My handrails (1968 E-30 but they look like yours from the pictures) were originally straight as made but bent into place when installed. They were also skinny, probably on the order of 5/8" thick so they were easy to bend. The off the shelf units I've seen are much more robust, more like an inch thick at the base. I don't know how easy they would be to bend but, as with any piece of wood, the longer the piece the easier it is to bend.
Ericson 27: electrical, deck, bottom
- Thread starter Scyph
- Start date
Scyph
Member I
A couple resolutions
The Radio
I went up the mast. Nothing was wrong with the antenna connection. In a fit of desperation, I noticed a little power switch on the radio: high and low power. I tried a radio check on high power. It responded back with a bit of static.
Then I remembered reading somewhere that the radio might eat the first few seconds of transmission. My handheld doesn't, but my ancient stationary Titan might. I tried the radio check more patiently and slowly... and it worked!
But I still couldn't get my radios to talk to each other. Here's why. In the world of cell phones, I was used to a half-a-second delay between speaking and hearing my own voice in the other cell phone. With the radio, though, there's no delay (beyond the speed of light limitation). My other radio was playing my transmission at pretty much the exact same instance I was speaking it---so I couldn't hear it.
Mandatory cliche "See? I had my camera with me on the mast!" photograph:
By the way, the reason I'd gone up the mast was to mount a windex. Which I'd forgotten to buy. Only realized it on top of the mast:redface:.
The Rails
Next year, I'll buy and through-bold new teak rails. This year, I decided to keep the ones I have. I'd ripped them out, and stuck <s>chewing gum</s> butyl tape underneath them before through-bolting them the best I could. I couldn't get nuts onto some of the glued-in bolts.
I drilled holes into the cabin all the way through the liner.
Then I made them bigger and dremmeled them to 3/4". The existence of hole saws has occured to me, but I didn't feel like driving all the way to Gloucester's faraway Home Depot.
The little shiny caps you see below came from a nearby upholstery store. They had to special order them for me, which ended up costing me $2 apiece. Upholsterers use them for chairs and the like, when they have to cap the end of at pipe. I don't think any of the previous owners have figured out where these things come from, and the only reason I did was because my marina manager told me to try asking there. Without her, it would never have occurred to me.
Today, I'll replace the ugly rusted ones in the background. I just need to get off my butt and drive to the upholstery store.
The Radio
I went up the mast. Nothing was wrong with the antenna connection. In a fit of desperation, I noticed a little power switch on the radio: high and low power. I tried a radio check on high power. It responded back with a bit of static.
Then I remembered reading somewhere that the radio might eat the first few seconds of transmission. My handheld doesn't, but my ancient stationary Titan might. I tried the radio check more patiently and slowly... and it worked!
But I still couldn't get my radios to talk to each other. Here's why. In the world of cell phones, I was used to a half-a-second delay between speaking and hearing my own voice in the other cell phone. With the radio, though, there's no delay (beyond the speed of light limitation). My other radio was playing my transmission at pretty much the exact same instance I was speaking it---so I couldn't hear it.
Mandatory cliche "See? I had my camera with me on the mast!" photograph:
By the way, the reason I'd gone up the mast was to mount a windex. Which I'd forgotten to buy. Only realized it on top of the mast:redface:.
The Rails
Next year, I'll buy and through-bold new teak rails. This year, I decided to keep the ones I have. I'd ripped them out, and stuck <s>chewing gum</s> butyl tape underneath them before through-bolting them the best I could. I couldn't get nuts onto some of the glued-in bolts.
I drilled holes into the cabin all the way through the liner.
Then I made them bigger and dremmeled them to 3/4". The existence of hole saws has occured to me, but I didn't feel like driving all the way to Gloucester's faraway Home Depot.
The little shiny caps you see below came from a nearby upholstery store. They had to special order them for me, which ended up costing me $2 apiece. Upholsterers use them for chairs and the like, when they have to cap the end of at pipe. I don't think any of the previous owners have figured out where these things come from, and the only reason I did was because my marina manager told me to try asking there. Without her, it would never have occurred to me.
Today, I'll replace the ugly rusted ones in the background. I just need to get off my butt and drive to the upholstery store.
That's what mine look like in the head except the plugs are actually made of teak. They don't rust. You can also get them in plastic. For the rest, there is an inside handrail exactly the same as the ones on the exterior but upside down, through-bolted back to back. Very handy. You can always reach up and grab it when under way. Also handy for hanging foulies, and bungeeing fishing rods and boat hooks.
Scyph
Member I
I might go the "inside handrails" route as well. The only problem (and this may be an indication of a much bigger problem) is that there's space in some places between my liner and the cabin top.
On this subject, is the cabin top cored? I saw core in places, but not everywhere... which may mean it's so rotten in some places that it disintegrated, rotted away, and got pumped out of the bilge. Oddly, the cabin top is solid.
No, there's a space in there between the liner and the deck. There has to be some solid block or spacer between the two sets of rails. I will be removing them soon, for the same reason, so I'll find out. There may also be a detail sketch in the back of the manual, I seem to recall.
There are also some areas around the mast that are plywood-cored as opposed to balsa-core elsewhere - not sure if there's a difference in thickness.
There are also some areas around the mast that are plywood-cored as opposed to balsa-core elsewhere - not sure if there's a difference in thickness.
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toddbrsd
Ex-Viking, Now Native American
McMaster Carr...Remember the name!
Those metal "plugs" are available from McMaster-Carr for a fraction of what you paid. Take a look at what they offer. You'll be glad you did!
http://www.mcmaster.com/#sundry-plugs/=i1u8gu
Those metal "plugs" are available from McMaster-Carr for a fraction of what you paid. Take a look at what they offer. You'll be glad you did!
http://www.mcmaster.com/#sundry-plugs/=i1u8gu
The reason you got core out of some holes and not others is that the core is only under the deck and not the cabin sides. The handrails on my E29 are right at the edge of the core and so some were through core whil others weren't. I bolted interior handrails to the outside ones and didn't use spacers. I just bolted the exterior ones on tight to the cabin top by threading washers and nuts through holes in the liner and then put the interior rail on and bolted it snug against the liner. Also, you might want to pre-bend the interior rails first as the outside ones are curved.
Cam
Cam
Scyph
Member I
:headb: I didn't know what they were called (sundry plugs), so I couldn't find them online. Won't be repeating that $38-dollar mistake.
But the McMaster-Carr is an awesome resource! I wish I'd known about it earlier. It's like a dream come true, every single thingie I'd been wanting and not finding locally is THERE!!!!
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er... "sundry" is just shop-keeper speak for "miscellaneous."
Also don't overlook Grainger for supplies. They have enough warehouses around that I can place an order on-line up to about 8 pm and they get it on a UPS truck for delivery by the next afternoon at ground rates. It's cheaper than the fuel to drive to Home Depot.
Also don't overlook Grainger for supplies. They have enough warehouses around that I can place an order on-line up to about 8 pm and they get it on a UPS truck for delivery by the next afternoon at ground rates. It's cheaper than the fuel to drive to Home Depot.
davisr
Member III
interior handrails
Doug,
Scyph said he might add interior handrails. I'm curious to know how you joined yours to the cabin top, particularly with regard to the exterior handrails. Do you have bolts that run from the exterior handrails all the way through to the interior? Seems that this would require especially long and slender bolts.
Regards,
Roscoe
Doug,
Scyph said he might add interior handrails. I'm curious to know how you joined yours to the cabin top, particularly with regard to the exterior handrails. Do you have bolts that run from the exterior handrails all the way through to the interior? Seems that this would require especially long and slender bolts.
Regards,
Roscoe
I did use rather long and slender bolts. And now that I remember, the bolts were a little too long. So when the liner compressed the ends of the bolts stuck out of the handrail. I had to cut them off to aviod a nasty head-gouger. Consequently I did not put bungs in the inside rails. It was a real PITA getting it all together.
I used really long bolts. I bolted the exterior rails on tight to the cabin top and then put the interior rails on snug against the liner then marked the bolts. Then I pulled the rails off (which was very difficult as it was a snug fit) and cut the bolts down with an angle grinder. Then I reassembled and glued in the bungs. I used rather large bungs so that I could get a socket in there to tighten the nuts.
davisr
Member III
handrail bolts
The bolts in my handrails are extremely slender - so slender that the only way to grip the heads of the bolts is with a pair of needle nose pliers. Makes it very difficult to tighten and loosen the nuts. I think if I add interior handrails, I'll follow CamD's lead and make the holes larger so a ratchet wrench will fit in there.
The bolts in my handrails are extremely slender - so slender that the only way to grip the heads of the bolts is with a pair of needle nose pliers. Makes it very difficult to tighten and loosen the nuts. I think if I add interior handrails, I'll follow CamD's lead and make the holes larger so a ratchet wrench will fit in there.
Hmm... you guys have got me curious now. Maybe I'll take mine off tomorrow if it isn't raining. I had been planning to build the battery box and propane locker. All of the interior screw heads (that I removed) that were under plugs were bronze slotted-head, but the slots were filled with glue or putty. I had to clean it out with a pick before I could unscrew them. A squirt of water helped immensely to loosen up the stuff.
Oh, and if there's a hex head on the other side, maybe a nut-driver could fit in there where a socket wrench won't?
Oh, and if there's a hex head on the other side, maybe a nut-driver could fit in there where a socket wrench won't?
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davisr
Member III
nut driver for handrails
Good point about the nut driver, Toddster. I've used large-sized nut driver's many times before, but it looks like there are more petite versions out there that would be suitable for this sort of job.
http://www.amazon.com/Wiha-26591-Pr...wer-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1340412845&sr=1-21
Roscoe
Good point about the nut driver, Toddster. I've used large-sized nut driver's many times before, but it looks like there are more petite versions out there that would be suitable for this sort of job.
http://www.amazon.com/Wiha-26591-Pr...wer-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1340412845&sr=1-21
Roscoe
Scyph
Member I
The inner workings of a ruddy rudder
When the previous owner ran my boat aground last year, the rudder shaft got bent and the rudder used to rub on the underside of the hull. I couldn't un-bend it without a hefty monetary expense. Instead, I shaved about 1/8" off of the rubbing part. I had to go through the gel coat to what I think is fiberglass underneath. Except, it has the weirdest foam-like texture. It feels solid and doesn't look like it lets water in. Maybe I'm looking at the side of fiberglass sheets with a heavy dose of epoxy?
Does anyone know what Ericson rudders should look like inside? Just to be safe, I'll seal the shaved edge before painting it with anti-fouling paint. What's the best way of sealing it? Can I just brush epoxy over it?
In other news, I got my boat hauled out, sanded the old peeling anti-fouling paint, and put on a new coat. The huge recoring project is still looming ahead of me.
When the previous owner ran my boat aground last year, the rudder shaft got bent and the rudder used to rub on the underside of the hull. I couldn't un-bend it without a hefty monetary expense. Instead, I shaved about 1/8" off of the rubbing part. I had to go through the gel coat to what I think is fiberglass underneath. Except, it has the weirdest foam-like texture. It feels solid and doesn't look like it lets water in. Maybe I'm looking at the side of fiberglass sheets with a heavy dose of epoxy?
Does anyone know what Ericson rudders should look like inside? Just to be safe, I'll seal the shaved edge before painting it with anti-fouling paint. What's the best way of sealing it? Can I just brush epoxy over it?
In other news, I got my boat hauled out, sanded the old peeling anti-fouling paint, and put on a new coat. The huge recoring project is still looming ahead of me.
Your rudder has a foam core, and you must seal ii, or it will become saturated, and ultimately run a high risk of failure. To seal it, you need to build up a protective layer of fiberglass. "Painting" it with epoxy will not be sufficient. For a real look at how our rudders are made, you can check out my rudder recoring project here:
http://home.comcast.net/~independence31/rudder/rudder-intro.html
http://home.comcast.net/~independence31/rudder/rudder-intro.html