Kevlok Battery Straps

[fno]

Hi all, I have recently become an upholstery fabricator by virtue of not having the $$$ (3 dollar signs) to put the commercial boat upholsterer's kids thru an Ivy League education program. Needless to say, after doing most all of my cushions over again with new vinyl and foam I have an industrial sewing machine sitting idle. I am confident I can make reproduction AGM/Boston Whaler battery straps of equal if not better quality. I got a quote for Kevlok buckles from AGM in stainless steel and can get the same webbing in black Polyester and or Nylon and make battery straps for those interested in having new ones, spares, better ones. They will be the same 42-43" straps that you may or may not be able to buy from Sue Lodell. What I need from anyone interested is a reply so I can gauge interest in this project. Expect the cost to be in the neighborhood of $30.00 - $35.00 + shipping via USPS. Pricing depends somewhat on how many I make and as of now my goal is for 2 dozen straps.

[jimh]

Frank--you are undertaking a noble enterprise. I think your estimated cost for the Kevlok battery straps represents a good value for the buyer.

ASIDE: learning to operate a sewing machine has always been a long-desired but continually-postponed goal of mine. Congratulations on mastering the art of machine sewing.

[fno]

I guess there isn't much interest here for these straps. I was just looking at interest, not commitments. A few more days and we can close this if there is no interest.

[fno]

I guess there isn't much interest here for these straps. I was just looking at interest, not commitments. A few more days and we can close this if there is no interest.

[tcrane]

I am interested. I sent you an email separately. I would be in for 10 of the straps…..if not more. Regards- Tom

[fno]

OK. I'll proceed with the plan. Keep in mind that the OEM straps come with a wire clip that allows the end of the strap to be retained at the buckle and lock the buckle in place. That clip is not possible for me to make as it is very complicated and can only be made on an industrial stamping press or two that I do not have. As an alternative I can provide a simple stainless cotter pin that can be used and spread with your fingers. Like the OEM clip which is carbon steel but simpler and less rusty over time.

[tcrane]

Sounds good. Thank you.

[fno]

Strap material arrived. Kevlok buckles need to be ordered tomorrow so progress is being made. Bear with me as it's a side job

[fno]

Just a quick update on this project. Kevlok buckles are on order. Waiting for shipment from AGM.

[fno]

Buckles are on the way via UPS.

[david s]

I just sent a PM to you ordering 2 of the straps. Please let me know how you would like a buyer to take care of payment.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to seeing them - and putting them to work.

[fno]

Took a while but the buckles arrived and the battery straps are in the works as of this weekend. I am putting 15 together and 12 or 13 are spoken for.

[fno]

I have 15 battery straps 95% complete. I struggled with the buckle clip that is provided on the original to prevent accidental opening of the buckle. My first thought was to use a cotter pin but that ended up getting tossed. I found stainless cotter clips that I have to enlarge to fit over the buckle and the strap. No big deal, about 5 minutes of bending in the vise. The instruction tag on the end of the strap is a different story. I was going to forgo the tag and put a small printed instruction in the box. An epiphany came upon me induced by a few strong beers to look for printable fabrics. I found what I needed at Hobby Lobby in the form of ink jet printable cotton. They let me in the front door even though I wasn't carrying a Bible (probably cause it was raining cats and dogs) and I found what I needed quickly. I scanned the original tag on both sides and copied them to a Word document by pasting the two images over and over. Some time spent with scissors and now we have OEM replica instructions sewn into the straps. I will post some pictures tomorrow morning.

[fno]

OK, the straps are done and ready to go. This project turned out to have more challenges than I expected but it was fun to do and I hope that those in need can benefit from this effort. I have attached two photos. The first being the old strap from my boat (top one) and one of the new ones I have made (bottom one). The second picture is a closer view of the Kevlok buckle and the securing clip. Prices are $35.00 USD ea. plus USPS at $12.00. I can also do UPS also but at a higher price. Paypal for me is acceptable or if you want to do it the old fashioned way and send me a check, we can do that too.

IMG_2207[1] (2).jpg (74.45 KiB) Viewed 37983 times

[fno]

Thanks to Tom and Dave buying up a good share of my 99% original battery straps. I have 3 complete straps left from the original run of 15 and 10 more buckles, so I can supply 13 more if anyone is interested. If not, I'll try Ebay.

[david s]

Frank,
The straps arrived yesterday. They are VERY well done. For a “first” job on a commercial sewing machine the workmanship is top-notch. I'm keeping one and sending the other to our daughter in the Seattle area who just bought an older (2004) 20'-foot Cobalt, her first boat. Thanks.

David

[fno]

Thanks, Dave. Glad you like the straps. I thought it would be an easy task to sew webbing. I was able to sew marine vinyl all day long with good stitches but when I tried the webbing, I could not get the lower and upper tensions correct for the two layers of webbing. Practice, adjust, practice, adjust, on and on. I finally dialed the sewing machine in and went to work. This is an old antique Singer commercial sewing machine that is ready for any heavy fabric you can throw at it. Today, the consensus is that you need a "walking foot" machine to sew any heavy weight or thick material but like many other things today, older heavy duty machines are the better option.

[fno]

I completed the last of the Kevlok battery strap assemblies this weekend. I have 13 straps made up and wanted to let everyone know before they go on Ebay next week. I will maintain the original pricing ($35.00 ea.) for members of CW but they will be more on Ebay because of the fees, and other hassles.