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strut alignment material

Shim material has two requirements: 1) need to be incompressible (won't collapse when the bolts are tightened down) & 2) water tolerant.

I've found it is less hassle to just make them on site, as needed, using fiberglass mat 'trimmings' and your favorite brand of epoxy. They are easy to size and shape as needed.

If you have the struts out, I'd also encourage two more actions: 1) replace the thru bolts with the proper sized silicon bronze ones & 2) verify the bonding system's connections to the struts is still serviceable.
 
Mark,

When I pulled the struts a few seasons ago, there were strips of copper about 7 " long and 1" wide in place as shims. They were a few thousands in thickness but seemed to have been there for YEARS.... Would you think this is really the material to use? Must have been water tight seal in place, they had only a well browned patina
 
I wouldn't use copper, Al...too soft for my taste unless you find some old buss bar stock. Silicon bronze fender washers might be acceptable; I've just never seen them.
 
Assuming bronze struts: I'd avoid aluminum, brass, PCV, polyethylene and stainless. If manganese, or silicon bronze was available in thin strips, I'd use them, but I suspect those are near unobtainium. I'm surprised MM vetos the plain copper, I wouldn't think that its softness would cause any long term "flow" issue and the PSI loading is not that great over that many square inches. Copper shim stock is available and long lasting. If you need more than 1/4" of material, that might be best served by a layer of FRP, assuming that's what the hull is. Ditto on the Si-Bronze flat head bolts for the reattach. You can still get that stuff pretty easy, $3 to $9 each 3/8" bolt at Jamestown.
 
BTW, McMaster Carr has a great selection of bronze hardware. That's where I got my replacement silicon bronze strut bolts, washers and nuts.
 
I also need to drill the holes in the boat a little bigger so I can slightly turn the strut. The shaft does not line up with the log. Holes are currently 3/8. Thinking of drilling to 1/2 to give me some play. Any thoughts.
 
Now that I re-read this...It MIGHT just be they were bronze and not pure copper....I have them on the boat, I ill check to see if they are pliable. Thinking about that patina, it was very bronze statue like in color
 
capnandy said:
I also need to drill the holes in the boat a little bigger so I can slightly turn the strut. The shaft does not line up with the log. Holes are currently 3/8. Thinking of drilling to 1/2 to give me some play. Any thoughts.
Click to expand...

If I had to move holes, i'd tend to drill larger holes in the strut, not the boat, just because the strut is replaceable, not the hull. You will have to figure out how to keep the strut stable with oversized holes, 3M4200 should do that nicely.
 
I guess it (shim stock?) is the "thin" (few thousands) that i find too soft. 1/8 thick buss bar (which I think is tempered?) is plenty solid though it doesn't shape well.

Seen a bunch of imported "less than pure product" (especially copper) stuff, too, and if going into salt water would avoid unverified content product labeled "copper" due to galvanic risks....There's at least one story a week about the local "Copper Thieves" on the radio. and its not a local phenomena.

I'd also fill the existing holes in the hull and then relocate the strut and bore new holes in the hull to match. Eliminates the the stability issue DD mentioned.
 
Off topic BUT: a house a few miles from mine was in rough stages of construction by its owner. Saved a few bucks...did a bit more work..etc. ALL of the roughed in copper for plumbing and heating was cut out by thieves right out of the wall studs
 
Sheesh! A few miles from me, some rotten SOBs ripped off a new house's appliances before the guy even got the chance to move it.

Jeff
 
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