Cutting Skin Fittings

[zoidberg]

Easy... grind off flange, knock in with hammer, clean and replace.

Yup. That's the advice I got here a few years ago and so - with considerable misgivings - I tackled my first flange, with a small angle grinder and thin cutting disc, at a shallow angle. Three or four spaced cuts, and the flange came easily away using pliers. The threaded tube was easy. The second through-hull went the same way, but with far less trepidation.

Now, if I can do it without a disaster, so can you.

Oh, eye protection and gauntlets, of course....

 

[PaulRainbow]

It's generally not worth trying to undo them or pissing around in the bilges with power tools. Easy... grind off flange, knock in with hammer, clean and replace.

Someone else who bases advice on a single experience.

Good job you didn't try this with a Westerly

 

[matthewriches]

It's worked for my boat a few years ago, a Targa, 2x Moody's, a little shrimper and at least 8 wooden boats in the last 6 months. Oh and a Westerly Centaur of all things, whose seacocks were not gelled over like they were on yours.


Someone else who generalises assuming all Westerly's will be the same as his

Someone else who bases advice on a single experience.

Good job you didn't try this with a Westerly

 

[PaulRainbow]

It's worked for my boat a few years ago, a Targa, 2x Moody's, a little shrimper and at least 8 wooden boats in the last 6 months. Oh and a Westerly Centaur of all things, whose seacocks were not gelled over like they were on yours.


Someone else who generalises assuming all Westerly's will be the same as his

That's the point, they are not all the same. In years to come, should someone need to remove the fittings in my boat they will find it very simple, there won't be any need for any grinding or cutting at all, doesn't mean they were easy when i did them.

It isn't always a case of "Easy... grind off flange, knock in with hammer, clean and replace." Sometimes "pissing around in the bilges with power tools" is required.

 

[seaangler23]

Tried something ive been thinking of for a while, step drill from the outside, worked great on. 1/2” bsp fitting, took a couple mins and removed the head clean without touching the grp, might be a different story on a bigger fitting with more material around the head, and wouldn’t work in one with the key inside

 

[West Coast]

There is another way. Depending on the access inside, an angle grinder with a thin multi material disc can cut the nut off by going down one side at an angle. Much quicker than hole saws or grinding the outer flange off.

Or use a multi tool with a metal cutting blade. I removed 8 fittings in a morning using this method, was surprised how quickly it worked.

 

[steveej]

well, pleased to report back that cutting out with holesaws worked very well.

step 1, hammer in a softwood bung
step 2, saw off the excess bung
step 3, cut off the flange with hole saw, you do need to go deeper than you think
step 4, stick a file into the valve from the outside and give it a wack with a hammer.

Easy, even for an accountant!

Biggest problem is the hose tails for 4 out of 6 fittings are a few mm to small. Looks like the hoses have been heated up to expand the size and I can't cut as they'll be too short so need some slightly wider hose tails.

I also cut one of the fittings down after winding two nuts onto the mushroom. Made the cut along the thread, smeard some grease on, nuts came off fine. Worked really well.

Now onto the centreboard which seems to have lost quite a bit of metal!

 

[Daverw]

Heat up you hoses again and when softened they should then compress to fit, I use wider clips with T bar bolts, much better than traditional worm drive. They don’t have the same large diameter range so more sizes needed