Hole in mast

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Nessa
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Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 3:16 pm
Location: East Angular

Hole in mast

Post by Nessa »

The rivet attaching the spreader bracket to the mast on the Sprog has pulled out taking the fitting with it and leaving a hole in the mast that is too big to be riveted or screwed. Any suggestions on what can be done?
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Julian
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Re: Hole in mast

Post by Julian »

Hiya

Try this.......

feed a messenger (sailmakers twine?) in through the hole, and out through..... the base of the mast after removing the heel plug.

Use that to pull a stainless penny washer, bent to the curve of the mast section, coated with epoxy, back to inside the hole.

While the epoxy is still wet position it centrally and secure it. (fiddle about, fiddle about, bent wire and tweezers)

once the epoxy has dried, use a rivet long enough to go through the bracket, mast wall and the washer.

Look carefully at the other rivets securing the bracket - and any other high load fittings - and decide if you can be arsed to do the same, depends on the cause of the original failure, festering corrosion? or a violent accident?

My jib and spinnaker halyard boxes needed this treatment as the self tapping screws were pulling through the carbon, although I drew bolts through from the inside outwards, and used nylock nuts on the outside.

cheers from the top of the hill in Wales

Julian
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Ed
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Re: Hole in mast

Post by Ed »

Ah brilliant..... I do wish I had read that before I had the same job to do on my carbon ic mast. Did it but only after a long time with nuts on the end of long battens waving then around trying to find the right place.

Very frustrating.... A bit of string would of worked much better.

Doh!

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