Can I weld this in situ?

[raybobsky]

Aluminum will melt before stainless takes, ruining mast, stainless rivets with stainless sleeves would be best replacement method, new tang would be best also, in the overall scheme of things, too small a price part to put your life in jeopardy!

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by raybobsky

Aluminum will melt before stainless takes, ruining mast, stainless rivets with stainless sleeves would be best replacement method, new tang would be best also, in the overall scheme of things, too small a price part to put your life in jeopardy!

+1

Per mounting it using nylon washer to reduce or eliminate corrosion, I vote against that. Part of the strength comes from full contact to the mast. You do not want to rely solely on the bolts or pop- rivets.

[AKA-None]

As implied you can’t weld in place properly. Full stop. You can take it off and weld it. The weld will not fail but the part may fail elsewhere. You can use a bolt through if you weld a pipe between the bolt holes so the mast doesn’t compress where the bolt goes through the mast. I doubt the mast itself has been heat treated after forming as that would require a large oven or heat blankets. Remake the part and replace it with new. Repair any new damage created by improper repair attempts.

[2hulls4me]

Problem with stainless rivets or screws attached to aluminum is corrosion/electrolysis particularly on the inside of the mast that you cannot see. Inevitably, it will spread like a fungus and weaken the whole area, especial at the point where the screws/rivets exit on the inside of the mast.

That being said, most mast-break repairs involving screws incorporate a alumn sleeve on the inside of the mast to strengthen the repair. If your’s doesn’t, you have a serious problem and I would think long and hard about replacing the mast.

...and that too being said, I had a 41’ sloop that circumnavaged twice, one of which had a repaired mast that did incorporate a sleeve and also used stainless rivets. The “strap” arround the outside was closer to six inches wide; in contrast, yours looks pretty narrow and prolly offers little strength to the existing repair. Good luck