sailboat chainplate fabrication

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Chainplates

A couple quick notes:

• Use new 316 grade fasteners. Not the old ones you just took out!
• Buy new cotter pins.
• Tape traps salt and limits oxygen which promotes decay.
• Polish and freshwater extend the life of your investment.
• Re-bed your chain plates every 4-5 years.
• No silicone! the vinegar smell indicates a corrosive property stainless doesn’t like.
• We like Butyl, Uv 4000 and Sikaflex.
• Stainless hates detergents like dishwashing and laundry soaps as well as bleach!

Mack Yacht Services, Inc. we know chainplates

Not all Chainplate repairs are equal

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Chainplates Revisited

Chainplate failures aren't common, but when one occurred on a new boat during its inaugural sail—with our reviewer aboard—we knew it was time to investigate. here's the result of our initial probing..

Following our review of the new J/133 (PS Oct. 1, ’04), in which we recounted a chainplate failure aboard hull No. 3 on its maiden voyage, a reader’s letter prompted us to review the manner in which manufacturers design and construct the critical connections between mast, shrouds, and a boat’s structure. In the case of the J/133, we concluded that the construction method—a contemporary yet time-tested approach—was properly conceived, but poorly executed.

The folks at J/Boats declined to offer specific comments, but the boat’s builder—Pearson Composites, LLC (formerly TPI)—told us that ours was a fair assessment of the situation. (More on that later.)

Nonetheless, the issue of chainplate construction and rig attachment demands further examination, particularly for the owners of older boats whose vessels may be susceptible to chainplate failure.

Like the human anatomy, which is supported by a series of bones connected at joints (“head bone connected to the neck bone, neck bone connected to the shoulder bone”), a sailboat’s standing rigging reflects many similar connections. At one end of any stayed rig, the head of the mast is supported by stays and shrouds that in most cases disappear belowdecks to connect to a metal, wood, or fiberglass section that itself is attached to a bulkhead, the hull’s topsides or bottom, or an interior grid system.

With any rig, contrary forces are at work. At the masthead, tensioned shrouds pulling chainplates upward from a grid in the bottom of the hull, for instance, are at the same time pushing the butt of the mast, or a compression post, in the opposite direction. Consider that the headstay and backstay are pulling the bow and stern upward, and the conflicting forces on the entire structure are enormous.

“The static pressure on the hull of the Santa Cruz 70 produced by the mast, with the boat sitting static at a dock, is approximately 28,000 pounds,” explained Lance Brown, president of Santa Cruz Yachts. Given that, it’s no surprise that America’s Cup boats, which take advantage of every weight-saving method available, often have major failures.

Creating a proper set of connectors, then, requires that designer, engineer, boatbuilder, and rigging specialist each scientifically calculate the loads that will act on the sails in wind and sea, and the loadbearing capacity of the standing rigging, which will ultimately determine the lamination schedule for chainplates or the appropriate strength characteristics of whatever material is used to fabricate these critical connectors.

Ty Goss, of the custom sales division at Navtec, told us that “Once the loads on rigging and turnbuckles are determined, our prototypes are tested by running fatigue tests.

“We will load a turnbuckle to its breaking strength and stress it 120,000 to 200,000 times (1.4 times its projected life expectancy) in 15-second cycles. If it doesn’t break, we know we have the right product.”

On older boats, chainplates were often fashioned from necessary, but unsightly, metal straps attached to the exterior. Unless an owner diligently polished them, the straps or their fittings typically rusted, which produced blemishes on the topsides. These same rust lines, however, could provide an owner with visible evidence of the potential deterioration of the plates, or their fasteners.

On modern fiberglass boats, chainplates are usually out of sight and out of mind. As builders became more confident of the bonding capacity and strength of fiberglass, they began relocating these straps on the hull’s inner skin, or bedded in bulkheads. However, as with the exterior attachments, the new method was not without its drawbacks, since a leak at deck level could result in delamination of the fiberglass, or a waterfilled core; either condition reducing the structural integrity of the components.

Various methods of attaching plates are used, including the method employed by Pearson Composites, LLC in the construction of the new J/133. In that case, the shrouds are connected to a deck plate, which in turn is connected to a tie rod, which is connected to a horizontal pin beddedin a fiberglass buttress in the hull. At PC, LLC, the buttress is a solid fiberglass block with a hole bored that is within 5/1000th” of the size of the pin. This basic design is not new technology; grand-prix racing boats have been employing similar designs for 20 years.

The failure of the chainplate on the J/133 was the byproduct of a miscommunication within the builder’s facility, according to Stephen A Misencik, director of engineering and design at PC, LLC.

“Miscommunications between engineering and the production floor caused the installation of the deck chainplate assembly to be located 2″ aft of where it was originally designed to be,” Miscencik told us. “This resulted in the tie rod being mis-aligned with both the deck fitting as well as the hull buttress/pinion assembly.”

The result: “When the mast and spreaders were constructed by Hall Spars, the shroud-rod connection did not line up properly, placing excessive loads on the fiberglass buttress.” Under sail in 30- to 35-knot winds and a short, steep chop on Lake Michigan, he added “the flange bond on the starboard side on Hull No. 3 failed. Only one edge of the buttress disbonded from the hull.”

When J/Boat’s designers and Misencik compared notes the day after the mishap, the error was discovered, and appropriate modifications completed for future boats. Only one of the five boats that were completed at that time suffered the failure, though a factory team was dispatched to rebuild each of them.

Misencik agrees that factory workers could have been alert to a problem when they encountered difficulties installing the misaligned rod during the construction process.

Coincidentally, he also describes a problem on some early models of the J/109 that were attributed to the improper use of a bonding material. In that case, chainplates were bonded to a grid framework in the bottom of the hull with ITW Plexus adhesive.

“That’s the wrong material to use when trying to produce a rigid structure from two pieces of material,” he explained. The result was excessive flex between the chainplate and the structure. The problem was corrected by replacing the bonding agent with an epoxy mix.

Dave Gerr, director of the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology and a noted yacht designer, told us that the first calculation to be considered in chainplate design is the boat’s righting moment.

“Then, the design objective is to take the calculated loads from the shrouds and transmit them to the chainplates, without allowing the deckplate to leak,” he said.

“It is important to work out and detail the fastening of the chainplate to the hull because the loads on chainplates are immense,” he added.

Designers typically specify standing rigging and attachments, including bolts, that are 1.3 to 1.4 times stronger than the calculated load. This fudge factor is intended to offset the fact that, regardless of the material used, it will degrade over time with aging and a lack of maintenance.

“Special considerations, though, relate to the intended use of the boat,” said Santa Cruz Yachts’ Lance Brown. That company’s slogan, “Fast is Fun,” was coined by founder Bill Lee, who built a reputation for designing and constructing rocketships. His legendary Merlin was a record setting 68 footer that introduced “downwind sleds” to the sailing vernacular, and remains the precursor of a breed of boats that have evolved to become the sailing equivalent of a Ferrari.

“We built the Santa Cruz 50 and Santa Cruz 70s as race boats, so the interiors were of little consideration, allowing us to place chainplates wherever was necessary to align with the shrouds,” said Brown. Chainplates on the 50-footer were installed using a method mirroring that of the J/133. Shrouds on cruising boats, however, may be located outboard at the rail, for instance, at the expense of tighter sheeting angles and greater pointing ability. And when located outboard, they may be buried behind cabinetry as an aesthetic consideration.

“The Santa Cruz 52 (see PS review July 1, ’95), a performance cruiser, is fitted with conventional living and sleeping quarters, so we had to take into consideration the location of seat backs and shelving. We are taking the same approach with the Santa Cruz 53C, which will be introduced in April, 2005.”

One conventional method of locating chainplates out of the way is to employ flat metal sections attached to bulkheads with fasteners.

“The fastenings,” explained Gerr, “have to be adequately strong, as must the structure they fasten to, in order to distribute the load into the hull. The key to sizing the bolts is to make sure the load from the shroud does not exceed the local crushing strength of the plywood or the laminate that is added to the ply bulkhead to take the chainplate loads.

“Elongated chainplate bolt holes in bulkheads are common trouble spots. Without an adequate load bearing area, a bulkhead will eventually crush above the bolt, resulting in the chainplate pulling upward, elongating the bolt holes, and causing the chainplate to leak.” In a worst case scenario, the chainplate may pull through the deck.”

To avoid overpopulating a bulkhead with bolts, or using larger bolts, Gerr’s alternative is the installation of an annulus. “They are made of fairly high compressive strength material,” he said, “and increase the bearing area in the ply by making the annulus two times the bolt diameter.” The bolt is then installed through the center of the annulus. On older boats that evidence the potential for this type of failure, an annulus will extend the useful life of the bulkhead with a relatively easy and straightforward fix.

Brown describes the forces on chainplates, hull, and mast butt as “contrary forces in a big circle.” To disperse the loads in the new boat from Santa Cruz Yachts, the chainplate will be solid bar stock through-bolted with 12, 1/2″ bolts to a longitudinal stringer that in turn is bonded to the hull and adjoining bulkhead in multiple layers of 0 to 45-degree and 0 to 90-degree fiberglass laid in varied orientations from deck level to the keel. The bulkhead is located on the same reinforced section of the hull as the mast butt, and bonded to the hull and deck.

“That structure is so strong that we could cut the center out of the bulkhead without compromising its integrity,” Brown reported.

His comment brings to mind a common alternative to the chainplate bulkhead arrangement, which is the construction of a knee (envision an upside-down capital “L”), usually constructed of wood or fiberglass bonded to the hull and under the deck, to which the chainplate is attached. Oriented athwartships, the shape is typically long and narrow so as to accommodate furniture. In this arrangement, the chainlate resembles an inverted “T” shape and is typically cut from a single piece of stainless steel or bronze.

Though the knee is tabbed to the hull and deck, Gerr explained, “The knee’s tabbing is secondary bonding, which is structurally rather weak and can suffer from failure due to poor-quality installation, improper resin mixture,” or other factors. For that reason, manufacturers should build in “a large margin of safety,” he said, to ensure a tight structure that will endure hull and deck flex, as well as the worst of the elements.

The contemporary method of attaching chainplates involves the replacement of metal straps with tierods that are secured in the hull structure. In this instance, shrouds and rods meet at the center of two plates located on the top and underside of the deck. To produce proper angles at the intersection of the shroud and chainplate, and prevent leaks caused by the deck flexing, builders are employing self-aligning rod caps that reduce the possibility of a failure.

At the other end, in many cases the tie rod is attached to the hull or grid in a metal plate into which it is threaded; bonding to a fiberglass structure is an option. Thus, in many new boats, these shiny rods are exposed in the main saloon, but go unnoticed, allowing designers to meet an aesthetic challenge.

The Bottom Line Modern engineering techniques and construction methods employed by major manufacturers, as well as marketing and legal concerns, are resulting in the production of better boats than at any time in the history of fiberglass, witness the number of American boats that meet ABYC and CE standards. In this environment, the odds of a structural failure are remote and, most likely, occasioned by a failure during the production cycle, or an inferior component.

The rigging on these boats, however, is not to be neglected. As Brown explained of Roy Disney’s Santa Cruz 70 Pyewacket and her sisters, “those boats were well maintained and continually inspected. Losing a race as a result of mechanical failure was unusual.”

Regardless of the age of a boat, annual inspection of standing rigging remains a must. In addition to inspecting wire for breaks, an owner should carefully examine the chainplate system from the point where it reaches the deck to its termination. Loose deck plates may result in water invading the hull or deck. Rust on the chainplate or bolts may indicate deck leaks, loose bolts or nuts producing a water leak or, in the worst case, the total destruction of the plate itself. Inspecting bolts and plates on a bulkhead is a simple matter; and removing cushions and furniture to allow inspection of the entire plate system is time well spent.

A lesser effort might just invite major failure.

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Chainplate fabrication

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Hi everyone. I have my 1986 psc 37 in Bahia del Sol, El Salvador at the moment. Ive decided that my chainplates are getting sketchy and am wanting to replace them. Who has done this and how do you get the teak out of the way of the chainplate bolts? Where did you get the chainplates fabricated, from what material and how much should that cost? What should one look out for when taking on this project? Im considering having them fabricated locally in Central America since the importation of event the simplest item is a bureaucratic pain in the butt. Thanks for any experience that you can throw my way. grant s/v Viandante  

I wouldnt mess around with metal of uncertain origin (third world) for my chainplates,they are just TOO important.For NiftyNickers I obtained the forestay and the backstay chainplates from the Pacific Seacraft and I fabricated the six side stays from 316 s/s from McMaster-Carr.I also replaced all bolts with 316 bolts.In order to access the nuts in the interior you must do some damage to the teak slats or battens,just grit your teeth and go for it.Some can be accessed thru the slider in the head and thru the hanging locker. The side plates can be loosened and slid out from the rubrail-I used a strong steel flat blade (putty knife) to break the sealant free. Good luck, Dianne and ChuckBurke S/VNiftyNickers C37 #139  

We took our shroud chainplates out one at a time so the machine shop could match the hole placements and the angles of the bends. In Mazatlan there is a shop with a water jet cutter that did a great job of cutting and bending for about $100 each. Someone else will need to advise you on what services are available where you are. After you get the bolts out you can just pull on the shoud and it will extract the chainplate from the teak rubbing strake. We used a Fein tool to clean out the old sealant on the rubbing strake and to cut the teak slats on the interior for removal. If you cut right on the screw holes you can reinstall the slats without too much noticablle damage. The overhead panels need to come off so you can reach the nuts on the bolts. A big pry bar is needed to push the bolts out from the inside. You'll need several tubes of caulking. We used Life-Caulk by Boatlife. When re-installing turn the nuts rather than the bolts so the caulk in the holes stays put. The old chainplates are 1/4" stainless but 5/16" will fit in the slots in the teak rubbing strake which gives you a stronger replacement than the original. You need to decide what bolts to use before having the holes put in the new plates. The originals had the square base of a carriage bolt in the round hole of a chainplate so the hole is oversize for a 1/2" bolt. We opted for 1/2" holes and 1/2" bolts so there is a good bearing surface. I agree with Niftynickers that 316 is the preferred material for the plates and bolts. We had rust streaks after after a while because the top holes were not polished. Make sure the shop polishes all edges and the outside faces of the plates and the insides of at least the top holes. Good luck. John s/v Pelagic lying Lake Union Seattle, WA  

granche1 said: Hi everyone. I have my 1986 psc 37 in Bahia del Sol, El Salvador at the moment. Ive decided that my chain plates are getting sketchy and am wanting to replace them. Who has done this and how do you get the teak out of the way of the chain plate bolts? Click to expand...

We do a lot of replacement chainplates in titanium, and frankly I am with Nifty, I wouldn't replace them in a third world shop unless I knew for sure the quality of the material, and the workers. If someone accidentally swaps in 300 for 316, which is almost impossible to test for unless you have a moly test kit, you could be screwed. The way we work is to have customers send us a tracing of their chainplates with dimensions marked, then we digitize that into a CAD program. From there it's off to the water jet cutters.  

For someting as simple as the chainplates you should be able to judge the shop and the workers for yourself. If you are worried about the steel, you might want to see the plate before the steel is cut and polished. The plate that the chainplates are fabricated from should be marked with the alloy, the manufacturer, and the heat number. The shop should have a "mill sheet" (analysis) for the heat (batch of metal). If the shop does not have it, the manufacturer should be able to fax it to you. The mill itself should be ISO 9000 certified which means that a competent third party (usually British Standards Institute) has examined their quality control systems and they can be trusted. Bill Murdoch  

wsmurdoch said: For so meting as simple as the chainplates you should be able to judge the shop and the workers for yourself. Click to expand...

Bill, After stainless chainplates are fabricated they really need to be electropolished to maximize corrosion resistance. You could certainly skip it, but then you start trading corrosion resistance for price pretty quickly.  

Original stainless manufacturer in CA did mine while PC was "insolvent". He was great. Charged about $800 bucks for the whole lot. An Annapolis crew wanted $3,000. Unsure if he'd work with you directly but perhaps an email to Thumper at the factory would help. I may be able to dig up his name...its been a few years. Let me know.  

Here is a story of a titanium chainplate failure. A bit about the dismasting... - Odda Sea - Life Aboard An Allied Princess Sailing Yacht Bill Murdoch 1988 PSC 34 Irish Eyes  

please post pix. it couod be that you ar eok. my 1976 just got new chainplates due to having sat on santa barbara break wall for a week about 10 yrs ago. only 2 were replaced at this time, 2 were replaced just after the event. if you are planning on crossing pacific i would say change em out, mebbe. i would have a rigger look at them. i would also hesitate to replace until i was in a locale wherein this work is done on a regular basis. mazatlan comes to mind, or th rigger in la cruz de huanacaxtle, in nayarit. or la paz, or san carlos /guaymas..... or do it in panama or costa rica. you have choices, as they didnt fail while in transit. mine were crafted of 304 ss in san diego at a machine shop across street from downwind marine. i replaced em at the cop dock with friends.  

Here is a hint to replace chainplates without removing the rubrail: Once the bolts are removed you can attach a halyard to the chainplate in order to apply upward pressure on the plate so it can be removed easily. I did it and it worked well for me. Good luck!  

I understand that you can get stainless steel from anywhere and have it fabricated to your specifications. I would suggest that anyone who wants it done right contact Thumper at PSC in NC. I ordered a new set for my 34. I received them quickly and they were perfect. I would expect that you might save a few bucks going to some machine shop, but I would suggest that you spend the extra few bucks for each plate and have the experts do the job. Not only will you be keeping the PSC name alive but you will be very satisfied with the end result.  

Hush34 said: I would suggest that anyone who wants it done right contact Thumper at PSC in NC. Click to expand...

Yes the holes for the chainplates are square for the carriage bolts. HOWEVER, unlike the older chainplates that were the squares were punched the ones now are water jet cut. This prevents the problem of having stress failures in the corners. If you are going to use the carriage bolts to reassemble the plates, you wold need square holes or risk the chance of scratching the plates as you try to hold the bolt head steady.  

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Advice for Custom Fabrication in CA

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I'm looking for a fabrication shop that specializes in custom rock crawler fabrication in Northern CA. Full tube chasis. It would be best if the shop knew how to use Solidworks. I have a rough design in solidworks that I need a good shop to help me turn into reality. San Jose, San Francisco or Sacramento area is best. Anyone know of a shop I should look into?  

still tuesday on the west coast :smokin: try using the search function, it helps you search for answers to your question thats been asked 20 times already.  

Engineer? Lots of really gifted fab people up here, but I think they are more old-school. Fc fabrication (fc187 here) Fishmouth fabworks, full penetration fabrication are at the top of my list up north.  

Shaffer in Oakland can help too.  

Give us a call we are in San Leandro. 510-352-8781 We can definitely work with your solid works files.  

We are backed up threw january, but If you would like to chat about your project I'd be happy to discuss it with you.Solidworks 2011 here, but in my opinion, its fine for machined parts and sheet metal parts. chassis drawings work better on paper and in real life. I second Shaffers Offroad,Silly Fab service, or FC Fabrication for Northern California Chassis builders  

I would say your best options are going to be Any 7 offroad, FC fabrication or Sillyfab. They are all very well respected and do great work. dima  

Agree with all listed above. One to add would be No Limit Fabrication. Phil Blurton is a wiz with the cad, and puts together some cool stuff.  

We have build more than 30 buggy's over the years and we have built a lot of winning comp buggy's and rebuilt a comp buggy into a winning KOH car for 2009 king Jason Scherer. We have a 3 to 4 month back log but give us a call and we will see if we can help you build what you need. Also Fishmouth Fab or Silly Fab service for Northern California Chassis builders Here are some cars we have built Thanks! Mike  

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Not sure what extent the solid works plays in your project. Do you want somebody who can design in solid works or just build to your drawings ? Blueprints aside, I would focus more on the shop and it's owner. How well you get along with that person and can communicate what you hope to achieve in the build. Shops that I would recommend in the sac are. 1. Silly fab 2. Fishmouth fab 3. Roggy enterprise My rig has recently been at all 3 of them and I will continue to use all 3 for various builds. I think you are going to find that despite the economy that the best fab shops are well booked right now. There is a good reason for this. :smokin:  

Binks Fab in Modesto  

infamous metal works in san jose or xxx traction in seaside  

Chassis Unlimited is over in Livermore http://www.chassisunlimited.com/  

http://coastalfabco.com/ ask for Tom  

I have been out of the mix for a couple years since selling the shop. With many people crying about the economy it is awesome to see shops posting up how they are slammed at the moment. There are some really good fabricators mentioned in this thread so far. Sounds like you have a few good ones to pick from.  

www.pacificfab.net  

I could take on a project or two. Not in Sac or the Bay area but a few hours south, in San Luis Obispo. I have designed and built a few buggies from Solidworks and hundreds of parts and products all of us here buy and have copied. I think most on the board can validate the quality of my design and fab work. I sent you a PM, let me know if you have any questions. Drew  

That is the guy that I would have do work for me.  

You can't go wrong with XXX Traction. Toby has built some amazing rigs. He uses solid works, and is in Sea Side about 90 minutes south of San Fran.  

this  

WFO Concepts in Auburn, CA. Trevor and Bo are awesome!  

Fabrication Unlimited Lemoore ca word of mouth only. they dont advertise. dont need to the bay next to my buggy just opened up. 3 bays always going. on the left side is a ground up class 8 truck. a ground up class 7 just left. only 45$/hr and way honest. these guys are incredible.  

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	| | | L.P. Glassblowing, Inc. has made fine quartz products for over 33 years in the silicon valley. L.P. can Weld, Polish, Machine and Repair quartzware of all sizes to customer specifications. We have a wide selection of quartz material and parts in-stock. Quartz and Pyrex Specialists | | | 2322 Calle Del Mundo Santa Clara, California 95054 and © 2007 L.P. Glassblowing, Inc. All rights reserved. 491 IMAGES Sailboat Chainplate fabrication START to FINISH. Our LAST major BOAT Spirit of Tradition Chainplate Sail Life Marine Engineering 103: The Hidden Life of Chainplates. Chainplate Lug Making a CHAINPLATE for our NEW FORESTAY COMMENTS Chainplate Fabrication: Part 1 Chainplate Fabrication: Part 1. Herb Benavent. June 7, 2016. Chainplates carry out the stressful function of connecting the stays to the hull. All of the force placed on the stays is transferred to the hull via these metal plates. Chainplates come in a variety of materials, but the most common materials are stainless steel and bronze. Chainplate Fabrication Jul 24, 2020. #1. After paying almost $400 to have 2 chainplates made I decided I was doing the other 4 myself. I ordered 6 feet of 316L from www.onlinemetals.com for $76.98. That price included the shipping. Careful measurements of the old chainplates were taken. The metal was cut to size and the tops were rounded with a flap disc on a grinder. Chainplates 101: Inspect and Refit For a ½-inch turnbuckle with a ½-inch toggle, the chainplate should be at least ⅜ inch thick. For a ⅝-inch turnbuckle and toggle, a minimum thickness of. ½ inch is necessary. Another matter worthy of consideration is the stainless-steel alloy the boat's chainplates are made of. Though 304 stainless is widely used, it's prone to ... Fabricating bronze chainplates and tangs Location: Monterey, California. Boat: Westsail 32. Posts: 842. Re: Fabricating bronze chainplates and tangs. Casting is an option, and PTF can provide castings -- they quoted me at around $1500 for the 6 chainplates, including the drilling. So about $250/ea. Chainplates Chainplates. At Mack Yacht Services, we know chainplates! In our experience, they are the most overlooked piece of equipment on boats today. Chain plates are the base of your rigging system and need attention just like everything else on your boat. Barring hurricanes, chainplate failure is the number one reason spars are replaced in our area. Chainplates & Stemhead Fittings Spars, Rigging, and Hardware for Sailboats. Rig-Rite, Inc. Phone: (001) 401-739-1140 -- FAX: (001) 401-739-1149 www.RigRite.com Ordering/Questionsp: Chainplates & Stemhead Fittings: ... usually through a Chainplate Cover bolted to the deck. Some are bent at the top to better align with the rigging loads. Sailboat Chainplate fabrication START to FINISH. Our LAST major BOAT Log 14 | With a stress crack in our original forestay chainplate, we were determined to have a new one fabricated to replace it. And of course, the new one n... Know-how: Chainplate Replacement Know-how: Chainplate Replacement. One of the new titanium chainplates in place—all that remains is the cleanup (left); It was a shame to have to cut into the Tayana's woodwork, but it had to be done (right). Everyone dreads the day that something as major and costly as a boat's rigging must be replaced. For my 1984 Tayana 42, Eclipse ... Chainplate Fabrication: Part 3 To properly radius the holes of the chainplate, I use a carbide bur in a high speed hand piece followed up with an abrasive cone in a low speed hand piece. ... Older Post Chainplate Fabrication: ... Outfitting a sailboat to go cruising opens up a world of opportunities to waste your money. Herby and Maddie discuss their top 10 wasted purchases ... Chainplate Fabrication: Part 2 Chainplate Fabrication: Part 2. Herb Benavent. June 8, 2016. The chainplates are mostly polished after running them on the lathe. The grain in the metal is still apparent but the surface is very smooth. Further polish can be achieved if the client desires a mirrored finish. The corners have been radiused to reduce the risk of injury if you bump ... Chainplate fabrication 1128 posts · Joined 2013. #16 · Jun 19, 2020. If your chainplates are typical SS straps, you can buy the proper width and thickness in bar stock. That way they only have to be cut to length as the bar is already the proper width. When had my chainplates fabricated I bought the needed length of 1 1/2" x 1/4" bar stock. Chainplates Revisited Following our review of the new J/133 (PS Oct. 1, '04), in which we recounted a chainplate failure aboard hull No. 3 on its maiden voyage, a reader's letter prompted us to review the manner in which manufacturers design and construct the critical connections between mast, shrouds, and a boat's structure. In the case of the J/133, we ... Chainplate fabrication The plate that the chainplates are fabricated from should be marked with the alloy, the manufacturer, and the heat number. The shop should have a "mill sheet" (analysis) for the heat (batch of metal). If the shop does not have it, the manufacturer should be able to fax it to you. Chainplate fabrication In full disclosure This is a fiberglass boat, sorry if that offends anyone but I have come to trust the opinions of the members of this forum and thought chainplate fabrication is on topic. I am going to have a friend with access to water jetting, laser cutting and all the modern equipment found in a precision machine shop do the machining (if ... TM Industries Whatever the machining need, we are at your service. Our custom manufacturing capabilities range from metal and plastics fabrication, milling, and turning, to MIG/TIG/Stick welding. We specialize in large piece production and quick turn prototypes. We are a service-oriented machine shop, and we go the extra mile for our customers. SilexMfg Large-scale jobs, or a quick turn-around of a small run, we are here to help you achieve your ultimate goal of perfection. Our machine shop is among the best metal fabrication companies in Santa Clara, CA serving customers within Bay Area and beyond. Want a quote? Contact us, by email or phone 408-859-3311. Machine shop offering CAD/CAM ... Advice for Custom Fabrication in CA Dark Mode; Light Mode; menu Log in L.P. Glassblowing, Inc. Phone: 408-988-7561 Fax: 408-988-8981 Email: [email protected] 2322 Calle Del Mundo Santa Clara, California 95054 catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht