Straightening bend in stainless steel

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chrisclin

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I returned to my boat recently to find that the stainless steel plate connecting the hydraulic steering ram to the rudder was bent into a perfect 90 degree angle. It appears that the rudder was hit by another boat.
I am now trying to straighten the plate. I have tried holding it in a vice and then trying to bend it. Unfortunately it always springs back.
I am concerned that the bend may have hardened and it may snap if I exert enough force on it. Would heating it up help?
And in order to bend it back, is it better to hammer it with a mallet or bend it with a mole wrench?
Presumably the final option is to get a new bit made. However, it seems difficult to find anyone prepared to work on stainless.
 
This recalls the quip made to me by a reliable rigger, after an unplanned 'mast-drop' in the middle of the Irish Sea - "You can bend stainless - once!"
 
sailorman said:
I would strongly recommend replacing the plate & any other parts that might be suspect. Once bent to that degree i would not trust it or even the quadrant for that matter.
I assume that its an insurance claim on the 3rd party
Click to expand...
i wasn't on the boat when it was hit so I don't know who it was. In fact I couldn't believe it was a bash until I checked on the Hunter Owners web site after having difficulty removing the fixing pin. There is no sign of any other damage either to the rudder or to the hydraulic ram fixings. However the internal steering wheel won't turn the rudder more than a few degrees now.
So it looks as though it's my pocket
 
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chrisclin said:
i wasn't on the boat when it was hit so I don't know who it was. In fact I couldn't believe it was a bash until I checked on the Hunter Owners web site after having difficulty removing the fixing pin. There is no sign of any other damage either to the rudder or to the hydraulic ram fixings. However the internal steering wheel won't turn the rudder more than a few degrees now.
So it looks as though it's my pocket
Click to expand...
Or your insurance for a good & safe job, to check out the whole steering system. Has the ram or quadrant been damaged
 
Instead of bending it back however, what you could do is cut out the bent bits and weld in a bit to fill the gap..an easy and quick job at any workshop which does steel fabrication. £25-£35.
 
I've never had much luck straightening stainless. It work-hardens a fair bit, so the bend will always be harder than the metal on either side. As has been suggested, you could cut and weld, but if it is thin enough to be bent 90 degrees without damaging the rudder, it suggests that it is quite highly-stressed and I'm not sure I'd trust a welded joint in that same area as it bent. (that clearly being the weakest bit). I'd replace if possible. If not, weld but try to reinforce as well - possibly build-in a degree of redundancy if possible, so that the failure of one weld won't result in it letting go completely.
 
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