Settee back cushions

[DannyS]

Our O'day 35 settee back cushions have these aluminum tubes attached that hook onto wooden blocks on the main bulkhead and the partial bulkheads at the nav station and galley. The screws securing the aluminum tubes are pulling out of the plywood so I brought them home to fix. I've owned the boat for ten years and haven't really given them any thought until now. They seem really half-assed now that I'm looking at them and not something that would seem to be factory installed. Can anyone with a 34 or 35 weigh in on what your cushion backs look like? I'm thinking of replacing them with a wooden railing material so that I can countersink the screws into the rail because now, with the aluminum tube, the screw heads sit proud of the tube and scar the other wood around it when raising and lowering the cushion.

 

[Euphoria2011]

I have an 83 28 and mine are the same. Every year or two I have to do what you are doing, only I have to drill out another hole....

 

[LeslieTroyer]

why not drill the tube with ~ 1/2" on one side - and go with shorter screws -- then you won't need to countersink as the screw head will be 3/4" from the top of the tube.... I would also see If a nutzert (sp??) would work in the wood then use machine screws

 

[DannyS]

Good idea Leslie, I though about that as well. It's just a bad design overall because it's still a pivot point (round object attached to a flat surface). I thought maybe the handrail material might be better because it has a flat surface that keeps it from wanting to roll. Maybe I'm overthinking it though, since we're going on ten years and this is the first time I've had to fix it.

 

[rajhnsn]

I have the same tube attached to the back of the back cushions on Graceful-lee. The screws are pulling out and whenever I move the cushion to the top position to create the bunk, the screws scratch the wood. Its a PITA. Let me know what you come up with and I may do the same.

 

[Harlan]

I think Leslie has it right. Drill hole large enough for the screw head to pass thru the tube and then tighten a short screw against the ID of the tube that is next to the cushion. (Your screw driver now passes thru the tube to get to the screw.) And add a few more screws for more support. Has worked well with no scratches for many years. And don't forget to use the little wooden swing up support that supports the lower part of the cushion in middle of the length.

 

[fred1diver]

would it be possible to install velcro or snap studs?
on my small boat the settee backrests are held in place by a snap

 

[DannyS]

Fred, no, the back rests are hung on wooden brackets on either end and there are two positions, one for sitting on the settee and one that is higher for more room when sleeping.
Here is my solution. I used Home Depot bought wooden handrail material. I like this better than the aluminum tube because the profile of the hand rail has a flat side that prevents the piece from rolling on the tangent point where the aluminum and plywood backer meet. This rolling is the reason that the screws loosen up over time.
If anyone here decides to do the same modification, note that the cut ends are mitered at approximately a ten degree angle because the cushions do not sit perpendicular to the bulkheads. Take note of the orientation of the angle prior to removing the tube.

 

[3redheads]

I used 2 hole conduit straps to hold mine down.

 

[odaydokay]

I have the same system on my 28 but these never pulled out. The plastic caps fall out when changing from high to low positions so I filled them with caulk end of issue. For your problem, the screws have stripped the wood I guess and what I would do is install a couple of plastic inserts or better yet threaded T-nuts as used in masonry or fine furniture, right size for those screws. For t-nuts new machine screws of course. You will have to bore the plywood out a bit to size things right. Once you do, the wood cannot get stripped again and you should be good for years or forever. It is never correct from a (in furniture) woodworking standpoint to screw directly into wood when they is movement and stresses involved.

 

[gatrnoles2]

I used the conduit straps as well, year after year I had to re screw, anchor and re screw. Now they are holding great. I am also thinking about some sort of gadget to keep the piece of wood from the hull to the back rest in place. It always falls down.