Diving Board Replacement/Epoxy

[MrBobC]

So I have an older (late 80s or early 90s) SR Smith Diving Board, "SR-F92" (which doesn't exist on the internet") but it uses a 14x14 square jig (and kind of looks like the "Supreme" jump stand). In 2018 I converted the pool over to salt water. Having taken a look at the diving board it could probably do with replacement. I would like to use a salt-water friendly diving board but unfortunately all the SR Smith systems that are salt-friendly use 12x12 square jigs (and I think one uses a triangle), and so I want to go with the Salt Pool Jump System. I called and talked to them and they referred me to part number 75-209-5868 which is the four bolts and the Simpson epoxy. In an older video I saw by SR Smith the bolts were SS Carriage Bolts. In every picture for that item number (and all their epoxy kits) they look like just threaded rod. Given the crazy price on the epoxy kits for just four bolts and a tube of epoxy I just want to buy the epoxy and get the bolts (grade 316 for salt water application of course) to save like $150 - $200. My question is if anyone in the group knows if they are still supplying carriage bolts or is it threaded rods? The company representative said they are carriage bolts but when I told her the pictures show threaded rods she said she doesn't know she's just always been told they are carriage bolts. I don't know how a threaded rod would be able to hold its own like a carriage bolt would though, and I've read other posts where people have used the epoxy kits (or made their own to save some $$) and wanted to get some feedback on if I should get threaded rod vs. carriage bolt. I''m thinking the carriage bolt would have more holding power than just the rod since the rod could just pull up and out and the carriage bolt would have to bring all of the epoxy with it in order to come out. Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

lets see if anyone who knows about carriage bolts comes by this weekend.

 

[sktn77a]

The problem with the carriage bolt is that you have to drill a larger hole to get the head through. I don't know how well the epoxy would hold in a larger hole. All pictures on the internet show threaded rods, not carriage bolts. There are generic epoxy diving board mounting kits on the internet from about $150 up. You should be able to get the epoxy and rods separately for less than this.

 

[MrBobC]

My thought was that the carriage bolt head would have to pull up that much more epoxy to fail vs. the threaded rod that could in theory just pull straight up. My next wondering is if I've got 1/2" x 6" 316 stainless steel threaded rod bolts with no head, how big a hole to drill? I saw an interfab video where they had used 9/16 for their "epoxy kit" but there wasn't any epoxy, just an anchor tapped in. That's not what I've read as being the most effective because if it was that's what the mfrs would sell. There's got to be some room in that hole for the epoxy to fill and I don't think 1/16" would do it. Anyone who has done this with threaded rod please chime in.

I'm thinking alternatively maybe to go with a hex bolt (all thread though) since that would have only a slightly larger head to give it some more oomph and required pulling power for it to come out.

Bolt Depot - Tap bolts, Stainless steel 316, 1/2"-13 x 6"

www.boltdepot.com

It's unfortunate SR Smith doesn't just post the instructions that should come with the epoxy kits, that would answer this question. I couldn't find any on the interwebs either.