Posted: 4/6/2010 7:22:53 AM EDT
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I've been looking for black grommets to fix my chect rig...cannot find anything without buying a gross of the damn things....does anyone know of
a supplier for these.....or have any for sale....if I buy 144 of the damned things, does anyone have a need for some??? furn1408 |
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Quoted:
I've been looking for black grommets to fix my chect rig...cannot find anything without buying a gross of the damn things....does anyone know of a supplier for these.....or have any for sale....if I buy 144 of the damned things, does anyone have a need for some??? furn1408 What size are you looking for? |
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If you buy a gross of 'em from Fastenal, or one of the other companies like that, it'll be reasonably inexpensive and not much more than burning up your time trying to find someplace that'll send you 12. Then, post a Do-it-yourself article in the appropriate forum complete with pictures and MSPaint. Then sell the rest on EE in ziplock bags with Xeroxed instructions. But that's just my thoughts.  |
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Whatever you do, get brass grommets.
Most nylon fabrics will require a round, glued-on reinforcing patch, 2X wider than the Widest Diameter (WD) of the outer flange of the grommet, to be glued in-place prior to punching the hole for the grommet. A wise practice is to punch the hole using a punch two sizes down fromn the Outer Diameter (OD) of the shank of the grommet; the part that protrudes through the fabric. Reason for this is that you will take a Bic lighter and sear the raw edges of the fabric around the punched hole, so there is no possibility of the fabric's unravelling underneath the grommet. Doing so enlarges the hole, so punch small, then sear. Factories use special, heated punches to do this, and you can heat your punch up, too, although doing so will ruin your punch's temper for other purposes. Practice this first! Mebbe the hole you punch should be larger or smaller. A bit of experience goes a Looooong way when punching holes in expensive stuff. I might do so, because i've done it before, and have some sort of idea about what to expect. Even so, if punching holes in GTG gear, I'd want to set up a trial so I would be sure things would so smoothly. I have seen properly-set grommets cut through thin nylon pack cloth. Grommets rely on the clamping action of both halves to maintain the integrity of the fabric, since the clamping action is the only thing that overcomes the hole that is made. You have to whack that sucker down on the first or second hit. After that, forget it. Practice FIRST, and practice drilling out a mis-applied grommet. It's not rocket science, and anyone can do it, given some common sense. Yes, I have drilled-out some screwed-up grommets. It's not fun. As stated, most common synthetic fabrics require considerable reinforcing, and searing, to properly employ grommets. since most reinforcements will be internally-applied, color is not relevant, but the glue is. Look around at hardware stores for GOOD contact glue that is flexible and waterproof. It is adviseable to practice first. I prefer to make my mistakes, and improve my learning curve on discardable stuff. Cheaper to waste some material and grommets that to screw up on something big–– and I've done that, too, long ago.... Finally, answering your original question, most all brass grommets are factory-coated in some sort of clear coating. Just spray 'em with some appropriate flat spray paint and call it done. You can buy chemicals to remove the original coating, and then chemically blacken the brass, but since I've BTDT, spray them with some paint. Avoid needless hassle. |
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I'll also add that you should get a decent set of hole punches and dispense with the crappy one that comes in most grommet packs. Even a Harbor Freight set is better than the included one. Yes, most every cheap punch set that I've ever seen needed some light grinding on the outside to make a better cutting edge––some were visibly dull in the box–– and a lot needed some internal clean-up with a dremel so the material would exit the internal path within the punch. Once you get close with the grinder, switch to a sanding tool and use that to get the edge sharp, using a fine sanding disc on the dremel.. Take great pains to get the cutting edge square (at right angles) with respect to the shank of the tool. Always use some soft material, like the face of a pine board, as a backstop when punching a hole. Doing all this on a set of 15 cheap punches might take the owner mebbe 1/2 hour, but will save a LOT of frustration and hassle later on. Vastly more important is the quality of the steel, and its' edge-keeping characteristics. High-end steel is not usually found in cheap tools, although, if carefully cleaned-up and squared-away by the owner, even a cheap set will do for occasional use, especially if squared-away. Even the incredibly cheap hole-cutter on most grommet kits will greatly benefit from some careful reconfiguration of the cutting edge. Remember, sand the last little bit, and keep the cutting edge square to the shank. A smart move after doing all this re-work is to de-grease, and spray with clear poly. Keeps the rust devil at bay, a useful thing with a tool set that may not often be used. |
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<––-Web gear noob. What would these be used for? A reinforced hole in anything. Also a smooth edge that won't abrade or fray the line passing through it. For lacing, a tie-down, snap link attachment point, drainage hole, wire race, ventilation, etc. +1 on the soldering iron. When I was a stage carpenter, we would always melt a hole in carpeting before driving a screw through it. If you don't, the screw will grap a weft, wind it up and make a pull all the way across the floor. |