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Mast and Boom - Replacements

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Putting everything back together with plenty of Tef-Gel and 3m Scotchrap 50 tape under the flat parts.

Haven't heard of the Scotchrap idea. Just putting another barrier between the metals? Where'd you get the Scotchrap?

Also, I need to tap some 1/4" threads into the mast. Can go 1/4-20 or 1/4-28. The finer thread might be better for holding power but I wonder of aluminum is too soft a metal for the fine threads--or maybe I'd be more likely to screw up the tapping job with the 1/4-28. Any recommendations?
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Haven't heard of the Scotchrap idea. Just putting another barrier between the metals? Where'd you get the Scotchrap?

Also, I need to tap some 1/4" threads into the mast. Can go 1/4-20 or 1/4-28. The finer thread might be better for holding power but I wonder of aluminum is too soft a metal for the fine threads--or maybe I'd be more likely to screw up the tapping job with the 1/4-28. Any recommendations?

A large roll of it is sort of expensive, and maybe few people will use that much? Catalina Direct sells small pieces, though probably the unit price ends up being silly. I actually heard about it in a spam email/blog post from CD. I seem to be on their mailing list.

All the threaded holes on my mast are 1/4-20. I did notice that a couple of them that I Tef-Gelled a few years ago were loose, and would have eventually fallen out (What? You don't climb the mast and inspect everything between sails?) Maybe loc-tite is a better idea? No idea what the "old" hardware was doped with, but it's white and hardened.

So, the mainsail track is riveted on and everything else is screwed on. I wonder what the rule is for choosing? Just labor-savings?
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
The plot thickens! In the course of finding those links above, I saw that Catalina Direct is advertising this stuff as "self-adshesive Delrin sheets." But what they are actually selling is pieces of Scotchrap 50, which is a vinyl tape, and much, much cheaper than Delrin (acetal.) 3M does have an acetal tape, but it is completely different. I don't see why Scotchrap wouldn't work for this application, but they are jacking the price about 10X. A good price for Delrin, but a lousy price for Scotchrap. I guess that's the "boat factor." BTW: CD official policy is "No returns for non-Catalina owners." I used to get the same stuff at the irrigation supply place - it's also used for joining sections of plastic drain pipe.
 
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