how important is the center hole grommet on the hogarthian harness webbing?

eelnoraa · Sep 14, 2011

By the center hole gormet, I mean the metel gormet in the webbing which line up with the top bolt hole on the backplate. Basically, I am swapping out a dive rite basic harness with a stiffer webbing. Can I just drill a hole in the webbing? Or do I need to have the metal gormet installed? If so, where can I find that kind of hardware?

As for why I want to swap out the DR harness, I think I complained before. The DR webbing is just so soft and sloppy. It doesn't stay flat once wet, so things slide around. I have to make adjustment before every dive to make sure the D-rings are in the right places, left and right should straps are of the same length. This harness is only 3 monthes old and I have only used it with single tank. Absolutely no excuse for having such a bad quality webbing. I think DR should replace it. But for $10, I dont want to bother. it is just a hassle.

lowviz · Sep 14, 2011

eelnoraa:
By the center hole gormet, I mean the metel gormet in the webbing which line up with the top bolt hole on the backplate. Basically, I am swapping out a dive rite basic harness with a stiffer webbing. Can I just drill a hole in the webbing? Or do I need to have the metal gormet installed? If so, where can I find that kind of hardware?

As for why I want to swap out the DR harness, I think I complained before. The DR webbing is just so soft and sloppy. It doesn't stay flat once wet, so things slide around. I have to make adjustment before every dive to make sure the D-rings are in the right places, left and right should straps are of the same length. This harness is only 3 monthes old and I have only used it with single tank. Absolutely no excuse for having such a bad quality webbing. I think DR should replace it. But for $10, I dont want to bother. it is just a hassle.

Just did this.

go to your local mega-hardware store and buy the middle size brass grommet kit. Don't use the grommets, just the punch. Chuck-up the punch in a hand drill and heat the puch with a gas stove or propane torch (use the drill to turn while heating) until quite hot, not red. Press into webbing and use drill if you need it to complete the hole. Immediately smack (lightly) the hole you just made in the webbing with a hammer to flatten the melted rim of nylon. -now flat and can't fray.

Hope this helps.

=C= · Sep 14, 2011

Its not expensive to have a roll of webbing around if you make a mistake.

That said I have done my harness with a screwdriver and a blowtorch. You have to have a source of heat to make sure the webbing doesn't fray.

I like the grommet tool idea, Ill try that next time.

A quick google search gives:
Welcome to Industrial Webbing Corp.

I know it says heavy weight but if you order call to check if its the stiff stuff you are using.

If your D-rings are moving around I'd check which stays you are using... thats not normal.

cool_hardware52 · Sep 14, 2011

eelnoraa:
By the center hole gormet, I mean the metel gormet in the webbing which line up with the top bolt hole on the backplate. Basically, I am swapping out a dive rite basic harness with a stiffer webbing. Can I just drill a hole in the webbing? Or do I need to have the metal gormet installed? If so, where can I find that kind of hardware?

As for why I want to swap out the DR harness, I think I complained before. The DR webbing is just so soft and sloppy. It doesn't stay flat once wet, so things slide around. I have to make adjustment before every dive to make sure the D-rings are in the right places, left and right should straps are of the same length. This harness is only 3 monthes old and I have only used it with single tank. Absolutely no excuse for having such a bad quality webbing. I think DR should replace it. But for $10, I dont want to bother. it is just a hassle.

There is *zero* need for a grommet. Just melt hole with whatever is handy.

Once the harness is actually laced there is no load on the portion of the harness with the hole and or grommet. You could cut the webbing into at the grommet and the harness would be just fine. The webbing makes two 90 degree bend and one 180 degree bend on each side of the plate before it sees and load.

A spent brass cartridge heated up makes a nice clean hole.

Tobin

fisheater · Sep 14, 2011

I've used a simple soldering gun on the harness on my non-DSS plate.

My DSS plate has no need for a hole, as Tobin routes the harness differently.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

mahjong · Sep 15, 2011

As others have said, absolutely no need for the grommet. In fact, the grommet is a drawback. If you dive a wing plus STA plus webbing with grommet, you will have on top two grommets stacked on top of each other between the STA and BP, with a single grommet below. That's ugly.

I really like Halcyon webbing, but the grommet is a PITA. I am planning to try using a drill to remove the grommet.

On other webbing, I make a hole with a drill and seal the edges with a lighter--that simple.

With my custom Fred T Aluminum plate, which I mainly dive these days (single and doubles), I simply push the Halcyon harness webbing down a bit so that I have the wing grommet flush on top (this is when diving a single; with doubles it doesn't matter).

eelnoraa:
By the center hole gormet, I mean the metel gormet in the webbing which line up with the top bolt hole on the backplate. Basically, I am swapping out a dive rite basic harness with a stiffer webbing. Can I just drill a hole in the webbing? Or do I need to have the metal gormet installed? If so, where can I find that kind of hardware?

As for why I want to swap out the DR harness, I think I complained before. The DR webbing is just so soft and sloppy. It doesn't stay flat once wet, so things slide around. I have to make adjustment before every dive to make sure the D-rings are in the right places, left and right should straps are of the same length. This harness is only 3 monthes old and I have only used it with single tank. Absolutely no excuse for having such a bad quality webbing. I think DR should replace it. But for $10, I dont want to bother. it is just a hassle.

aquaregia · Sep 15, 2011

Make sure you get a good hole made though. I did mine with a small screwdriver and a BIC lighter, and it's always a pain to put it on a new set of tanks. Not enough of a pain to redo it, of course

I agree about the DR webbing though. My DR harness slips whereas my Halcyon webbing holds nicely, and the crotchstrap took a lot of saltwater dives to get stiff enough to make threading the buckle through it easy.

cool_hardware52 · Sep 15, 2011

mahjong:
I really like Halcyon webbing, but the grommet is a PITA. I am planning to try using a drill to remove the grommet.

Grab the edge of the grommet washer with a pair of dikes and roll it up and away from the webbing, work your way around the edge and you can pull off the washer.

Tobin

Tortuga68 · Sep 15, 2011

If you don't have a proper pair of dykes, will Madonna & Britney do?

cool_hardware52 · Sep 15, 2011

Tortuga68:
If you don't have a proper pair of dykes, will Madonna & Britney do?

Those two are enough to make me change the channel, but I'm not sure they can get grommets to jump out of webbing.

Tobin

how important is the center hole grommet on the hogarthian harness webbing?

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eelnoraa

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=C=

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