Stainless Steel

K

Kristal

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Lured as I am towards adapting or replacing Crystal's bronzework with stainless steel and chrome-plated items, I'm hoping to find some cleats and fairleads in a reasonably "classic" style in polished stainless. Has anyone ever come across such things? I have enquired of Classic Marine, but they have not responded.

There may be another option, as our local electroplaters claim they can give items an industrial hard coating as well as a decorative one, which means the gear we have already could be used and stand up to the rigours of sailing, but solid gear would be my first preference for cleats. The facing plates of the portlights will simply get a decorative coating.

/<
 
Highly likely, I hadn't thought about peeling - I haven't thought about it much, to be honest, as I'm really hoping I can buy new items, and would only resort to plating on actual working hardware as a last resort. Better keep hunting, I guess...

/<
 
I not absolutely certain I understand your situation. Are you saying you are considering discarding bronze fittings in favour of stainless? I would say that was a very retrograde step. Bronze fittings will happily last the life of the boat. If the shinyness is the problem I have heard of people GOLD plating bronzwork and its said to not be megabucks. As far as I am concerned bronze fittings are the Rolls Royce of marine hardware and I wouldnt consider replacing it unless damaged.
 
I did consider gold plating a while ago, but I'm not convinced the finish would last. Essentially, I am annoyed with verdigris and don't generally have time for continued polishing. Therefore, I want to keep the fittings bronze inside the boat, and use stainless or chrome fittings externally to match the stainless standing rigging. It's a purely aesthetic consideration.
 
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It's a purely aesthetic consideration.


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Surely aesthetic considerations would mean that you restored her to her 1927 appearance, as far as is reasonably practicable, i.e. bronze cleats and fairleads. Even bronze fittings covered in verdigris would look far more appropriate than chromium plating.
 
I am trying to replace all my chrome/stainless with Bronze at huge expense to keep a 1940's look. If you do get rid of your bronze hardware, I am looking for verdigris encrusted mooring cleats.
 
Most people would think that, yes. Personally, I feel that Crystal already has a rather modern look with her Bermudian Noble mast and stainless steel rigging, and it is quite appealing. Furthermore, I like the stainless/chrome portlights I've seen on other wooden yachts and would like to take the idea further. I still want classic-looking fittings, just in a shiny silvery colour rather than bronze or, more usually, british racing green.

Have a look at the new website - it's very incomplete, but does have a nice profile picture of Crystal which may help you picture it more. If she were a working boat, or a classic gaff cutter, you would almost certainly be right. In this case, I suspect it's a matter of taste and something I'd like to explore.

I like the fact that her rig and shrouds make her a bit different, and am not terribly bothered about maintaing a very traditional appearance when she already carries off some modern improvements very well indeed (in my doting opinion)...
 
Re: verdigris

I am a big fan of verdigris, and patina in general. It's not just that I have lots of excuses and consider myself a lazy good for nothing.

So - who can recomend a really good polishing product which will keep Kris in bronze and save him heaps of time and a small fortune, (and incidentally help me get my metalwork up to scratch).
 
Re: verdigris

I use a nice product called Hotspot, the sort of thing you'd do your poker and stuff with around the fireplace. It has a nice box! As far as removing verdigris is concerned, I've used all sorts of things and it still a right pain in the sterngland.

/<
 
Re: verdigris

I might give that a go - I've got 70ft of bronze band to do now we've finished the hull paint, which will have to be done from a dinghy, so the better the polish the better the finish.

Part of the reason I like a dull finish to bronze /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
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