: I installed something very similar but I used the round-based McMaster-Carr
: stainless steel studs instead (try saying that fast 3x in a row). These
: studs are much less expensive than the aluminum ones that Newfound sells,
: and they are available in different diameters and lengths of posts. While
: you are at their website, also order stainless steel nylock nuts; these
: were hard to find at stores in my area.

: I did order my aluminum footrails from Newfound. They sell a short (7"
: or 7.5") rail that will work better in some hulls. No need to put up
: with the extra weight and bulk of a standard-length rail when the kayak is
: being custom made for one person.

: I did not install the rails or mounting studs on extra pieces of wood. As
: George Jungle says, you can use circles of fiberglass and epoxy to provide
: extra rigidity and strength where the studs go. If I remember correctly, I
: wrapped the rail in Saran Wrap to keep it from sticking to the epoxy, then
: poked the studs though the rail holes and laid the ensemble down with the
: stud bases each in a bed of thickened woodflour/epoxy. Be careful to keep
: the epoxy bed the same diameter as the stud bases (they will squash and
: spread a little when you lay the studs on top of them). When the epoxy set
: up, I removed only the rail and then epoxied 2 circles of fiberglass over
: the stud bases.

: Warning: Because the studs are installed "backwards" (nuts thread
: on from the inside of the hull) you will need to remove the threads from
: the footrail holes first or else you cannot remove the rail from the
: studs! I just drilled the holes with a bit the same diameter as the stud
: posts/rail holes.

: Also, you will probably want to grind away selected parts of the footbrace
: rail sides so that the nuts and washers can sit in the bottom of the rail
: channel. I found that a large washer could span the tops of the rail sides
: so a nut could be tightened onto that but the nuts and washers protruded a
: lot, making them likely to hit my ankles. So I recommend taking the time
: and effort to cut and grind the rails as described above.

: As a final touch, I cut two strips of mountain bike butyl tube to the length
: of the footbrace rails, cut holes in them for the stud posts to pass
: through, and laid the strips down before installing the rails. The rubber
: provides a bit of compression to soak up any tiny unevenness in the
: mounting areas yet is thin enough not to "squirm" when the nuts
: are tightened.

I used the same McMasters; you hit every high point! (Great minds and all, eh?)