just have to show-off the new pushpit and rails...

[william3045]

after posting a question about bending thick wall 316 stainless tubing here, (or on the general ineterst forum...i can't remember which), i had to show off the results on my h23. its a little "modular" and the center "loop" over the tiller may get raised up or down as its not bolted in place yet, but i'm quite happy with the results. the rails extend to the foremost stanchion and from there will be cable to the pulpit. there will also be a cable midpoint of the stanchions stern to bow. the bending problem proved elegantly simple to solve when my electritian nephew showed-up from texas on an unexpected 2 day vacation and just happened to have his tools, (and bender), in his truck

 

[Rob Morton]

Very Nice

That looks really good. We put rear stanchions on and then ran lifeline with hooks across the back. It sure makes the admiral feel more secure. Woodwork looks nice too!Rob Morton

 

[mike]

awesome

Nice job! Did you get backing plates underneath at the transom and gunnels?

 

[Steve]

Bending Stainless?

I know that a Pipe bender would bend the aluminum but did not think it would bend the stainless. Was this a regular pipe bender or something special?

 

[william3045]

backing plates and bender

there's a single long ss backing plate under both of the 2 side stanctions already, and there will be ss backing plates everywhere else too. still am not quite done yet but already have the stainless sheared and in hand. just need a small dumb child to reach up in there for me. its pretty tight but i actually can reach them myself. the small dumb child, my 21 y/o daughter, isn't that dumb anymore...the best i can do is talk her into holding on the outside for me. the bender was the heavier of his 2 standard conduit benders. believe he said it was for up to 1" and a 6" radius. he had his hands full doing the back-to-back bends for the "U" shape over the tiller but he's quite an artist with it.

 

[Mike in Cape Cod]

Hey William

Hey William- you sound like trailer trash calling your own daughter dumb. You must be quite a Dad.

 

[Dennis]

lighten up Mike

I'm sure Willian was just restating the old saying about "brains vs braun". In his own way he's saying his daughter is too smart to be the "braun" these days. Sheesh!!!

 

[Larry877]

How'd You Do That

William,Do you have any more details on how you did this? I have a bent stern rail on a Hunter 28.5 and am having the darndest time finding anyone in the area who will own up to being able to either repair or replace it. I'd sure be willing to take a stab at this myself if you could provide or point me to more details on what tools you used and how you did this.Thanks.Larry

 

[william3045]

Bending links

Larry, someone sent me some bending links but they're on my other computer. I’m on the road right now using my notebook so don't have them. It will be 2 weeks till I get back but if you e-mail me at wrd@attglobal.net I’ll get them to you then. Actually, my nephew is a 22 y/o journeyman electrician and took one look at things and said sure. Took about one pot of coffee and we were done. He bent, I cut and installed. I personally know nothing about figuring-out where the bends will start and end but there is info on how to do it in the links.Oh, and for Mike in Cape Cod: My daughter is a 3rd yr Chem-E major. She's petite, beautiful, and quite smart enough to appreciate the entendre of my remark...as you obviously are not. Also, my boat, jeep, truck, BMW, and TRAILER, are all paid for. So I think I prefer being "trailer trash" to being arrogant, ill-mannered, and rude.william

 

[Brigg]

Don't stoop

You know William, you only bait them when you respond to them.How do you plan to get into and out of the boat when at the dock? Those rails look pretty high.Brigg

 

[Hugh]

Probably no problem Brigg

I had a very similar railing on my old San Juan 23, with netting installed below the rail. You end up learning a kind of dance putting one leg over and then the other. In the end it really increases security in getting on and off, because the rail is a good handhold for your knees if your hands are full.

 

[william3045]

you're right Brigg...I should have let it be...

I've been around boards enough long enough to know better than to waste my time even responding. (and i thank Dennis for "clearifying" my remark). but enough of that.As to the rail height. They're only about 4" higher than the OEM hunter lines w/ the exception of the cockpit area. (OEM lines taper off to nothing at the stern). last summer i had double lifelines there and found that it really wasn't any problem just stepping over them. So far, as best i can tell i like the rails much better than the lines. as Hugh noted, the extra solidness of the rails vs lines gives you something to actually hold on to. same for going forward. what nobody has "wondered" yet is how i got from the origional 3/4" i believe stanchion diameter to the new 7/8" od stanchions to mate with the rest to the fittings and tubing. ok, thinwall, (.049 wall i believe), has an inside dia right at the od of the origional stanchions. i cut and slipped some thinwall 7/8" stanchion "extensions" over the old stanchions and then drilled and inserted bushings for the midpoint lifeline that hold them solidly in place. i will be replacing the fitting set-screws with 1/4"-28 x 1/2" bolts too. i'll use the marks from the set-screws on the tubing/railing as to where to drill and then run the bolts actually into the railing. i wouldn't trust the set-screws alone to hold my weight if i got thrown hard against the rail. i thought about a gate of some sort but really can't see the extra complication. at least until i am not agile enough to step over whats there.