Backplate hole not aligned with harness - Bad design or bad user?

[Bottom Surveyor]

Add Mares to the list. I just replaced the webbing and burned a hole in the proper place.

Not the case with my XR plate and webbing. The hole is offset and it alignes perfectly with the plate.
Mares XR range is good quality stuff.

 

[BoltSnap]

I was going to post an update now that the harness is mounted because I have a feeling that the belt is too high (belly button level) but I'm worried it willl trigger another 10 pages if I post a photo

Please do, we need another story

 

[BoltSnap]

Are there tools and grommets available that one can use to make holes and grommets on a strap that would stand the salt water use? I know that you can use soldering iron to make the hole but that won't look nice.

Note: My need is for something different not the same issue in the OP.

 

[Jcp2]

Are there tools and grommets available that one can use to make holes and grommets on a strap that would stand the salt water use? I know that you can use soldering iron to make the hole but that won't look nice.

Yes. Craft and hardware store will have brass grommets, marine and sailing stores will have stainless steel groomers. As you can see, even the Halcyon and Mares plates have the “problem” of offset holes. They “solve” it by offsetting the grommet to match, which is not a solution, but a kludge. Those plates are really fancy bent road signs that have become standard, but not necessarily the best for the purpose. See VHS vs Betamax.

 

[berndo]

Are there tools and grommets available that one can use to make holes and grommets on a strap that would stand the salt water use? I know that you can use soldering iron to make the hole but that won't look nice.

You can punch holes with a tool called 'hole punch'. They are specifically designed to punch holes into stuff.

 

[rhwestfall]

Tools:

on the cheap:



Or, if you do a lot:



As said, can get brass or stainless steel grommets at various places...

 

[BoltSnap]

You can punch holes with a tool called 'hole punch'. They are specifically designed to punch holes into stuff.

The ones we have here are called AK47's. The holes they make aren't pretty.

 

[eelnoraa]

I don’t like the grommet at all. I would choose just webbing next time and puncture hole in webbing. No one can see the hole, so looking the best at that location shouldn’t matter, right? the reason I prefer no grommet is after a while, you will notice grommet cause indentation at the plate, especially Al plate. My guess is from dissimilar metal corrosion from repeating getting web and not dry quickly.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Why do you need a grommet at all?
Just melt a hole into the webbing with a hot screwdriver. The melted nylon will prevent it from fraying.
Not only that, like @eelnoraa mentioned there is a dissimilar metal problem, and also grommets add thickness which when using a STA kicks the top out a bit which is counter productive. If anything the bottom of the tank needs to be moved out not the top.

 

[Vicko]

You guys do realise that the grommet is only there in case that the webbing aligns with the wing holes? The webbing is generic chinesium brand so it's made like that to be used with any plate.
You don't have to use it, and webbing will not slide just because the bolt is not securing it, especially after a few uses when it gets "set".


More diving, less overthinking....