[Rhodes22-list] Re: Rudder problems and washers

[Saroj]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I'll check that out.

Saroj
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kroposki" <kroposki at innova.net>
To: "'Saroj'" <saroj at pathfind.net>; "'The Rhodes 22 mail list'"
<rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 7:50 AM
Subject: Rudder problems and washers


> Saroj:
> Washers are also available in Teflon at Home Depot.  Generally
> used in plumbing, but might solve your quest for ease of movement and
> non interacting metal.
> Ed K
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Saroj
> Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 6:12 AM
> To: R22 list
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Rudder problems
>
> Thanks Bill and Michael.
>
> <<by non swivel, do you mean frozen or just very hard? Did the painters
> take
> it all apart when they painted it?>>
> >>>>>Don't know for sure until Monday.  Doubt it though. The tiller was
> off
> already -- pretty sure they just removed the bolt that holds and swivels
> the
> rudder. All of it was painted, including the part that goes inside the
> casing.  Before I took it all apart, it would move about 30 degrees on
> its
> swivel, but it was impossible to get all the way down.
>
> Michael, you suggested sanding the rudder down which makes sense except
> that
> it would remove all the paint and I have no idea what it is made out of
> (i.e. is it sandable).  It seems much to curvy and heavy to be wood.  It
> also has had cracks in it along the center seam which I have had epoxied
> and
> glassed over.  As I mentioned there are further cracks where the rope
> holes
> are which I didn't realize until Friday.  Water poured out of one of
> these
> when we took the rudder off the boat.  Can't be good for the inside of
> it.
> Maybe that's why it is so heavy.
>
> One source of the problem is that the boat WAS in Chicago - damp; then
> in
> Arizona - dry, then in Montana - dry; now in Virginia.  However one
> would
> think that the spacers would be expanded now in a damp climate, not the
> other way around.
>
> Before I took the rudder entirely apart, I first loosened the swivel
> bolt,
> still too stiff; then I loosened the lower bolts on the back spacer,
> still
> stiff; then gradually worked my way up.  At no point was I able to get
> the
> rudder to move freely enuf to be able to pull it into the up position or
> fully extended by anything but brute force.
>
> I'm pretty sure the casing is made of aluminum, but since I don't know
> what
> grey pvc looks like I'll have another look at it today and try to
> determine
> that for sure.
>
> The spacers appear to be pressure-treated pine or some other soft wood
> with
> no apparent coating on them.
>
> I realize that in my thoughts about using washers to create additional
> space, I was assuming that all washers are stainless steel.  Now I'm
> wondering if there aren't aluminum washers.  I'll check around today.
>
> It bothers me a little that the wood spacers are completely uncoated.  I
> think my first step ought to be to varnish the spacers.  4 coats or so
> will
> build up their thickness and may be enough to solve the problem.  I will
> probably have to replace the bolts as they appear to be "just" long enuf
> now.
>
> If the rudder still does not swing freely, I'll see about washers.  I'll
> also inspect the rudder more closely today and see if it is warped.  If
> so,
> I'll see about getting a new one from Stan and maybe some new spacers as
> well.
>
> Saroj
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bill Berner" <bberner at optonline.net>
> To: "'Saroj'" <saroj at pathfind.net>; "'The Rhodes 22 mail list'"
> <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2003 10:45 PM
> Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Rudder problems
>
>
> > The bread of the rudder sandwich is called the casing. The rudder,
> tiller,
> > and spacers make up the meat.
> >
> > Are you sure your rudder casing is aluminum.
> >
> > I became much more familiar with mine this Spring than I had ever
> hoped
> to,
> > and it is made of 1/2" sheet PVC. It's a medium grey plastic material.
> The
> > spacers are teak on mine.
> >
> > You very well might need some sort of additional spacers if the teak
> has
> > shrunk down to less than the thickness of the rudder &/or tiller.  I
> had
> > this problem when I sanded and then Varnished my spacers, after
> building a
> > new casing.  My boat club managed to destroy my old one, while the
> boat
> was
> > on the trailer early this spring.
> >
> > I've been messing with adjusting the tightness of the various bolts on
> mine
> > to try to get the right amount of free fall/tension on my rudder and
> tiller.
> >
> > Washers between the casing and the spacers should work fine, as well.
> If
> the
> > casing is indeed aluminum, just use some, Roger help me here,
> dielectric
> > greasw(?) between the casing and the washers.  I seem to recall using
> > something that I think was called Tek-Gel when mating two different
> types
> of
> > metal to avoid galvanic corrosion.
> >
> > BB
> >
> > Bill Berner
> > 191 South Broadway
> > Hastings on Hudson, NY  10706
> >
> > v 914 478 2896
> > f 914 478 3856
> > e BBerner at optonline.net
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> > [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Saroj
> > Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2003 9:10 PM
> > To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> > Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Rudder problems
> >
> > Well, my boat finally was launched on Friday with new bottom paint and
> other
> > minor repairs completed.  I have two problems with the rudder.  It
> does
> not
> > swivel any longer.  I loosened every bolt and finally took some out
> > altogether.  It appears that either the bottom piece is warped or the
> pieces
> > of wood that act as separators for the aluminum housing have shrunk to
> a
> > size smaller than the part that can be raised.  (I hope someone can
> tell
> me
> > the proper names for these things).  I thought I could perhaps insert
> a
> > washer between the wood spacer and the aluminum part, but what about
> two
> > different types of metal touching.  I also considered fiberglassing
> the
> wood
> > which would add thickness and also make it waterproof.  Or I could cut
> more
> > pieces of wood slightly larger thus providing more space.  Any ideas?
> >
> > Also there are small openings inside the holes where the line goes to
> pull
> > up on the rudder.  Water pours out of these after it has been in the
> water.
> > Can't be good for it to get all that water in there.  Should I fill
> these
> > openings with epoxy filler to keep the water out?
> >
> > I'm eager to sail (if it ever stops raining here), but can't until the
> > rudder can be swiveled.
> >
> > Hoping to get this fixed by Thursday to go out over the weekend on the
> boat.
> >
> > Saroj
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >
>
> __________________________________________________
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>