Posted: May 18, 2010 - 08:56 PM
Sorry Dave, I only made one of 'em. When I chnaged mine, I realized it would be way easier to push a stick through the tube, as I withdrew the rod, in order to prevent dropping it in the beam. I think it would be pretty easy to tape it to a stick, but you would need two people. Your arms are not long enough to manipulate the stick, & look to see if it is lined up.
I don't buy needing lube on the threads. We used a lot of SS bolts/fitting in a mill I worked at many years ago.(West Coast Vancouver Island salt environment)The mill wrights never used anything on them.
I was concerned the threads of one nut might have been compromised, so I replaced them when I changed my rod. As an experiment we double nutted the cut piece of rod, put it in a large vice, then tried to twist the old nut past some bent threads. Using a 5/8 box end wrench, almost 18" long, it took all the torque I could apply before the nut/rod stripped. The nut was actually hot from the friction. I think there was a bad thread on the rod, or some filings got caught in there, or the rod was not straight. Check for trueness by rolling the rod on a glass table top, it will "click" if it isn't true. You shouldn't be able to strip it without applying a good deal of force, that is a pretty heavy duty rod.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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