First 285 sail slides

Jun 28, 2021
2
Beneteau 285 MilfordLake
Trying to replace slides on main and they are metric 15 mm by 30 mm and i can get slightly larger standard measure slides and grind them to size but all are too thick, maybe 3 mm and need to be 2mm or a bit less and hard to grind down evenly, is there a source for metric slides?
 
Jun 28, 2021
2
Beneteau 285 MilfordLake
flat footed, central kansas, few sail lofts, Lawrence has one but they just have the standard ronston.
 
Oct 27, 2010
119
E-22 e-22 Stratford
Trying to replace slides on main and they are metric 15 mm by 30 mm and i can get slightly larger standard measure slides and grind them to size but all are too thick, maybe 3 mm and need to be 2mm or a bit less and hard to grind down evenly, is there a source for metric slides?
The standard 5/8" flat slide is 30mm x 15.75mm wide. The slide thickness is 3.3mm and the waist is 6.5mm.
Bainbridge A007 and the Challenge SITN5 are two common ones and there is the Holt Allen one as well: SHA89...all the same. The Challenge one has the thinnest waist, but all of them are around the 3.3 thick slide.

Your not going to find one that is 2mm or less...at least that I have ever seen (45 years of doing this) primarily because 2mm isn't enough plastic to have any integrity.
If the standard size doesn't fit, there must be something else going on??

I've built two 285 mains this spring and both used the slide above.
I have them in hand if you need some. Are you capable of hand sewing them on with webbing? If not you'll need a plastic shackle to fit them to the eyelets.
Bob Pattison
Neil Pryde Sails