RichardPerou
Well-Known Member
The shank on my plough anchor (not a CQR) is bent. Can a blacksmith repair this or should I replace it?
Bent Anchor Shank
- Thread starter RichardPerou
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Stemar
Well-Known Member
If it's a cheap copy, it's probably cast. I'm not an expert, but I think that bending & straightening is likely to weaken it and make it liable to fail, which can be guaranteed to happen just when you most need it to hold.
Also, IMHO, worth looking at what caused it to bend and think about whether it was up to the job in the first place.
Also, IMHO, worth looking at what caused it to bend and think about whether it was up to the job in the first place.
stephenh
Well-Known Member
If it is cast iron then it would not be capable of bending in the first place !!!!!
Boatman
Well-Known Member
Replace it any bending and re alligning will weaken it. Cost of an anchor is a lot less than the boat.
Severnman
Well-Known Member
Was the anchor an appropriate size for your boat is an important consideration...
HalatConwy
New Member
Don't worry about cast iron, nobody uses grey cast iron these days, it would be spheroidal graphite iron probably. It may be possible to straighten the shank cold, which wouldn't cause any significant loss of strength if successful. However it would need to be crack detected before use. If cracked, then you have spent your money for nothing. Don't let anyone heat it, you will lose the effects of the original heat treatment.
The advice to buy a new anchor is not wrong!
The advice to buy a new anchor is not wrong!
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
A cast iron anchor would be marginally more use than a chocolate teapot. Cast anchors are made of steel, there are plenty of them about.
Although the bent shank may indicate that it was cast, there is no intrinsic reason why a forged one would not bend if sufficient force was applied to it. I have a pair of 18 inch Stillsons that have a very bent handle. It is a forged one.
To me the question is a no-brainer. Even if the anchor was one of the modern high-performance, high-cost ones, bending the shank would be sufficient reason to scrap it. It would be very difficult for the average yachtsman to detect any metallurgical deterioration or cracks in it. Heating it to bend it straight could have all sorts of effects, dependent upon the original metallurgy.
Although the bent shank may indicate that it was cast, there is no intrinsic reason why a forged one would not bend if sufficient force was applied to it. I have a pair of 18 inch Stillsons that have a very bent handle. It is a forged one.
To me the question is a no-brainer. Even if the anchor was one of the modern high-performance, high-cost ones, bending the shank would be sufficient reason to scrap it. It would be very difficult for the average yachtsman to detect any metallurgical deterioration or cracks in it. Heating it to bend it straight could have all sorts of effects, dependent upon the original metallurgy.
srm
Well-Known Member
Not only a new anchor, but a bigger / stronger one would seem to be the solution. As plough anchors are generally inferior copies of the CQR and CQR holding power is now superceeded by modern designs seems a good time to upgrade.
Have fun
Have fun
sailorman
Well-Known Member
take it to the local scrappie
put the cash towards a real C.Q.R
put the cash towards a real C.Q.R
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
We once had a Danforth type anchor (the type with two blades on a stock, and a pivoting shank) - the shank got very bent.
A welder friend straightened it and then welded a length of steel angle bar to the shank to reinforce it. The manufacturers (and most everybody else) would have been / were aghast, but it seemed to work OK like that.
I am not recommending that you do the same, rather just saying what we did in similar circumstances.
A welder friend straightened it and then welded a length of steel angle bar to the shank to reinforce it. The manufacturers (and most everybody else) would have been / were aghast, but it seemed to work OK like that.
I am not recommending that you do the same, rather just saying what we did in similar circumstances.
