stanchion
- Thread starter Larry D West
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I hope someone actually posts a response for this, because I need to do the same thing on my H30, and I cant get them off either. The caps are cast Aluminum and the stanchions are stainless steel, and they've been on there for 27 years. I'd get new stanchions, but the price is ridiculous. Caps are only $12
Dave
Dave
I would call these guys: Tops_In_Quality . Great company and they have seen it all. I'm betting that they will help.
I've never done it but they are probably badly galled in being dissimilar metals, and stainless is particularly prone to galling when tightly fitted to itself or other metals. Galling is when metals fitted together tear into each other due to friction and pressure and turn what is a snug fit into an interference fit, the tearing away and redepositing of material from the ID of the stanchion make it very tight and especially when the OD of the aluminum cap has done the same thing.
What you don't want to do is squeeze the end of the stanchion with a stilsen wrench or channel locks while trying to spin the cap free, that will make it worse and maybe egg out the end. I'd probably get a sharp punch and some twist drills in various sizes and drill from the top successively large holes in the cap until what's left of the cap spins with the drill and you can pull it out, or it's so thin you can collapse it and remove it. it would speed it up if you had an angle grinder and a cutting wheel to cut off all but about an eighth of an inch of the caps before you start the drilling. Your drill motor's chuck will probably only take 3/8ths or 1/2 inch drills and you'll need reduced shank drills for the larger sizes. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_16131_16131
What you don't want to do is squeeze the end of the stanchion with a stilsen wrench or channel locks while trying to spin the cap free, that will make it worse and maybe egg out the end. I'd probably get a sharp punch and some twist drills in various sizes and drill from the top successively large holes in the cap until what's left of the cap spins with the drill and you can pull it out, or it's so thin you can collapse it and remove it. it would speed it up if you had an angle grinder and a cutting wheel to cut off all but about an eighth of an inch of the caps before you start the drilling. Your drill motor's chuck will probably only take 3/8ths or 1/2 inch drills and you'll need reduced shank drills for the larger sizes. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_16131_16131
It wouldn't hurt I guess to just try some quick heat from a hand propane torch (keep the blue tip of the flame at least an inch away from the stainless and only heat it for about half a minute moving the torch all the way around the stanchion, you don't want to overheat it and discolor your stanchion) a light twist with a phillips head screw driver that fits snugly in the lifeline hole might break it free, but don't give it a sustained twisting torque, just some quick jerks right after you heat the stanchion. If you had a chunk of dry ice or a hose from an upside down jug of refrigerant to quickly cool the cap right before you gave it a twist that would increase your chances of avoiding the drilling.
You might be able to twist it after heating it if you could get the roll pin out first. I've tried a punch and it wouldn't budge. I tried heat and cooling method on the roll pin and it didn't work either.
Dave
Dave
Okay: You can get new caps for $12 or new stanchions for $28. Which way are you would you go?
Actually this is the price for the stanchion without a base but it is still a good price. Bases would cost you another $28 if you cannot remove the tubes from the bases.
http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=44
Actually this is the price for the stanchion without a base but it is still a good price. Bases would cost you another $28 if you cannot remove the tubes from the bases.
http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=44
Aren't those stanchions for a base that bolts to the stanchion tube. Mine are welded to a funky base that is angled a couple of times. It's bolted through the deck, the toe rail vertical and horizontal.
I do suppose a welder could cut off the old tube grind down the base and weld the new tube back on. There is also a support loop at the base that would need to be welded on. Now we're on to something.
Dave
I do suppose a welder could cut off the old tube grind down the base and weld the new tube back on. There is also a support loop at the base that would need to be welded on. Now we're on to something.
Dave
Dave:
Contact Garhauer directly. I would try to speak with Mark. My sailing buddy purchased an entire set of stanchions from them several years ago to replace all of the old ones.
They can take care of you. You might check to see if they have any discounts going on if you purchase a full set of them.
Contact Garhauer directly. I would try to speak with Mark. My sailing buddy purchased an entire set of stanchions from them several years ago to replace all of the old ones.
They can take care of you. You might check to see if they have any discounts going on if you purchase a full set of them.
Thanks Steve,
I've dealt with Mark before, when I purchased all of my blocks. I also met him at one of the strictly sail shows a few years back. You're right, he's great to work with. I need a full set, and at about $168 for the set, it sure beats tops in Quality. You couldn't even get two whole ones for that price. My bases are in good shape, and can be used again. I wonder what it would cost to have all of them welded if I grind off the old ones?
Dave
I've dealt with Mark before, when I purchased all of my blocks. I also met him at one of the strictly sail shows a few years back. You're right, he's great to work with. I need a full set, and at about $168 for the set, it sure beats tops in Quality. You couldn't even get two whole ones for that price. My bases are in good shape, and can be used again. I wonder what it would cost to have all of them welded if I grind off the old ones?
Dave
Drill it out to about 3/8", tap the hole, and thread a screw into it, then use the screw to work the cap off the SS stanchion.
I have never encountered this hassle before-- mine are all-SS with welded caps-- but I've removed enough ancient hardware off my spar to absolutely HATE how old SS and old aluminum seem to love each other so much. (It's almost as bad as trying to get my daughter away from her boyfriend.)
I have never encountered this hassle before-- mine are all-SS with welded caps-- but I've removed enough ancient hardware off my spar to absolutely HATE how old SS and old aluminum seem to love each other so much. (It's almost as bad as trying to get my daughter away from her boyfriend.)
Dave, in position welding your stanchions to those plates would be tough imho. My boat's the same as yours and each stanchion has a slightly different angle to the base and has those fore and aft bent gussets to contend with. I had to take one of mine off once when I broke it at the base and I brought it on to a job where a guy I work with who is a talented welder spent his whole lunch hour with a die grinder and a TIG machine getting it perfect. The bases have holes in them under the stanchions btw so you can't just grind them off flat and weld away, you'll melt holes in your deck. And getting at the nuts under the deck to remove and re-install the plates is a vicious pain, especially the two outboard ones closest to where the hull meets the deck. I wouldn't give up on the caps just yet. Can't you drill out those roll pins?
Stanchions
I have a great welder here and he says that it looks really simple. He's done them before. The hardest part will be accessing the heads of the bolts. They are all pretty open, so it doesn't look all that bad. If it comes down to it, I'll grind the bolts off from the top. As for the loops, Mine only have one on each stanchion and they face inboard. With the base plates off the boat, it will be easy.
Dave
I have a great welder here and he says that it looks really simple. He's done them before. The hardest part will be accessing the heads of the bolts. They are all pretty open, so it doesn't look all that bad. If it comes down to it, I'll grind the bolts off from the top. As for the loops, Mine only have one on each stanchion and they face inboard. With the base plates off the boat, it will be easy.
Dave
If you are welding SS that is no problem (assuming that the welder knows what they are doing).
The problem arises from the polishing of stainless after it is welded. It can take a long time to remove the carbon from the weld and surrounding area.
The problem arises from the polishing of stainless after it is welded. It can take a long time to remove the carbon from the weld and surrounding area.
I was under the impression from what you wrote that the only reason you were considering the full stanchion replacement was because it was going to be easier but just a bit more expensive than removing 4 aluminum plugs from 4 pieces of stainless pipe. It's your boat, time and money my friend, I wish you the best and maybe I can still offer some helpful boat project advice: Meticulously ice down a cooler or ice box full of really good beer before you start, but don't crack one until you're at (or at least very near) the cleanup phase - the hardest jobs seem to move along for me nicely when ever I do this.
After doing the math, buying just the stanchion tubes and welding them to the existing bases will cost about 1/2 of what replacing the complete stanchion would. It will be a little more work that replacing the whole thing, but hey, I've got all summer to replace them. I'm thinking one at a time will be easiest.
Dave
Dave
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