Bending back a bent stanchion ?

Skylark

Skylark

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Centre cleat mooring line snagged on stanchion and bent it.

Picture shows undamaged starboard side and bent port side, about 15 to 20 degrees in one plane only.

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Any recommendations for bending it back?
If it’s generally not considered a diy job, any recommendations for a pro SS tube bender?
 
Its easier to bend than unbend with a tube bender machine. They are not designed to do that.
When i bent one of mine to a similar angle, i took it down the yard workshop and they used a fitted diameter extension bar in the bottom for leverage and lots of heat. They got it almost straight but it was never quite right. The bend stretches the metal, its difficult to unstretch it, The heat caused discolouration so lots of polishing needed. Again never perfect.
In the end I bought a new one and fitted it. Mine was a single stanchion, your's is 2 doubles.
So in answer to your question, yes it is possible but unlikely to be cosmetically perfect. A pro ss tube bending specialist (if there is such an animal near you) will probably make a decent enough job though if you're not a perfectionist.
 
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Not sure where you are based - but try AGB Industrial in Irvine - they have done some clever ss tube fabrications for me. Alternatively, check the Seascrew website - was noticing earlier that they now stock these types of side entry stanchions
 
2 options
Invert it, fill the tube with sand tape it so it cant leak out, the sand will help the tube retain shape, refit in stanchion bases on timberwork or a bench mounted vice and bend back

Or purchase a new one, once they are bent very difficult to straighten and get correct
 
Stick the end through the center hole in a big cleat on your pontoon. Pull. The result will be a differently bent item! Repeat until it has approximately the right shape. It'll never be good as new, but still hold up the lifelines :)

If this bothers you, buy a new one. This one looks quite similar to yours: 610N YACHTS GUARDRAIL STANCHION GATE.
 
Many thanks to you all and especially @West Coast and @Yngmar for pointing me in the direction of Seascrew. The one I need is currently out of stock but is due soon.

I also need a replacement turnbuckle as the left-hand-thread fork is also bent. I assumed that it was M6 as these are cheap and readily available. To my surprise it is 1/4 unf which seems to be about as rare as hens teeth. I will start a new thread to see if anyone has any ideas.
 
I bent my Pulpit quite severely ... I removed it and took it to local Fishing Harbour where that have workshops to sort out the gear on the boats ...

Guy smiled ... partly bent it back between wood blocks - then for final used a series of thick discs threaded on a wire placed inside the tube ... then finished the bend. The discs stopped the tube from distorting / collapsing.

I was fascinated - I knew about such - but never seen used. I think we've all seen pipe benders where its external clamps ...

On a % scale of repair ? About 95% ... if you look closely - you can make out a slight difference - but if walking past - you'd never know.
 
Skylark said:
Many thanks to you all and especially @West Coast and @Yngmar for pointing me in the direction of Seascrew. The one I need is currently out of stock but is due soon.

I also need a replacement turnbuckle as the left-hand-thread fork is also bent. I assumed that it was M6 as these are cheap and readily available. To my surprise it is 1/4 unf which seems to be about as rare as hens teeth. I will start a new thread to see if anyone has any ideas.
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Get rid of it.
Many boats have the guardwires terminated with a lashing at the aft end. Cutting it facilitates rapid dropping of the guardrails in the event of having to recover a MOB. You will find much discussion of this subject on these fora.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
Get rid of it.
Many boats have the guardwires terminated with a lashing at the aft end. Cutting it facilitates rapid dropping of the guardrails in the event of having to recover a MOB. You will find much discussion of this subject on these fora.
Click to expand...
The two stanchions (each side) form a gate, see my OP picture, and the sections of guard wire between them already have quick release mechanisms for boarding.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
Get rid of it.
Many boats have the guardwires terminated with a lashing at the aft end. Cutting it facilitates rapid dropping of the guardrails in the event of having to recover a MOB. You will find much discussion of this subject on these fora.
Click to expand...

Absolutely .... replace all turnbuckles on guardlines with light line lashings ............. then its sharp knife ... drop guardline ...

Its also much easier to tension / replace / etc.
 
Skylark said:
The two stanchions (each side) form a gate, see my OP picture, and the sections of guard wire between them already have quick release mechanisms for boarding.
Click to expand...


Wait until you are panicking ................. pelicans and all those quick release items show their evil side .............. believe - I know .. got the tee-shirt !
 
Do not try to bend it straight in the existing sockets.
If you have no luck with a plumber's pipe bender then Ignore the bend, but swap the fore & aft ones so that the bent one bends outwards.
That way it gives you a bit more room. Even though it stays bent. You never know you may catch a dock wall some time & correct the issue
 
Daydream believer said:
Do not try to bend it straight in the existing sockets.
If you have no luck with a plumber's pipe bender then Ignore the bend, but swap the fore & aft ones so that the bent one bends outwards.
That way it gives you a bit more room. Even though it stays bent. You never know you may catch a dock wall some time & correct the issue
Click to expand...

When I removed it, my first observation was just how strong and secure the deck sockets looked. However, I’ve always subscribed to the “two wrongs do not make a right” school of thought so wouldn’t dream of trying to bend it back in situ. I guarantee that it would end in tears.

The overwhelming consensus was to not attempt a repair but to buy a replacement and that’s what I’ve done.

Still searching for a needle in a haystack, though (aka a 1/4 UNF left-hand thread turnbuckle fork.
 
Millenniumsteve said:
@Skylark is this what you are after?

Sta-lok ST Turnbuckle - Machined Fork and blank
Click to expand...
Thanks, it sort-of is but I’d prefer one either not hewn out of granite or made from gold ?
M6 versions are widely available, as spares or complete turnbuckles, for around £5. I don’t understand why the one you’ve kindly linked is £45 ?

I’ve asked my nearest chandlery/stockists if they have the Blue Wave version distributed by Proboat, around £10 for the fork, but they have yet to reply.
 
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