PVC Spreaders? (For a 24'er?)

[pressuredrop]

boat is a 24 ft. islander...

in a previous thread i disucssed the round nubs bolted to the mast where the spreaders attach to. the nubs are aluminum 1" cylinders with a stainless threaded rod through them and nuts on each end.

finding aluminum with a 1" i.d. is impossible, i give up...

due to the aluminum stainless interaction i cannot even get the nubs off to to machine them down to fit 1" o.d. pipe...

if i can find a piece of thick wall pvc that fits right (what are the chances?) is this even moderately acceptable? i will paint them the protect from the uv..

the spreaders will be 3 feet each...

any other ideas? wood is a last resort

[pandora]

Alumium tube 1-1/4x.090 has id=1.070
Aluminum pipe 1" sch.40 has: 1.315x1.049x.133 (ODxIDxWall)
We made this type of spreader for Cape Dory 19 "Typhoon"

Yakov

[fstbttms]

Call Seal's Spars & Rigging in Alameda, CA. He specializes in small Plastic Classics.

510.521.7730

[Jim Cate]

G'Day PD,

Wouldn't advise PVC or any thermoplastic material for spreaders. Such materials are not nearly stiff enough to take the combined compression and cantilever loads presented to spreaders, even at normal temperatures. Then consider what happens if you have the boat sitting in hot sunlight for a while... yikes!

Didn't see your previous post about the "nubs", but one could consider using 1" diam aluminum tube with a short machined 1" ID adaptor at the join, possibly best welded to the spreader itself. Shouldn't be so very expensive...

Good luck, and cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Lake MacQuarie, NSW, Oz

PS You do realize that if a spreader collapses while sailing the mast will surely be destroyed...

[SabreKai]

I'll second Jims comments. PVC tubing is a really bad idea for spreaders. You are pretty much guaranteeing your mast will fall over. 1 inch ID pvc about 2.5-3 feet long can be bent into the neatest semi circle with ease at normal temperatures. Possibly stuffing an oak dowel into it would help with stiffness and bending but its not worth loosing your stick.


Sabre

[pressuredrop]

found some 1" schd 40 alu, going with that, thanks again yall