Soft pad eyes

[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



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



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




I always have welding rods around so I use them ,a nail or any small rod will work . Heat it on the stove


now burn a hole threw all three pieces




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,




finished project


are there any better ways to do this?
Ron

[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

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.

[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.

[Manjimike]

That's a good idea, Les.

Mike

[LesForgue]

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..

[goanywhere]

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!