Rudder re build

[K-ron]

I am about to have a forced haul out in Spain to work on my now, dangerously sloppy rudder.
I am expecting to split the rudder and rebuild it. My question is this: how or with what product can I re-bed the bronze rudder stock? I have given myself 2 weeks to complete the job, so will not have a great deal of time to dry out the fibreglass after splitting. Will 48 hours inside the boat with a fan heater be enough time to create a surface suitable for adhesion with epoxy or possibly car body filler? Many thanks in advance.

 

[Iain C]

I did a very similar thing to my rudder a few years ago. Have a look at this topic on the Sabre 27 website, and the other associated updates on my progress at the time.

http://sabre27.org.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=327

Good luck.

 

[Malish]

It rather depends on what you find when you get in there. It might help if you told us the type of boat in case anyone has done the same job before. Do you think the tangs have come unstuck from the 'glass or that the have failed through fatigue? Some rudders were filled with foam which can add an extra challenge. Personally I think that 2 weeks is a bit tight.

 

[K-ron]

It's a nicholson 32. I have read a blog showing the same job from another nich 32 owner but they let the rudder dry out for 4 months. The nich's don't have tangs, the bronze stock is a dog leg shape.

 

[K-ron]

Thanks Iain, I am slightly concerned about the alignment. You blog gives me plenty to think about. Cheers

 

[Malish]

I did this job on a Rival 34 because the rudder was suffering from the pox and whilst it was off I decided to cut out the side and look at the tangs, turned out they were fine. The inside was filled with wet expanded foam that had to be cut out and I left the rudder to dry for a couple of months. If the construction is similar then the 'tang' is only bonded to one side of the rudder, work out whic side that is by tapping and cut ou the opposite side. This is much easier than trying to split the rudder into two halves. The tangs were heavily glassed in (use epoxy) and then both the tangs and the whole stock had been covered in a layer of epoxy filler. On the way out after glassine the inspection cut out I treated the whole rudder to a couple of coats of epoxy

Here's an earlier thread on the topic
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?239768-Splitting-a-rudder&highlight=