Shortening a bow roller / cuttiñg stainless steel or is it chrome!

[Stemar]

I don,t suppose anyone can recommend a hard setting filler or solution.

I'd use epoxy, thickened with microballoons, as they tend to make it easier to sand. Cotton fibres would also work, but don't use silica - sanding that isn't quite impossible, but not far off in an awkward spot. You may be able to save a lot of sanding by slathering it on then fitting the plate covered in cling film. the bolts should be well greased, in both cases so the epoxy doesn't stick to them.

 

[Beneteau381]

Thanks folks, that is a superb bow roller Roger. I cannot type directly on the forum with my old iPad, it is just too slow and if you make a mistake and press delete it has a tendency to wipe out the whole lot (too many adverts on the site I think) soooo. I have to type elsewhere, copy and paste. I also cannot post pictures. What I am saying is that answering questions is not a quick task. I have answered all the questions on Facebook which is easy to use and shows pictures of my boat ?.

Yes I will be taking the bow roller off. I also need to fit a spreader plate of some kind underneath the deck. Unfortunately the underside is really wavy by up to 1cm. There is not way I am going to grind that back smooth, access is near impossible to just undo the nuts let alone any fibre glass matting etc which is why it is probably a pigs ear and wavy! I don,t suppose anyone can recommend a hard setting filler or solution.

Sent from my iPad

My Beneteaus both used strong penny washers as backing plates on all the hardware. This allevited the issue of wavy glass fibre!

 

[rogerthebodger]

I would use a backing plate with holes already drilled and then when fitting butter the topside with your chosen filler and fit it with wood dowel to align the holes. Once set drill out the holes when the filler as cone through and bolt the top through both.

I have used a 6mm thick rubber pad under the to bow fitting and clamp down. this will derate a water proof seal and a little flexibility for and snatch loads you may get.

I have joined your facebook group but need to find my way around to find your pics and discussion.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Is this the pic of your bow fitting.

I would pack the front right at the front of the bow. Personally I would just take an angle grinder and cut it just over the diameter of the roller. The most tricky bit would be cutting the base back to clear the roller. This only needs to be half the diameter or the roller.

Not sure what diameter the bolt is but looks like 10 ro 12 mm. This could be redrilled inplace using a 5mm pilot drill the open up to 10 or 12 from either side just ensure both holes are reasonable in line. Mark with a square and a fine felt tip pen. Center punch each position.

 

[Zagato]

Thanks for your thoughts...

 

[TernVI]

regarding backing plates, when I needed to fit a strong bow cleat, I got a bit of GRP sheet, cut it to fit the space, laid up some more mat and cloth on it, then stuck it to the underside of the deck using a paste of resin and chopped glass, doing up the cleat bolts while the resin was wet. I used a 3mm stainless backing plate which went out to the toe rail bolts.

Regarding drilling stainless, I have had stainless marine stuff laugh at my cobolt drill, god knows how it got work hardened in manufacture, but it was harder than a royal marine in a Plymouth pub. Carbide tools are your best friend sometimes. Stuff you can't drill succumbs to a carbide burr in a Dremel.

Water is a good cutting fluid sometimes, because boiling it off keeps the tool at 100degC or so. Oil will get hotter. A pro might use soluble oil diluted with water for this reason?

 

[Neeves]

Thanks folks, that is a superb bow roller Roger. I cannot type directly on the forum with my old iPad, it is just too slow and if you make a mistake and press delete it has a tendency to wipe out the whole lot (too many adverts on the site I think) soooo. I have to type elsewhere, copy and paste. I also cannot post pictures. What I am saying is that answering questions is not a quick task. I have answered all the questions on Facebook which is easy to use and shows pictures of my boat ?.

Yes I will be taking the bow roller off. I also need to fit a spreader plate of some kind underneath the deck. Unfortunately the underside is really wavy by up to 1cm. There is not way I am going to grind that back smooth, access is near impossible to just undo the nuts let alone any fibre glass matting etc which is why it is probably a pigs ear and wavy! I don,t suppose anyone can recommend a hard setting filler or solution.

Sent from my iPad

I'd combine a couple of ideas already described.

I'd make up a flat fibre glass sheet to fit under the wavy bits you have inherited. You can make your own sheet or find offcuts in a dumpster (and I believe you can buy fibre glass sheets already made in hardware stores). But cut (use an angle grinder with a tile cutting blade) to size so that it fits. I'd then cut a piece of stainless to the same size, this will be 'the backing plate' - 3mm stainless will be bullet proof. . I'd fill existing holes, if you cannot use them or if using the same holes you will need to drill the fibre glass sheet and stainless backing plate to match. So drill the fibre glass sheet and when you are comfortable its right - then copy and drill the stainless. I'd layer the fibre glass, like an open sandwich, with a resin filler mix and fix on the underside, this will now cover, or remove the wavy bits and the stainless will fit neatly on top. Make sure you fill all the wavy bits but don't make the filler too thick. If you want the stainless to be decorative, polish before hand. Rogers idea of dowels to keep everything aligned is a good idea, drill out the dowels when everything is hard. When you replace the bow roller I'd use a bed of Sikaflex and in the bolt holes, but maybe Rogers use of rubber is better?

You can bolt the whole sandwich together as the resin sets which is good as it squeezes the excess filled resin out - but its very messy and not necessarily what you want if its all in a confined space. I'd tend to squeeze the resin out using props and wedges underneath - you may need to devise this before you apply the resin and have all the bits and pieces too hand. From your description the interior work might be a 2 person task - one crunched up in the bow (as comfortable as possible) and the other to pass the various item in sequence (been there, done that). Acetone is a good cleaner for wet resin - but its fumes are pretty awful - make sure you have lots, and lots, stressing the lots, of ventilation.

Jonathan

 

[Boathook]

Thanks folks, that is a superb bow roller Roger. ..................

Yes I will be taking the bow roller off. I also need to fit a spreader plate of some kind underneath the deck. Unfortunately the underside is really wavy by up to 1cm. There is not way I am going to grind that back smooth, access is near impossible to just undo the nuts let alone any fibre glass matting etc which is why it is probably a pigs ear and wavy! I don,t suppose anyone can recommend a hard setting filler or solution.

Sent from my iPad

I had a lay up that was uneven on the underside where I wanted to fit a backing pad. When I measured the thickness through a bolt hole the layup was nearly 25mm thick rather than the 10mm I was thinking of. I gave up with the backing pad.

Edit. If the bow roller hasn't caused problems so far on the deck, shortening will 'reduce' the deck twisting so I'm not sure why the reinforcing the deck has crept in, unless on Facebook you have mentioned the deck flexes.

 

[Neeves]

I note on some bow rollers the cheeks of the bow rollers are bent such that housed anchor fluke 'seats' on the bent flanges. Rather than cut all the sides of the existing bow roller off - you might have a look round a few yachts in a marina and check bow roller design. Similarly the height of the sides of your bow roller are not high and maybe you might like to consider a hoop to stop the anchor jumping off the roller and adding an extra hole to the bow roller to allow you to lash the anchor. Roger's beautiful bow roller has high sides and a pin across the forward end of the bow roller (I assume for to stop the anchor jumping in big seas) and a row of holes, maybe, to lash the anchor down. I do like the foresight of twin rollers. Roger's bow roller looks splendid - seems a shame to put a grubby galvanised anchor on it!

Jonathan

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Use oil, trust me, if you get it hot enough to burn away you will work harden it. ? I did buy some drills especially for SS a while back, they have weird cutaways on the lands. They do work though.

My DeWalt drills have same cutaway, and yes they work well on stainless when I put fitting in for liferaft and at stern and redrilled chopped off pulpit fitting for bi-colour. Water works mostly as well as oil but needs replenishing for long drilling

 

[rogerthebodger]

I note on some bow rollers the cheeks of the bow rollers are bent such that housed anchor fluke 'seats' on the bent flanges. Rather than cut all the sides of the existing bow roller off - you might have a look round a few yachts in a marina and check bow roller design. Similarly the height of the sides of your bow roller are not high and maybe you might like to consider a hoop to stop the anchor jumping off the roller and adding an extra hole to the bow roller to allow you to lash the anchor. Roger's beautiful bow roller has high sides and a pin across the forward end of the bow roller (I assume for to stop the anchor jumping in big seas) and a row of holes, maybe, to lash the anchor down. I do like the foresight of twin rollers. Roger's bow roller looks splendid - seems a shame to put a grubby galvanised anchor on it!

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan

This is the second part of my bow fitting a stainless steel bow cover strip then includes a eye bolt for for the attachment of a bobstay and a drain outlet for the rubber lined anchor chain locker. I fitted a 6mm piece of rubber behind the bow cover plate to absorb and shock loading.

The captive pin is a drop nose pin 20 mm diameter and has a small chain attaching it to the bow fitting so I don't loose it if I drop it.

The inside where the chain runs is lined with a flat plastic ware plate to allow the chain to run free and quirtley. Each anchors are now located by 20 mm dia drop nose pins again attached with a hole all we way through retaining the anchors. The holes down each side are to locate the chain with a pin through the nearest link. This locating pin can be pad locked to deter the tea leafs.

The holes in the center are to attach the forestay and to allow some adjustment of angle.

There holes also allow me to attach a bow sprit for my asymmetric spinnaker.

This is a removable step that will attach to the top at allow stepping over the pulpit if we need to disembark over the bow. The slides allow a ladder to be attached to allow us old fogies to climb down.

 

[Neeves]

The slides allow a ladder to be attached to allow us old fogies to climb down.

I suspect the old fogeys will find the ladder even more useful to climb up

Jonathan

 

[rogerthebodger]

I suspect the old fogeys will find the ladder even more useful to climb up

Jonathan

Well the same ladder ill attach to the top of my solar arch so I can climb up to fix anything their.

It also attaches to slides on the side and or the stern of the boat to climb out after a swim so multi uses.

 

[Neeves]

Well the same ladder ill attach to the top of my solar arch so I can climb up to fix anything their.

It also attaches to slides on the side and or the stern of the boat to climb out after a swim so multi uses.

I do like components that have multiple uses - so the idea of a bow roller that might support ladders (for old fogeys to go up and down), walkways, anchors bowsprits goes beyond imagination.

Jonathan

 

[rogerthebodger]

I do like components that have multiple uses - so the idea of a bow roller that might support ladders (for old fogeys to go up and down), walkways, anchors bowsprits goes beyond imagination.

Jonathan

I've always been into designing gadgets to make life easy especially on my boats. I also believe in know how things work so they can be fixed or bodged to get you home. I have ben called roger the bodger on here before.

 

[Neeves]

I've always been into designing gadgets to make life easy especially on my boats. I also believe in know how things work so they can be fixed or bodged to get you home. I have ben called roger the bodger on here before.

Don't be upset by those who are jealous. Anyone who can call your bow roller a 'bodge' .... the names I would call them would have me on shore leave.

Your work is an example to us all.

I am full admiration for the thought you put into your build and devices. I am sure some of the work you have done even you might consider some modification, none of us is perfect - but we learn. Most don't have the ability to 'do', me included - and its easy to find fault (from our own narrow perspective). The benefit from these threads is to build. develop and support - not denigrate.

Keep at it Roger, just bend with the punches.

Jonathan

 

[rogerthebodger]

Don't be upset by those who are jealous. Anyone who can call your bow roller a 'bodge' .... the names I would call them would have me on shore leave.

Your work is an example to us all.

I am full admiration for the thought you put into your build and devices. I am sure some of the work you have done even you might consider some modification, none of us is perfect - but we learn. Most don't have the ability to 'do', me included - and its easy to find fault (from our own narrow perspective). The benefit from these threads is to build. develop and support - not denigrate.

Keep at it Roger, just bend with the punches.

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan

I don't let people get me down I mostly just ignore them, but sometimes I do answer back.

A couple that sayings I follow is " Illegitimi non carborundum " or "Don't let the bastards grind you down".

I also follow the pholificity of the Prose Poem Desiderata mainly the first three.four paragraphs

Desiderata Original Text