Super Jet Footholds install! Could use some help.

[Roseand]

Alright I'm going to be installing footholds in my 95 sn sj, and I've got a few questions before I complete my order of materials.
I'm brand new to fiberglass work, so I don't plan on cutting out the tray and completely defoaming first of all. Plus I have a good feeling my foam might be dry.
I'd like to get everything done right the first time, so I don't have to redo it again. I've been doing some research about reinforcing, and since I'm going to have holes already cut open for holds, I thought maybe it's a good idea to reinforce the gunwales.. But! almost everytime I read reinforcing threads it's almost all about reinforcing the engine bay and sides, not the rear gunwales. Does the rear even need reinforcing?
I'm still fairly new to riding, so I definitely don't need reinforcing yet, but eventually when I start doing rolls and such, I'd rather not have to tear everything apart and reinforce the rear..
I will be riding 99% flatwater, and maybe lake michigan sometimes. If I put in 4lb density 2 part foam in the sides, would that actually serve as a reinforcement?

I appreciate any advice! I'd really like to do it right the first time :Banane01:
-roseand

 

[Roseand]

Need to know asap so I can order materials and get this project going before riding season starts!

 

[Matt_E]

http://www.x-h2o.com/threads/1357-How-to-install-footholds

 

[Roseand]

Went through reading that a million times.. that thread doesn't have the details I'm looking for.

 

[Matt_E]

I've reinforced the insides of the gunwales before and it was a waste of time and only increased the weight.

 

[Roseand]

And you've under-rotated rolls and haven't had any problems with cracking un-reinforced gunwales?(I don't plan on doing rolls anytime soon, just would rather not have to tear apart the back end of my ski again)

 

[Matt_E]

I'm the king of under-rotated rolls.

 

[Roseand]

Then you would be the one to know .
So are the gunwales slightly sturdier than the engine bay sides due to the fact that they're backed up with foam?

 

[augustaf]

The gunwales will be just fine if you should under rotate. Your eardrums however may not fare as well (hydrostatic pressure), so wear a hood, helmet or something with earflaps while practicing.

 

[aytee]

i wouldn't bother enforcing the rear... just cut the holes for your holds, hack out enough foam to get the hold to fit, glass em in... if you pull the foam out just enough to get the hold in, i wouldn't even refoam it...

 

[socal750]

chop it outglass it in... I used self tapper screws to hold it untill the resin set upturf and ride...

 

[Roseand]

i wouldn't bother enforcing the rear... just cut the holes for your holds, hack out enough foam to get the hold to fit, glass em in... if you pull the foam out just enough to get the hold in, i wouldn't even refoam it...

I can't imagine it being too hard to pull out just enough foam to make the holds fit good! I might as well not even order foam then. Unless the holds themselves need a little support where they protrude and have room for foam..

 

[Roseand]

View attachment 216078chop it outView attachment 216079glass it in... I used self tapper screws to hold it untill the resin set upView attachment 216083turf and ride...

Sounds like a plan . Does that molded diamond turf ever rub your legs or feet raw?

 

[Pro-pulsion]

One thing I have found is that using something like a little jigsaw will chip the SMC when you cut out the holds. I used a Dremel with the little cut-off discs and brought the disc in almost half of its diameter to make sure I was cutting in deep enough. It also allows you to keep a tighter pattern when you draw on your foothold templates to the sides. One good way to make templates is to get some thin cardboard, I used the lid of the box on my new work boots. Then draw a rough outline by drawing your line while holding the cardboard up to the part of the foothold that would be hidden inside the hull. Keep re-drawing and cutting the outline until you can fit the cardboard up tight to the backside of the hold where it gets pressed tight to the hull. Also, don't forget that you only need a template hole big enough to allow you to slip the toe of the hold through the template, you don't need to cut a full foot shape out of the hull to get the hold to squeeze into the hull. After you have drawn your line and cut it with the Dremel method, use a small prybar to pop the cut outline piece out and start scraping out foam but only enough to get the hold to fit. That will help prevent the need for any additional foam by only getting rid of what is needed rather than clearing out the entire side.

After the hold goes in nice and snug, you can either rivet or use self tapping machine screws to help keep them in place. Use some heavy grit sand paper such as 80 to really rough up the surface around the edges of the holds so the glass will stick and stay there. Do the same for the space in the tray between the holds, then glass it all in. I added 3 layers to my tray to help maintain the rigidity of the tray since it will loose some structural integrity having the cutouts gone. When I did mine, I went with the fiberglass sheet that looks like mixed strand rather than the style that looks like screen because it is rated as being the stronger of the two. It was actually a lot easier to do than I thought and last year was my first time glassing them in. I would think that the most important part is just making the cutouts far enough back in the tray. If they are done too far forward, when you go to slip the hold in place you might actually run the toe of the right hold up onto the exhaust tube. It happened to me, I had to move the cut-out holes back an additional 2 inches to clear the tube and put had to put extra glass work in just to correct the oversized cut-out holes.

 

[Roseand]

One thing I have found is that using something like a little jigsaw will chip the SMC when you cut out the holds. I used a Dremel with the little cut-off discs and brought the disc in almost half of its diameter to make sure I was cutting in deep enough. It also allows you to keep a tighter pattern when you draw on your foothold templates to the sides. One good way to make templates is to get some thin cardboard, I used the lid of the box on my new work boots. Then draw a rough outline by drawing your line while holding the cardboard up to the part of the foothold that would be hidden inside the hull. Keep re-drawing and cutting the outline until you can fit the cardboard up tight to the backside of the hold where it gets pressed tight to the hull. Also, don't forget that you only need a template hole big enough to allow you to slip the toe of the hold through the template, you don't need to cut a full foot shape out of the hull to get the hold to squeeze into the hull. After you have drawn your line and cut it with the Dremel method, use a small prybar to pop the cut outline piece out and start scraping out foam but only enough to get the hold to fit. That will help prevent the need for any additional foam by only getting rid of what is needed rather than clearing out the entire side.

After the hold goes in nice and snug, you can either rivet or use self tapping machine screws to help keep them in place. Use some heavy grit sand paper such as 80 to really rough up the surface around the edges of the holds so the glass will stick and stay there. Do the same for the space in the tray between the holds, then glass it all in. I added 3 layers to my tray to help maintain the rigidity of the tray since it will loose some structural integrity having the cutouts gone. When I did mine, I went with the fiberglass sheet that looks like mixed strand rather than the style that looks like screen because it is rated as being the stronger of the two. It was actually a lot easier to do than I thought and last year was my first time glassing them in. I would think that the most important part is just making the cutouts far enough back in the tray. If they are done too far forward, when you go to slip the hold in place you might actually run the toe of the right hold up onto the exhaust tube. It happened to me, I had to move the cut-out holes back an additional 2 inches to clear the tube and put had to put extra glass work in just to correct the oversized cut-out holes.

Wow, thanks for the awesome and clear write up and advice! I'll definitely take all that into consideration .

 

[Pro-pulsion]

Happy to help out, it was quite intimidating when I first looked into doing it too. The only way to get past that is to dive in lol. I will look around for pics and see if I have any when I get home from work later tonight.

 

[Roseand]

Alright sounds good to me.
Do any of you have trouble with the molded diamond turf tearing the skin on your legs/feet?

 

[Matt_E]

Yeah. Riding with my feet in the holds all the time (I don't do that anymore), I tore up my skin all the time without a wetsuit.

 

[Roseand]

What turf has good traction but doesn't tear your skin? Besides custom jet trim mats.

 

[hink320]

The plain old flat hydro turf seems to tear up the skin the least in my opinion. On my Trinity the bottom is diamond and the sides are the plain flat turf and I've never had my skin torn up once. I'm returfing my buddies superjet right away and that's how we're going to do his as well.