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#1 29 Jun 2015 5:53 am

wilddog
Member
From: Devon
Registered: 22 Dec 2013
Posts: 143

Skerry Rudder Gudgeon

Hello Chaps,

Bit of an issue with my Skerry rudder gudgeon that popped a screw when we were sailing on Saturday.

I was mindful at the time that the top fixing on the plans runs the risk of a fixing penetrating the aft buoyancy tank and that at the location where the fixing was to be attached the ply was only about 6mm thick, all be it reinforced with fibre glass tape. My worry was that this was not a very secure place to drive in a screw and that I did not have much chance of drawing the gudgeon flat to the hull with so little purchase. When I fitted the gudgeon, which I tried my level best to shape to the hull, there was a very small gap between the gudgeon and the hull when the job was done. Clearly this was not secure enough nd the screw has now popped out, probably shredding the screw hole thread.

I am now wondering how to fix this. My preferred fix is to try to apply a small hardwood or ply patch to the inside of the aft buoyancy tank on both sides where the seat means the stern, to allow me to using longer fixings to draw the gudgeon flat. But this may require high-level gynecological skills as the only opening to access this is through the small 4inch inspection port on the aft frame.

The other idea was to create a ball of epoxy putty and wodge this into the corner. Does anyone know of a suitable product and would the dried epoxy take a screw as well as a chunk of timber?

Thanks for any help.

Andy


Built a Skerry!

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#2 29 Jun 2015 6:00 pm

jbmerv
Member
Registered: 25 Mar 2014
Posts: 24

Re: Skerry Rudder Gudgeon

I would have thought epoxy really well thickened with wood flour (to a consistency where it will hold it's shape) would work, but you probably need to drill a pilot hole for the screws, to avoid the risk of the epoxy cracking.

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#3 29 Jun 2015 7:09 pm

wilddog
Member
From: Devon
Registered: 22 Dec 2013
Posts: 143

Re: Skerry Rudder Gudgeon

Thanks. Paul at FB has come up with a rather ingenious solution that I think will work.

The solution involves threading a piece if copper wire through the existing hole in the hull into the aft buoyancy tank and then through a wooden block. A string is attached to the the other side of the block and fed out of the inspection hatch on the aft bulkhead. Very thick epoxy is then applied to the side of the block that meeting the inside of the hull and the block is drawn back to the hull by the wire and the wire is tied off until the epoxy cures enough to allow the first fixing to be applied - this will then hold the block in place and the copper wire can be removed.

Sounds pretty clever to me.

Paul also suggested the thickened epoxy idea might work, but if it was possible to implement it, the wood block idea is the best solution.

Andy


Built a Skerry!

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#4 6 Aug 2015 6:47 pm

Derek Blay
Member
Registered: 16 Sep 2014
Posts: 17

Re: Skerry Rudder Gudgeon

A bit late with this but have you considered using the expanding toggle typo fasteners  used to fix  things to plasterboard walls, hollow door panels etc

These are fitted from one side  without need for access to the back

Screwfix or similar probably have them in stainless steel

Derek Blay

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