[Shop-talk] Eye Lag bolt pilot hole in ceiling

[Jack Brooks]

Thank for the “Real Life” answer Jim.  That reassurance was kind-of what I was looking for.  I’m using four Eye Lag Bolts to pick up the four “corners” of the canoe, not for the weight capacity. Each of these Lag Bolts has a pretty aggressive thread.  I can lose one rope and not suffer any consequences, or one front and one back.  Kind of like lashing the canoe to the roof of the car.  I tie four ropes there also, so I can lose any two and not have a catastrophe.  That being said, I’ve never had a rope come off.  Occasionally one loosens, but nothing worse.

With regard to removal/stowage, the car will not be under the canoe during those adventures!!! No bungees or nets, as there will be four separate ropes securing from and individual thwart through Eye Bolt to a tie off.  Two ropes on each end of the canoe, one on each side of the boat and each secured separately.  I can lower one end at a time pretty easily.

Thanks again for the guidance and reassurance on installing the Eye Lug Bolts!!!

Jack

From: Jim Franklin <jamesf at groupwbench.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2025 4:37 PM
To: Jack Brooks <jibrooks at live.com>
Cc: shop-talk at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Eye Lag bolt pilot hole in ceiling

I have always drilled the holes for big threads just like this to be as close to the shank diameter as possible without going over. Too small and you risk splitting the wood and losing a ton of grip. All 200#s of me has been able to hang from each one as long as I can hold myself up there and it has laughed at me. Two would be fine. You are roughly 10,000 times more likely to drop it during removal/stowage. Have a backup plan (bungees? net?) for when it happens then.

jim


On Jul 27, 2025, at 4:26 PM, Jack Brooks <jibrooks at live.com<mailto:jibrooks at live.com>> wrote:

Team,

I recently moved and can no longer keep my canoe outside.  The best place to store this 75 +/- pound canoe is hanging from the ceiling, OVER a car, so I want to be sure I get this right.  I have 4, 5/16” Eye Lag Bolts that are going into the ceiling.  One end of the rope will terminate at either a set of cleats on the wall or more eyebolts and the other end suspending the canoe via the Eye Lag Bolts.  It overdesigned, but it’s hanging over a car I cherish.

My question is the pilot hole for the 5/16th Eye Lag bolt.  I am screwing them vertically up into the ceiling’s new 2x4’s, so I am thinking the pilot hole should be a smidge on the tighter side and use soap or paraffin to help reduce the friction of installing them.

I’m looking for thoughts on the size of the pilot hole, keeping in mind that while the load is light, it’s a vertical hanging arrangement.

Thanks in advance,

Jack

p.s. Moving has been a rearranging nightmare.  We had a home with three car bays and a 6 foot high paved and dry crawlspace with tons of storage room.  I am forcing everything into a two bay garage with an attached single wide, 42 foot deep bay that will hold our daily driver, two Triumph cars, a Sprinter van and a workbench.  I do have some basement storage too.  I’m using a lot more vertical storage and it’s getting there………
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