VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

So here I am fitting new straps to my wave board. I'm not new to issues with strap screws from them shearing off (don't use robertson heads even though I seems like a good idea at the time) to having them rip out (yes, using plastic slices of beer cups as spacers do tend to hold up until that crucial moment when you really rather not have them let go....and of course they do) or have them rot in place never to be moved again except when using that massive drillbit.
And then there's that single screw strap twist issue....using superhuman force to surface expoxy & grit or marine 5200 silicone or spikey spreader washers to keep them from twisting....it never really works unless you crank them down so hard they press through the deckpads..

But this, yes this will be quick and easy....child's play done faster than you can say "holy smokes I'm a handyman". I remove the super coarse thread 1 1/4 inch phillips screws (came with da board) and start tightening them down again with the new dakine beauties I picked up last year. When I get to 3/4 screw into the fitting I hear a "crack"....I'm thinking "not good" as I likely cracked the insert. Shit Now what? Like a moron I try a different hole (forever the wombat....eats roots and leaves ), same sorry result. So now I'm pissed.....do I use smaller screws? Cross-threaded straps letting go midair cross my mind. Do I whine to the manufacturer? The board is 5 yrs old...still. What the hell now? I'm a thinking I will cut 1/3 off the screws and reuse them, epoxing in the cracked ones. Any thoughts anyone? Other stories

http://www.chinooksailing.com/web03/components.html Epoxy in some of these inserts or some plastic rod from the plastic shop. (delron ?)

okay, no open heart surgery for THIS JL, it is the bottom of the plug that cracked, likely cuz STARBOARD didn't think about compression of foam pads and straps over time matched with my herculean powers so the bottom of the screw split the plastic.
If you plug it or epoxy in or expoxy shut ya can't use the existing thread again or may get cross threading. Also epoxy may not bond well to the plastic plug or bond so well to the screw and plug that you cannot remove the screw again....ever. So, playing with this, here's what I came up with:

First grind down screws 1/4 inch, ya don't need more than 3-4 threads engaging, certainly not 12.

Second: Confirm if the insert is cracked by taking the board indoors (warm) from garage (cold), apply thin layer of marine 5200 over suspect holes (did a few), wait a second, yes, bubbling up in the 2 suspect holes as air expanding in board, shit

Seal these with 5200 and use the other holes or reinset shorter screw using also 5200 applied with toothpic to bottom of hole.

kus i re-read your story but i still dont understand you you cracked the insert with the original screws (besides the part about herculean strength). are your new DK strapz an extra low profile design? did the original straps have a stack o washers? do/did you have the tiki anti-twist things? finally are you concerned re-screwing might re-split the part you epoxied. just curious .

Here's another approach, one I've done , that has held up.
Completely drill out insert until you're left with foam.
Create an insert from stainless nuts that will fit a stainless bolt. (Put vaseline on the bolt, put the nuts on the bolt, and wrap a bit of glass/epoxy around nuts and let harden. Remove nuts from bolt; now you have a little "cassette"
Epoxy cassette into board. Now you have a bolt instead of a flimsy screw to hold down your straps and a much stronger anchor (the cassette) than those puny inserts to hold the bolt.
It sounds pretty involved but if you make the cassette, then make the hole so the depth is just right it can be pretty easy. Leave a little space around the cassette so the epoxy can fill in the space. Poke a few holes randomly into the surrounding foam so you get some penetration with the epoxy. Don't completely fill the hole with epoxy and you will have enough room to finish offf with a nice bit of Marine Tex. No sanding.
You could use four bolts per strap if you want no twist straps.
Make the cassettes one day, then insert them another day.
It's getting too cold to sail anyway, you might as well have a project.
Make sure your epoxy has enough heat to cure, like 75 degrees or so.
A baseboard or other electric heater is handy this time of year.
Big guys like you probably need big bolts.

dwd- nope, same screw, same strap, same no-twist washer....that was the suprise about it all....I decided to leave the old straps on after removing one at first and then thought: gee, they are not soooo bad, but I better tighten them a half turn more....didn't even get to have them bottom out before the thing cracked....I guess the plastic is just tired or the board was too cold and therefore things were a bit tighter not using epoxy but sealing top with 5200 (don't think you can seal the crack with epoxy, esp if you put screw back in), shit to blanket amazing stuff, takes forever to cure tho

jjjim- nope, this is way too nice a board to pry/drill open for this, not going there, sticking with my new plan, good technique tho

Moral of story: don't remove your screws/pads unless: 1) the board is warm, 2) add a washer to allow for compression of pads/straps or grind screws off a but if the units are quite longish 3) actually feel you need to really change the straps in the first place, geez

thx for the tips kus.
and jjjim, I hope by setting it into the "foam" you mean the divinicell that should surround your insert. quoting the boardlady "EPS foam has the holding power of a marshmallow (and that's an insult to the marshmallow)"
you might top off your plugs with a layer of epoxy/glass too. anyway good to hear its holding up!

"Several boards have come in that had split inserts from using a larger screw. We put plastic steel wool in the hole and use the old screw."
This is from the Boardlady forum. That lady reallly knows her stuff.
Most of my repair experience has been on pre-divinicell boards. The making of the cassette ( a few wraps of cloth and epoxy) is basically the same thing but the divini stuff looks good; nice and light I guess. I wonder who has it. Used to replace finboxes with a plywood/epoxy/cloth cassette.