I’m working on running the lines on my first footy, and I’m not sure exactly what to use for exit hardware for the winch line. I went to the local craft store and picked up some beads that look like they’ll make for a nice friction-free exit with minimal hole size. Is this an ok way to go?
Inside I’m just using eye hooks.
I just use glass beads and they work really well. Run a piece of test line through them though to see if there are any snags
Great advice, thanks Scott.
I used glass beads too Allan then switched to plastic after I discovered that the craft shop changed supplier and the 200 glass beads I just bought had a ground glass hole rather than a shiney glass hole. So look out for that 
Graham
I’ll be sure to look out for that!
Alan,
Just remember that whilst most beads will be either spherical or doughnut shaped and therefore look to have nice rounded edges on the outside, it is the edge of the hole itself that you are interested in. In my opinion glass beads do tend to be better than plastic in this respect. As Graham pointed out, it depends a lot on the manufacturer -the readily available beads are intended for decorative use only and not a proper job where low friction is important.
Another point to remember is that beads will inevitably sit flush with the deck and be subjected to water flow over the surface. I use a turned aluminium fitting that puts the sheet exit hole about 10 mm above the deck which has so far shipped no more than condensation which has probably come in with the wet sheet anyway.
Cheers,
firstfooty
Like Firstfooty I use a tube to raise my sheet exit above the deck, only the tubing I use is teflon. It has the advantage of being heat formed (very carefully) into an elbow without compressing the inner diameter of the tube. Teflon tubing is very slippery, light, and the wall thickness of the tubing I use has adequate stiffness not to deflect in the short length I use. Teflon tubing can be found through surgical suppliers.
You can put an elbow into an aluminum tube, but you would have to use a bending spring that fits fairly snugly over the outer diameter of your tube if you want to avoid kinking it. Many model supply outlets carry these springs as a set that covers several sizes of tube.
Another method for bending tubes without kinking them was related to me by a metal sculptor I knew many years ago. He bent brass tubing with this method for use in his water-fountain creations. He would partially fill the tube with water, then freeze the tube. The frozen water maintained the inner diameter when he bent the tube. I have never tried this and I imagine that bending a frozen tube probably weakened the wall on the outside of the bend, but my friend wasn’t using the tubing for structural purposes. I doubt that this method would really compromise a tube suitable for a Footy so if someone is willing to give it a go please post a report of your efforts.
I usually use the ink reservoir tube from a cheap ball-point pen, with the remnants of the ink carefully removed with a bit of paper towel soaked in alcohol or lacquer thinner. It usually doesn’t need to be bent.
Rod
Great suggestions! I’ll start looking at options for a tubular exit solution.