outfitting gear

[acc]

I think I posted on wrong place earlier so this is a repeat so to speak
Has anyone used/had experience w/any of following gear from Mad River/Harmony Gear:
thigh straps
daisy chain anchor points
There have been no customer reviews on their web site.
Thanks

[pblanc]

I have purchased a few of the Harmony daisy chain anchor points for the purpose of securing removable foam pedestals. They haven't seen a lot of use as yet, but they seem quite well made and I have no complaints.

The Harmony thigh straps look to be the same as Voyageur used to sell years ago. I bought a pair of those way back when. Again, they seemed sturdy and well-made. They are not contoured to follow the curvature of your thigh, but that seems to make little difference.

[acc]

Hey, thanks pblanc. The daisy chains are exactly what I plan to do re removable pedestal. Did you modify your own pedestal or buy one already drilled w/re-enforced tubing ( PVC pipe?)?

[pblanc]

In one boat (Dagger Caper) I used a pair of Harmony TKO pedestals which already have a pair of sizable holes running through them transversely: http://www.harmonygear.com/products/977 ... estal.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I set the boat up so that it could be paddled either tandem or solo with three pairs of the daisy chains.

In another instance I took an old, long foam pedestal (the type that used to be supported under two thwarts) and modified it by pushing PVC pipe through it in 2 places. I found that with the TKO pedestals a pair of webbing straps going through the first and last loops of a single pair of daisy chains was sufficient. The loops are just big enough to accommodate 2" wide webbing but I found that 1 1/2" wide webbing worked a little better.

If you use plastic Nexus "Fastex" side release buckles to secure the pedestal (as I did) make sure you put the holes in the pedestal high enough that there is room for the buckles.

[acc]

Thanks pblanc. Where would you recommend placing the holes & what size did you use? And what or how did you cut the holes to insert piping? I considered the TKO but someone has offered me a used pedestal I may take a look at. I will do a search on the Fastex buckles to purchase as this is all new to me. Thanks again for guidance.

[pblanc]

Sorry I didn't see your post. For the minicell pedestal I put in my Dagger Dimension I used 1" wide flat nylon webbing. For that I used 1" diameter PVC pipe which actually has an outer diameter of just over 1 1/4" and an inner diameter just over an inch. The Harmony TKO saddles already had 2" diameter holes so I didn't use any PVC pipe.

If you wanted to use 1 1/2" wide webbing I would use 1 1/2" PVC pipe and 2" for 2" wide webbing. I have found it possible to just push PVC pipe through minicell pedestals up to 8" thick. I cut the end of the PVC at an angle with a hacksaw and bevel the cut end inside and out. I use a bench grinder to put a beveled edge on the outside of the pipe (but you could use a file) and a half-round file to bevel the inside edge of the pipe. You can just core through the minicell using a drilling motion. It helps to wet the inside and outside of the pipe with something to make it slippery like Formula 303 protectant, Armor All, or WD-40. Try not to wet the outside of the pipe that you will grip or your hands will slip. Support the pedestal on its side on a firm surface and make sure you keep the PVC pipe perpendicular to the surface of the pedestal as you go. If it starts getting hard, take the pipe out, rewet it, and put it back in the same hole. As the end nears the other side it is best to take a small piece of wood or something to press against the side of the pedestal like an anvil so that the beveled end of the PVC pipe cuts through cleanly rather than tears. You made need to use a stick or something to press the core of minicell out of the pipe.

After you get all the way through, push the pipe through so that the beveled edge you made sticks out an inch or so and cut it off square with a hacksaw. Then push the pipe back the other way until the cut end is flush and mark the other side where it meets the side of the pedestal. Push it back another inch or so, cut it off at the mark, and center the pipe.

I took some pictures of a removable minicell pedestal I mounted in the center of a Dagger Dimension. The back of the saddle secures under a thwart with a C-shaped metal bracket screwed to the underside of the thwart going down into the minicell pedestal. The front of the pedestal secures using a pair of Harmony daisy chains and a couple of lengths of 1" wide flat nylon webbing and Nexus Fastex quick release buckles and triglides. You can see in the pictures that I put the PVC pipes through plenty high to allow clearance for the quick release buckles. I also took a picture of the angled and beveled cut end of the PVC pipe I used, but the glare from the white pipe doesn't allow it to show very well:

http://s947.beta.photobucket.com/user/p ... 20Pedestal" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[sbroam]

pblanc - a thought about your pipe hole cutter / insert - how about make a longer (so it is easier to grip for the whole length) piece of pipe to use expressly for hole cutting. Don't leave that in the saddle -reuse it. Then cut (square) the pieces you are going to leave in place. I did similar except instead of beveling, I found a thinner walled piece of pipe with the same OD and filed cutting teeth in the end. I've used in on several saddles to make the transverse holes.

[pblanc]

Yes, that would be the way to do it if I were doing this a lot. Actually, if I am running a couple of lengths of PVC through a pedestal I will only bevel the end once and just push enough pipe through so that there is enough length on the beveled end to make another pass. Actually, using a bench grinder and a half-round file it only takes a couple of minutes to bevel the end of PVC because it is so soft.

[acc]

Wow, thanks for the info & pics from both you. I am wondering if a hole saw set on slow speed on drill press would work any easier??? I know you could only go thru so far then have to clean hole saw out before re-inserting into hole to continue cut???