4" silicon bronze screws?

Yellow Ballad

Yellow Ballad

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Although it's for a GRP boat (don't tell) I think this may be the best place to ask? My internal and external grab handles are screwed through the deckhead from inside with what I assume are decent quality bronze screws (chunky and no corrosion). I wanted to add some more teak grab handles on the companionway and fit them in the same way. The only issue is the screws would need to be 4" long, around a no12?

Could anyone suggest a suppliers or does anyone have 4x suitable screws that they may be willing to sell? I've googled but not really finding anything, I assume good quality long screws may be used in wooden boats for certain applications. I remember visiting a chandlery with loads of decent quality screws but I can't think where it was now but living 100 miles inland I would need them posting.

Could be an alternative material, I just don't want them to waste away in x years time. (I'm fed up of trying to remove brass plated screws that have been used in the past?

Many thanks in advance.
 
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Try Seaware in Falmouth, and Classic Marine in Levington. But why can't you just use stainless steel screws?
 
Wooden grab rails are unusual now on new builds - mostly stainless tubes with flat bases either through bolted or set screws into bonded in aluminium plates. Some have plate nuts on the underside and set screws from inside the boat up through the deck.
 
Bronze is eye wateringly expensive. I think they come from the US. Stainless for your application should be fine.
 
I don’t think you will get above 3” length in a 12 in silicon bronze. I’d phone Anglia Stainless and ask - they are not website people but they are wonderful on the phone. Iirc I did Mirelle’s new grab rails with 3” 12s in 2002 and they are still there. With long bronze screws always drive a steel one almost all the way home first then back it out and replace with the bronze one, but you knew that.
 
Kukri said:
I don’t think you will get above 3” length in a 12 in silicon bronze. I’d phone Anglia Stainless and ask - they are not website people but they are wonderful on the phone. Iirc I did Mirelle’s new grab rails with 3” 12s in 2002 and they are still there. With long bronze screws always drive a steel one almost all the way home first then back it out and replace with the bronze one, but you knew that.
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I've got a handful of 4 inchers, (not for sale ;) ) I got them off JellyEllie, if she is still on here the OPcan ask her the source.
 
Last time i bought 4" x 16's in Silicon bronzeabout 25 years ago they were about 4 quid a pop, I also have a stock of 6" x 20's, those were a fair bit more.
Handrails on a boat dont warrant sil bronze, use stainless.
 
Anglia stainless will have them. I have had some quite big stuff from them over the years.

As for crevice corrosion, I did have 316 ss screws holding the sail track on to the boom. I stripped the track off this winter and an alarming number of them broke. The screws for the new boom are all bronze, and I shall replace those ss screws on the mast with bronze next time it's out.
 
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pyrojames said:
Anglia stainless will have them. I have had some quite big stuff from them over the years.

As for crevice corrosion, I did have 316 ss screws holding the sail track on to the boom. I stripped the track off this winter and an alarming number of them broke. The screws for the new boom are all bronze, and I shall replace those ss screws on the mast with bronze next time it's out.
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Assume that is in a wooden boom, in which case potentially perfect conditions for crevice corrosion unless really well sealed , both track to wood and screws through track.
 
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