catek polycarbonate spacers

[davekempmeister]

more of a PSA than a review. i used these on a Kessler 185 with catek os1's and the Kessler suffered delam of the inserts, nonetheless. some have posited that these spacers will help protect a board from the sort of point load damage that is the nemesis of metal boards and my experience proves that to be a suspect claim.

i am no engineer but the utilization of longer hardware to extend the additional length necessitated by the spacers might have been a more detrimental than constructive, i don't know.

also, the spacers may protect the board's topsheet from indentation, but will actually promote hardwater stains on a metallic surface - for those interested in the spacer's application as an aesthetic protection, this is worth noting.

[Bordy]

more of a PSA than a review. i used these on a Kessler 185 with catek os1's and the Kessler suffered delam of the inserts, nonetheless. some have posited that these spacers will help protect a board from the sort of point load damage that is the nemesis of metal boards and my experience proves that to be a suspect claim.

i am no engineer but the utilization of longer hardware to extend the additional length necessitated by the spacers might have been a more detrimental than constructive, i don't know.

also, the spacers may protect the board's topsheet from indentation, but will actually promote hardwater stains on a metallic surface - for those interested in the spacer's application as an aesthetic protection, this is worth noting.

Dave, Point load damage is the contact of the binding base hinging the board and creating a dent in the metal were the binding baseplate starts and finishes. It sounds as though the spacers did prevent this from happening?????

The inserts being stressed due to a platform style metal binding is common place, and I am so sorry you experenced it....There is a lot of leverage created UP on the inserts with this style of binding. I don't think Kesslers and several other metal boards are capable of handling this force created with the platform style binding... A large baseplate, and contact toward the edge is needed with modern metal boards...

I agree that longer hardware and more "rubber" was not the proper fix for metal boards...with this style of binding.

There was a post discussing this when catek first introduced their spacers as a fix to the problems we were discovering with metal boards discussed here years ago.


BB

[davekempmeister]

Dave, Point load damage is the contact of the binding base hinging the board and creating a dent in the metal were the binding baseplate starts and finishes. It sounds as though the spacers did prevent this from happening?????

The inserts being stressed due to a platform style metal binding is common place, and I am so sorry you experenced it....There is a lot of leverage created UP on the inserts with this style of binding. I don't think Kesslers and several other metal boards are capable of handling this force created with the platform style binding... A large baseplate, and contact toward the edge is needed with modern metal boards...

I agree that longer hardware and more "rubber" was not the proper fix for metal boards...with this style of binding.

There was a post discussing this when catek first introduced their spacers as a fix to the problems we were discovering with metal boards discussed here years ago.


BB

Hi Bordy. A few have posted to the effect that they are going to use the spacers to protect their board. As much as anything, I'd want them to know that polycarbonate spacers won't preclude them from damage. That's the essence of it. All the best to you and family, Dave.

edit: what resort near slc is usually last to close?

[scrutton]

Hi Dave,

What is the overall height of the Catek Polycarbonate spacer (in mm), if you don't mind checking?

Did your board still suffer a point load, or how would you categorize the failure to start occurring?

I went to the hardware store last night and could only find thin polycarbonate sheeting (maybe 3mm height). I'm going to build a new set of spacers out of kitchen cutting board (which is about 7mm) to mimic a setup that I am running on another board that is faring well (at least so far).

Interesting point you make on the increased height and strain being put on inserts by longer screws. Makes sense.

I tend to agree as others have posted about a UPM type pattern, or VIST type plate attachment putting less of a concentrated strain on the board (than 4x4 mounting) due to better spreading out of the forces over the board topsheet.

Paul

[davekempmeister]

Hi Dave,

What is the overall height of the Catek Polycarbonate spacer (in mm), if you don't mind checking?

Did your board still suffer a point load, or how would you categorize the failure to start occurring?

I went to the hardware store last night and could only find thin polycarbonate sheeting (maybe 3mm height). I'm going to build a new set of spacers out of kitchen cutting board (which is about 7mm) to mimic a setup that I am running on another board that is faring well (at least so far).

Interesting point you make on the increased height and strain being put on inserts by longer screws. Makes sense.

I tend to agree as others have posted about a UPM type pattern, or VIST type plate attachment putting less of a concentrated strain on the board (than 4x4 mounting) due to better spreading out of the forces over the board topsheet.

Paul

I know longer have them (spacers). The board manifested damage in such a way that the first visible thing that presented was a lightning bolt fissure in between all of the rear inserts heelside. So it goes, I still am smitten.