The 8" rubber keel rollers on my trailer are starting to show their fatigue of having
the boat rest on them during off seasons. These rollers are made overseas and molded
over a thin steel tube. Mine have plastic end bearings, themselves of questionable life spans.
A 5/8" rod is passed through to the opposite end bearing and is not centrally supported by any bearing.
My first roller, from the aft end of trailer as reference, receives the prow of the boat when hauling out. Initially the load on roller 1 is considerable as it is almost dead on. The prow
slowly creeps up this roller, then on to the rail unit and works it's way along the other rollers.
I have found that I can strengthen the center of roller 1 with regular FG body filler mixed in with cleaned strands of SS wool and course FB cloth threads.
I light a candle and smoke up the center of the steel rod and give it a thorough coat of burnt wax. I put the rod into the roller assemble. I slide a piece of cardboard that fits snuggly against the steel tube, as a stopper onto the rod and work it up the steel tube and rod until until it's about 1" from center. I use a stick for this. From the same end, I put on the regular plastic bearing and push that onto the end of the roller. I then mix enough filler and hardener with SS and fiber and pour it into the cavity until it is about 2 inches thick, being carefull I don't get FG on the upper part of the steel rod(can put a plastic sleeve over it if need be). The mix settles onto the cardboard stopper and forms a container bottom. I generally give ia few taps to settle it out, then remove the sleeve if there is one, then put on the opposite bearing and insert it in the roller.
The glass is so thick it won't leak, but harden quickly. The wax on the rod prevents sticking and forms a lubricant. The glass plug that is created bonds to the steel pipe, but not to the
rod. I intend to do the same on my central roller also to help hold the dead weight. Now the center of the roller is supported and can take the extra shock or fatigue load.
A picture is included.
the boat rest on them during off seasons. These rollers are made overseas and molded
over a thin steel tube. Mine have plastic end bearings, themselves of questionable life spans.
A 5/8" rod is passed through to the opposite end bearing and is not centrally supported by any bearing.
My first roller, from the aft end of trailer as reference, receives the prow of the boat when hauling out. Initially the load on roller 1 is considerable as it is almost dead on. The prow
slowly creeps up this roller, then on to the rail unit and works it's way along the other rollers.
I have found that I can strengthen the center of roller 1 with regular FG body filler mixed in with cleaned strands of SS wool and course FB cloth threads.
I light a candle and smoke up the center of the steel rod and give it a thorough coat of burnt wax. I put the rod into the roller assemble. I slide a piece of cardboard that fits snuggly against the steel tube, as a stopper onto the rod and work it up the steel tube and rod until until it's about 1" from center. I use a stick for this. From the same end, I put on the regular plastic bearing and push that onto the end of the roller. I then mix enough filler and hardener with SS and fiber and pour it into the cavity until it is about 2 inches thick, being carefull I don't get FG on the upper part of the steel rod(can put a plastic sleeve over it if need be). The mix settles onto the cardboard stopper and forms a container bottom. I generally give ia few taps to settle it out, then remove the sleeve if there is one, then put on the opposite bearing and insert it in the roller.
The glass is so thick it won't leak, but harden quickly. The wax on the rod prevents sticking and forms a lubricant. The glass plug that is created bonds to the steel pipe, but not to the
rod. I intend to do the same on my central roller also to help hold the dead weight. Now the center of the roller is supported and can take the extra shock or fatigue load.
A picture is included.
