mast head box

Oct 15, 2015
206
Hi all. I am just getting to work on the mast. It is up on saw horses in my shop. I noticed that fore stay and aft stay toggle attach pins have corroded the aluminum around the pin in the mast head box extrusion flanges. The aluminum is about half the thickness it should be which leads me to believe the fore and aft stay would be very weak in attachment. I cant think of a proper repair for this area other than replacing the head box with another. I know welding is frowned upon but the mast head box is welded to the mast spar. Furthermore, I am not sure if my spar is a Proctor or a Selden. How can you tell? Does anyone have an idea how to repair this or have experience with replacing the head box with another? Suggestions on where to purchase one would be helpful. The Vega is a 1972 #1707. I do have a Miller Tig welder so all work can be done in house. Cheers all.
 
Feb 13, 2010
528
I don'tknow how nuch metal you have around the hole but there seems
to me a couple choices For me I would weld it. The other might be
that the opening was eaten away in a tapered fashion into the hole.
I would say bore the hole out to a bigger size and press a bushing
into it. Either way will likely be about as strong as the
original. Doug

On 05/01/2016 09:40 PM,
alaskaflyfish@... [AlbinVega] wrote: