Just wondering where would repair a fin box screw thread. The fin screw no longer tightens, assuming the thread is stripped/damaged guessing it needs a replacement to be bonded to the board? In Perth. Thanks

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smp said..
Just wondering where would repair a fin box screw thread. The fin screw no longer tightens, assuming the thread is stripped/damaged guessing it needs a replacement to be bonded to the board? In Perth. Thanks

Fin screw thread? Thatd be either the barrel nut (in the fin) or the screw itself. Neither involves a board repair.

perhaps a pic would make things clear?

Gather its slot box

SMP is it a nut insert moulded in, or course threaded screw into plastic?

They're not impossible to DIY

Thread screwed into "plastic" is tricky to fix. I have fixed one of those before by filling the hole with epoxy and then cutting a new thread. It did take me two attempts to get the angle right. I am guessing they have a template for drilling the holes in the factory.

^^^ If it is not totally stripped, then filling with JB Weld around the screw is possible (mould release on screw of course)
Moulded-in nuts are harder to deal with unless its been torn out completely in which case there is an easy fix for some of them.......

As an aside, thank god for Severne idea of a proper fat screw with allen key - the same size as batten adjusters. Why did that not happen years ago?


Thumbs down to Cobra for the early moulded in brass nuts that were just splined cylinders and pulled out easily Then they stuck little wings on them (like a T-shaped nut) so they'd not pull out, but the wings broke off!! Hopeless.

BIG thumbs down for all manufacturers for not making them available for sale to enable replacement, you'd think if they sold slot boxes the same as they sell mast tracks it would be the end of the world or something....... fkn Cobra

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Mark _australia said..
As an aside, thank god for Severne idea of a proper fat screw with allen key - the same size as batten adjusters. Why did that not happen years ago?

Totally agree. After screwing one of those into a board going back to a standard Philips head screw makes you scream out a giant WTF.

Thanks so photos attached hopefully enough to make sense of?!

sometimes with those you can be lucky - once the brass insert has pulled out, you can then screw the other kind of slotbox screw in and it will jussst cut its own thread. Then if that works, a little bit of wax on the screw and put it in with some strong epoxy like JB Weld or similar will do it.

One of these:

but with the thread all the way along ideally.

WS shops should have them......


If that does not work then unfortunately it is setting a new nut in place down that hole which is a bit harder. Barn / MoB / Steve should eb able to easily. If you were up this way I could

Thanks would the Jb weld mean the screw would be fixed in place then?

Ive used the self tapper style as in MAs pic above along with glueing in a white wall plug ,has lasted nearly 3 yrs in my most used board.
Those brass inserts are useless to any impact.

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Mark _australia said..

BIG thumbs down for all manufacturers for not making them available for sale to enable replacement, you'd think if they sold slot boxes the same as they sell mast tracks it would be the end of the world or something....... fkn Cobra

I couldn't agree more with you on this one. I frikken cant believe the boxes for repair are so hard to get, unless you know an inside man at cobra. Maybe in their arrogance they thought the boxes would never get damaged "so we won't supply spares"

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smp said..
Thanks would the Jb weld mean the screw would be fixed in place then?

noooooo nooo

mould release on the screw. Boot polish would do (very very thin so you are not increasing diameter at all, but epoxy wont stick)

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Foghorn said..
Ive used the self tapper style as in MAs pic above along with glueing in a white wall plug ,has lasted nearly 3 yrs in my most used board.
Those brass inserts are useless to any impact.

That is a fkn ripper idea, especially as a Gnaraloo fix. Thanks!!!!!

(Can't believe nobody has mentioned it, as we all used to do toothpick down the stripped footstrap insert, seems has not translated over to slot box screws.)

NOW making me think that smp should just stick in a coarse threaded screw like my pic, then after its tapped its own thread, so it would work but you would not want realllyyyy fullyyyy torque it up - put in a bit of wall plug spaghetti from Bunnings, or thin whipper snipper line, or 50lb fishing line, then re-screw.

That would hold no probs.

Thanks all so i couldn't use a self tapper as the brass thread is still in just stripped the thread and was worried I'd damage the board trying to get it out. So put a bit of Dr ding in the thead and put the screw back in gingerly... Hopefully holds and hopefully I can get it out if I ever need to!

Jb Weld- dad fixes a stripped insert on a footstrap on new Fanatic stubby. Now thats got a lot mor tension than a slot box screw
It used to spin and not grip- now tensions up perfectly.
Jaycar sell it.

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Captain_Morg said..
Jb Weld- dad fixes a stripped insert on a footstrap on new Fanatic stubby. Now thats got a lot mor tension than a slot box screw
It used to spin and not grip- now tensions up perfectly.
Jaycar sell it.

As a matter of interest do you drill out the strap insert, slightly so the JB Weld forms a bond with a greater area allowing for the screw to retap into it without slip. I ask this question as my 1991 Mistral One Design has a worn strap insert and I want to repair it and I think it requires that to stop the spin.