw.  I drilled a hole drilled every 1-3/4".
2: Separate them and tap threads into the UHMW.  (I tapped the aluminium and the UHMW when they were still taped together... DON'T do that)
3: Re-drill the holes in the aluminium (NOT the UHMW) slightly larger than the screw. (I needed to re-drill the aluminium track when I went to assemble it all...  Ooops!  Learn from my mistake!  ;))
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