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deck fitting backing material

steven

Sustaining Member
re-bedding and re-backing stantions and some deck fittings. Current backing is plywood, which has gotten wet and has to be replaced. Could stick with ply, but have also read that G10 (FR4) and Al can be used. Which is easiest to work with and best price ? I have been trying to compare but prices and material specs seem to be all over the place. thanks

--Steve
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I added upsized G10 backing plates to all of our stanchion bases and pulpit bases. I cleaned up the underside of the deck in these areas with sanding and some acetone. The new plates were roughed up with some 60 grit and set into epoxy mush. I did have one advantage over you in that the O-34 deck edge where stanchions bolt down is solid glass (no core). You would first need to epoxy-pot the holes, i.e. over drill, clean out the coring under the deck surface with a stubby bent nail in your drill, tape over the under side, and fill up flush with thickened epoxy. Time consuming, but not very technical.
Picture of one of our backing plates in this thread:
 
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wynkoop

Member III
I rebacked some of my cleats with stainless plates, and others with plywood which I saturated in epoxy.

I made the recent discovery that some of my deck fittings came from the factory with NO BACKING. Needless to say they will either be getting epoxy saturated ply or stainless.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Second G10. Difficult to work with but very strong and will never rot

I use the bi-metallic saw blades, and also importantly our local plastics supplier will do basic cut-offs for no charge.
I was able to get my rectangular backing plates, in 4 X 6 inch or whatever, cut by them on their diamond saw. :)
 

markvone

Sustaining Member
I love 1/4 inch thick G10 for this application. It cuts like butter with a $50 wet tile saw from Harbor Freight. straight line cuts for any trapezoidal shape are simple. I’ve gotten 12x 12 X 1/4 sheets from NORVA Plastics on Ebay You can get as many sheets as will fit shipped in a USPS Priority Flat Rate Box. The box is 12 x 12 x 3 (thick) so get them all at once for the whole boat.
Mark
 

bigd14

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
G10 for sure!

I tried and destroyed many types of saw blades, and contaminated my shop, backyard and tools with toxic-smelling dust, before I found a solution for dry sawing that I liked (I agree a wet tile saw would be ideal). I found the easiest and least messy technique for me is to use a jig saw with a diamond grit blade. You don't get quite the accuracy of a tile saw, or circular saw, but it creates a lot less dust and I really hate that G10 dust smell (and its a backing plate, so who cares if its a little off!). Cutting G10 creates really nasty sharp edges and corners and I also really hate finding sharp stuff like that when I am reaching into a blind spot to hold a fastener. So to ease those edges and corners I use some 60 grit self-stick longboard fairing sandpaper stuck to a board and run the piece over it. 3x quicker than a power sander and all the dust stays right on the board so you can simply tap the dust into a bin when you are done.
 

steven

Sustaining Member
thanks all. went with ply for now.

However, I have a question on the E35-2 stanchion system.

Most of the stanchions have molded bases in the deck. However have the stanchion near the chain plate - the one I just re-bedded - does not. So it seems that it requires a base (not just backing) of something (G10, Al, SS, hardwood, epoxy/ply) where the other stanchions should not require a base. Anyone know why the factory may have left out this obvious (to me) part of the structure ? I have a 1976 - maybe it's different elsewhere in the production run ?
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
thanks all. went with ply for now.

However, I have a question on the E35-2 stanchion system.

Most of the stanchions have molded bases in the deck. However have the stanchion near the chain plate - the one I just re-bedded - does not. So it seems that it requires a base (not just backing) of something (G10, Al, SS, hardwood, epoxy/ply) where the other stanchions should not require a base. Anyone know why the factory may have left out this obvious (to me) part of the structure ? I have a 1976 - maybe it's different elsewhere in the production run ?
I have seen 70's models where there deck mold did not have a molded-in mounting for a stanchion base forward by each shroud, and the single lifeline was seized to the shroud. This worked OK back when the shrouds were led to a chainplate just inside the raised frp toe rail. It solved the visual conflict of a stanchion crowded up nearly against the shroud. Or, at least that's my opinion on the scheme. (YMMV, and this is IMHO).
On the other subject of sawing the 'G10' material (or other dust-producing material)... just take your old shop vac and tape (for hold) the intake end of the 3" hose near the saw blade; it will slurp up the dust on the fly.
 

steven

Sustaining Member
Thanks Loren. Are you saying I could remove that stanchion and just run the lifeline through an eye lashed to the shroud ? (outer ? inner ? does it matter which one). Sure would save lots of trouble. The stanchion and the shroud are only a few inches apart. The load transmitted to the chround by pulling on the lifeline would seem (without doing the calculation) to be way below what the shroud is designed for.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Thanks Loren. Are you saying I could remove that stanchion and just run the lifeline through an eye lashed to the shroud ? (outer ? inner ? does it matter which one). Sure would save lots of trouble. The stanchion and the shroud are only a few inches apart. The load transmitted to the chround by pulling on the lifeline would seem (without doing the calculation) to be way below what the shroud is designed for.
As noted, I have seen it on lots of stock boats, but I am not an engineer. As for the 'load' on the shroud, this would be minor compared to what the rig puts on it. When you grab a shroud and put your full weight on it to step up from or down to the dock, there is no danger to the wire. Personally I prefer the 80's idea that the lifelines should be a separate 'system' from the standing rig. It looks better, if nothing else.
It's worth recalling that lifelines transitioned from being an option in the 60's/70's (not sure of date) when racing rules began to require a continuous wire XX inches above the deck, and a stanchion/support every XX inches. Then customers started demanding/expecting them on new boats.
Racing rules and regs led to a number of safety features that younger sailors take for granted.
Apropos of whatever, I used to attend the annual PIYA meetings in Bellingham, carpooling with a local yacht designer who was on their safety committee. We had some great discussions, riding for 5 hours up the I-5.
 
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garryh

Member III
"Most of the stanchions have molded bases in the deck. However have the stanchion near the chain plate - the one I just re-bedded - does not. "
It would be my guess that the stanchion if it looks different was added by a previous owner and no base was installed. It seems most (if not all) 35-2's were originally missing this stanchion.
Adding a midships stanchion is one of my deck projects. I just do not like the lifelines draped on the shrouds. It is unsightly and just a bad design with friction etc.
 
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