Grommet question - make a hole first?

[cougarmeat]

I had a metal grommet pop out of a sock. Then vendors advice was to heat the nylon edges but I quickly saw that was melting the hole larger. So I figure I put a square of Tenacious Tape on both sides and put a new grommet it that.

I’ve never installed a grommet before - do I punch a hole in the fabric/tape first or do I pound on the two grommet halves and they will “cut” a hole as they squeeze together?

If the hole was going to be the size of a three-hole-punch hole, I could use the punch. But it’s just enough for 7/64th Amsteel and I know the grommet wants to contact as much material as possible.

Would you pound the grommet on, then puncture the center with something like an awl? I don’t need it to be purdy. Just want to reinforce the hole so it doesn’t wear any larger. I’m pretty sure the ripstop Tenacious Tape itself would be enough. But the grommet adds visible symmetry with the other sock side.

[WV]

I'd sew a small piece of grosgrain to the sock, rather than trusting the tenacious tape. Then heat an awl or a nail and melt a hole that the grommet just fits through. Avoid melting the thread you used to sew the grosgrain. I've also used 1/2" polyester webbing. It depends how strong the sock fabric is. I may be over-building. See what others say. Look for signs of wear near other grommets.

[Just Bill]

I had a metal grommet pop out of a sock. Then vendors advice was to heat the nylon edges but I quickly saw that was melting the hole larger. So I figure I put a square of Tenacious Tape on both sides and put a new grommet it that.

I’ve never installed a grommet before - do I punch a hole in the fabric/tape first or do I pound on the two grommet halves and they will “cut” a hole as they squeeze together?

If the hole was going to be the size of a three-hole-punch hole, I could use the punch. But it’s just enough for 7/64th Amsteel and I know the grommet wants to contact as much material as possible.

Would you pound the grommet on, then puncture the center with something like an awl? I don’t need it to be purdy. Just want to reinforce the hole so it doesn’t wear any larger. I’m pretty sure the ripstop Tenacious Tape itself would be enough. But the grommet adds visible symmetry with the other sock side.

Usually- the grommets come in a kit. Included in the kit is a punch and a set (usually two pieces for a metal grommet with a base plate and a set piece).
https://www.tarpsnow.com/grommet-kit...20group%20%231

In a pinch-
A 40d (gutter nail or pole barn spike) can be heated and used to melt the hole. If you're doing something small then a 16d framing nail might work, but most grommets are 3/8" or so.

You need the grommet to pass cleanly through the hole so it bends back on itself- so no it can't cut the fabric and no you can't set the grommet and remove the fabric.

It is very hard to jury rig the baseplate and set without mangling the grommet. It can be done with a drift punch or two but it's never a great repair to do unless you were in the field and desperate. Really in the field and desperate you're better off using the old 'nut sack' repair. Put a rock into the fabric, wrap it around like a sack, and girth hitch your line on.

Ideally- grommets should be placed into grosgrain or webbing. So for a true repair, best to get a hunk of webbing and sew it on first. Then punch or melt in a clean hole and get the proper tool to set the grommet. Invariably you will deform the brass bashing it together, creating a hard edge that will eventually tear out your tenacious tape or other repair and leave you back where you started.

You'd likely be better off sewing on a loop of webbing to tie off to rather than mangling the grommet through if you don't want to pick up the kit.
Tenacious tape is pretty good stuff- so a decent patch of that with a webbing loop sewn on would work and hand sewing that on would be much less stress than a faulty grommet.

If it's a sock- it really shouldn't have that much tension on it and shouldn't have failed in the first place unless you messed up the pitch and loaded it more than intended.

[Rusty Shackelford]

You generally punch a hole first but there are self piercing grommets as well, it will depend on what you have but my guess is you have a common set that will require a hole to be punched out in advance. For nylon maybe you could probably just heat the end of the grommet hot and use that to cut a hole in the material, if you have a scrap piece to try it on that's what I'd prolly try if I lacked a punch.

[OlTrailDog]

The grommet kits are not very expensive and even if you don't use it very often you will still have it just in case. I've had a couple for decades. Every once in a blue moon I'm glad I have the kit with punch, anvil, and grommets.

[Crazytown3]

Yep, hole first, then grommet through the hole. Like others have said, the grommet kit with the tool is very handy to help it get set the right way. Most likely you will end up using the kit for other things too once you have it.

[cougarmeat]

Thank you for your replies. I should have been clearer that this grommet is just a pass-through on a WB Spindrift sock for the Amsteel Ridge Runner suspension. It is NOT like a grommet used to guy out a tarp. The grommets are sold as DIY hardware and have no kit/punch. I do have one of those (somewhere) for the usual brass grommets.

I’ll “patch” the opening with T-Tape, position the grommet, pass a hot nail through the middle to make a hole in the tape, then see if a sharp hit with a hammer will mate the two grommet pieces. Given that there is no pull on the hole - it is just a pass-through for the Amsteel and isn’t structurally significant - that should be enough.

[Just Bill]

Sounds like you don't need a grommet?

I'd just clean it up, melt a hole and avoid replacing something that already failed if it's not needed.

Grommets are overrated

[nanok]

i am quite experienced with grommets by now: i am an expert at taking them out. i don't even wait for them to fail anymore. they are rubbish for basically any purpose in my experience (maybe good for ornament? i don't know, me know nothing about pretty).

in this case, particularly as it has already failed once, i'd definitely not replace it and, based on your description, probably replace it with some stitch reinforced button hole type of arrangement. a lot less convenient to make and thus a bit more "expensive", but probably a much better solution long term.

ah, did i mention i hate grommets?