Need slide rails for cockpit hatch

Feb 13, 2016
551
macgreggor venture 224 ohio river
Theres 2 rails port/starboard that my entry hatch slides, both are cracked and have been repaired once already, is their anyone that sales preferably pre made one in the plastic as i believe its more reliable
 
Sep 25, 2008
294
1970 Venture by Macgregor 21 Clayton, NC
If you have a table saw, and a Loews or Home depot. You can make them quite easily in a couple of hours. First rip the material to width, and then cut a dado in the proper corner. You can use the old ones as a pattern.
Some years ago I made mine as described above out of teak. My cost of the cost of materials which if I remember was less the $20.
 
Jan 12, 2017
8
macgregor venture 2-24 Marble Hill, Georgia
My son and i recently purchased a V224 and was missing the hatch and slide rails as well as some other items for the pop top. I'm going to custom build new from teak. As Knuttle said, a table saw and dado blades and you can make those slide rails easily...
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
I agree with making them yourself... out of plastic or wood, your choice. if plastic, use either PVC, nylon, starboard or delrin, but NOT uhmw plastic, as it will check/crack over time in direct sunlight.
I would suggest that you cut the grooves you need first, then cut the piece to its finished dimension, as this allows for better control while cutting/dadoing the groove....

the teak slider tracks on our 34 were worn out, but rather than go thru the trouble to replace them with another set that may eventually wear out, with them still in place on the boat I used one of the vibrating cutoff saws like harbor freight sells, with a grout blade in it and removed even more material from the groove. then I built some inserts from "teflon impregnated nylon" with a groove that fit over the lip of the sliding hatch, then cut them down until they fit into the teak rails... so now I have a sliding hatch that moves as if its on bearings....
 
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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Obviously everyone is steering you away from the premade rails you asked about. If you do decide to make them yourself, I'd recommend the same HDPE material RudderCraft sells them in.
If I were making them, assuming you have the saw and blades as I do, I'd used stock twice as wide as one slide, dado it right down the middle, and then cut right down the middle of the dado. Presto. Two slides in the time it takes to make one and full stability when making the cuts.