cutting thru' a stainless pushpit.....easy?

[Shearwater]

There's a post a few hours before this about soldering stainless, which may or may not be appropriate to my query but I don't want to interfere with it. I have a boat with a continuous stainless pushpit safety rail at about waist height, through which I'd like to make a gate so we can use the swim ladder without ducking under or scrambling over the rail. I understand that s/s can be cut with a s/s angle disc, using s/s wire brushes and brand new soft steel files should be used as long as they're not contaminated with mild steel. So far as the fabrication of the hinge and the lock at the other end, can I use epoxies or other modern tube products rather than relying on drilling (brand new non-contaminated drill bits?) and using split pins...etc? I would really rather try DIY than trust the not very trust worthy local steel fabricators. Guidance from the experts would be welcomed, so thank you in advance.

 

[Heckler]

There's a post a few hours before this about soldering stainless, which may or may not be appropriate to my query but I don't want to interfere with it. I have a boat with a continuous stainless pushpit safety rail at about waist height, through which I'd like to make a gate so we can use the swim ladder without ducking under or scrambling over the rail. I understand that s/s can be cut with a s/s angle disc, using s/s wire brushes and brand new soft steel files should be used as long as they're not contaminated with mild steel. So far as the fabrication of the hinge and the lock at the other end, can I use epoxies or other modern tube products rather than relying on drilling (brand new non-contaminated drill bits?) and using split pins...etc? I would really rather try DIY than trust the not very trust worthy local steel fabricators. Guidance from the experts would be welcomed, so thank you in advance.

You can cut through a 1" tube in about 30 secs flat with an ordinary hacksaw blade, then use ordinary SS fittings to clamp on the tubes to do what you want to do. Dont worry about special files etc, just do it. Soldering doesnt "work" on SS, the salt attacks the zinc in it, there was an article in pBO last year? Great detail on how easy it is to do BUT also how the salt leaches out the zinc.
Stu

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Just use a hacksaw

Angle grinder is a bit fierce and lots of sparks to look out for, I would just use a Hacksaw with a new 32 tpi blade rather than an angle cutter. Keep a steady pressure on the front of the saw so as not to work harden the stainless and get someone to hold the pulpit to stop it “wringing”

As to making the hinge etc, there are a number of fittings you can buy on Ebay. There also used to be a company called Pisces 316 but cant find them on the net. All of their fittings had Allen screws to hold them together with a dap of Epoxy.

Just “Google” Stainless Steel Yacht fittings etc and you should find something.

 

[VicS]

Yes its easy to cut with a hack saw, It files easily too.

Its drilling the darned stuff that the problem.

Very light centre punching only to avoid work hardening.
Use a really good quality HSS drill bit and maintain a steady pressure with lubrication/cooling or it work hardens.
If many holes to drill its probably worth buying a cobalt steel drill bit.

Previous post about soldering was about silver soldering wasn't it ?

 

[Heckler]

Yes its easy to cut with a hack saw, It files easily too.

Its drilling the darned stuff that the problem.

Very light centre punching only to avoid work hardening.
Use a really good quality HSS drill bit and maintain a steady pressure with lubrication/cooling or it work hardens.
If many holes to drill its probably worth buying a cobalt steel drill bit.

Previous post about soldering was about silver soldering wasn't it ?

Silver soldering yes, but silver solder contains zinc, the PBO (Im sure) went in to great detail about how the soldered joint worked WOOPS!!! suddenly came back to me, it was aluminium they were silver soldering! Same thing the zinc disappeared and the joint broke.
Stu

 

[ostell]

If many holes to drill its probably worth buying a cobalt steel drill bit.

Even if one hole to drill it's worth getting a cobalt drill!

 

[rob2]

www.picea-316.co.uk/

Rob

 

[V1701]

Managed to drill one hole through a 5mm steel plate with ordinary HSS bit, went straight to hardware shop for a cobalt bit to do the rest...

 

[David2452]

A standard cheap Screwfix tube cutter does the job very neatly indeed, don't expect to get many cuts out of it but they are cheap, I got about 15 cuts from one when I was making up a frame with some 7/8" tubing for an instrument mounting pod

 

[DownWest]

The OP might want to think about the bracing on his pushpit. As in 'if I cut this, what support am I taking away'. Extra supports can be fitted using bolt on components.
I always use thin (1mm) discs in the angle grinder. Very carefull about sparks though. And good HSS drills for holes. Starrett hole saws for the big stuff.
DW

 

[electrosys]

I can't understand why anyone would want to use a hacksaw to cut thin-walled s/s tube, when a thin disk (0.8mm or 0.6mm if you can source one) would slice through this tube like a hot knife through butter - effortlessly, and with a much cleaner cut than any other method (except a tube cutter - but they will reduce the lumen diameter which may be relevant to any later fabrication).

With regard to sparks etc., using thin disks will minimise the amount you have to deal with, but cutting so that the flow of sparks is away from the hull would make sense, as would putting down some old cardboard to protect the surrounding deck.
If you're feeling paranoid, then wet the cardboard - but it shouldn't be necessary for such a small job.

 

[Heckler]

I can't understand why anyone would want to use a hacksaw to cut thin-walled s/s tube, when a thin disk (0.8mm or 0.6mm if you can source one) would slice through this tube like a hot knife through butter - effortlessly, and with a much cleaner cut than any other method (except a tube cutter - but they will reduce the lumen diameter which may be relevant to any later fabrication).

With regard to sparks etc., using thin disks will minimise the amount you have to deal with, but cutting so that the flow of sparks is away from the hull would make sense, as would putting down some old cardboard to protect the surrounding deck.
If you're feeling paranoid, then wet the cardboard - but it shouldn't be necessary for such a small job.

The point I was making was, why go to all the faff he listed when a simple hacksaw would do the job! Anyway, if given the choice i would still use a hacksaw with a new blade. more control, less mess, less preparation, seemple!
Stu

 

[vyv_cox]

I have cut 1 inch prop shafts and 1 inch tubing with a hacksaw on several occasions. No problem at all.

 

[Shearwater]

thanks....

to all. I'll print, think, review and ummmm do something positive. A great and helpful response as always. Cheers crew!.

 

[William_H]

Gap in a pushpit

funny I am at this same point also with my little boat. The continuous stern rail makes fitting the o/b engine on transom bracket difficult and it is difficult to get from water into boat. I have done the latter for a long time but old age seems to be creeping in and it is difficult climbing over the rail.
The main concern to me was that by cutting a gap in the rail it will have no sideways support.
I need the rail in the centre to support a mast strut for lowering and road transport.
I found a damaged swim ladder at a yard and have cut that down to give me a U shaped piece of 1inch tubing to which I have welded plates at the end. (welding is pretty aweful using rods. But that is perhaps due to my poor skills. This will make a centre section over the tiller at correct height. I am proposing single posts at each corner also from 1 inch tubing welded to plates at the bottom. The tube on the starboard side will be used as a hand hold when hoisting myself up out of the water so will need to be strong particularly in the pull aft direction. An additional tube down to the deck would be best making it a bipod however I think I will go for the single stanchion and fix it if it fails. The port post will be used to tie the o/b up out of the water in conjunction with the centre rail.
Clearly for a nice job there are suppliers of stanchions and joining pieces, bends, tees and bases.
If you (OP) cut the stern rail you will need to fit a bend then another vertical post at the cuts to support the rail. I don't think a gate would be useful for support and I would leave gaps open or just closed with a rope or wire with pelican hook. You need to be able to use the gap if you fall overboard yourself so need to be able to open the gate from the water.
I just cut the tube with a hacksaw not problems except to get the cut straight
Anyway just a few thoughts PM me if you want to discuss good luck olewill

 

[penfold]

The whole 'new tools only on stainless' is a bit overplayed in this case, any contamination you might get(and you will if you're using a hacksaw or files etc) will cause a bit of brown rust staining which can be removed with either stainless steel polish, or if it recurs a lot pickling paste. The main reason for tool cleanliness that I'm aware of is for welding; if you get the weld contaminated it can be a ******* for rust staining even after repeated pickling/polishing. If you aren't welding that's not a problem.

I also agree with olewill; a gate will be a pain in the arris, just fill the gap with stainless guard wires on pelican hooks.

 

[reeac]

A [drill?] tip that I was once given: make sure that the drill is always producing swarf - if it isn't then it's skating over the surface and will work harden the s/s.

 

[penfold]

A [drill?] tip that I was once given: make sure that the drill is always producing swarf - if it isn't then it's skating over the surface and will work harden the s/s.

True; it is prudent to use a new or freshly sharpened drill bit to help avoid the problem.