Antal mainsail track system issue

[Silver_Surfer]

wondering if anybody has any ideas to get around my install of a Antal HS22 mainsail track system. Seems my existing groove in my FranceSpar mast, is 3mm and the slugs neck are 3.9 and there are 17 slugs per 3mtr piece of track. this would be done during a re-rig of standing rigging, so the mast will be down.
my alternatives to use this system are:

1. enlarge groove using a router or?? to accept new slugs

2. use the glue system that Antal recommends for carbon mast, etc; this would mean to grind off paint to get a alum-alum bond and using spabond 345 epoxy adhesive along with alum clamps at high stress points, ie: battens

3. drill/tap entire length of track, which comes in 3mtr lengths and 17 screws per length.

by cking websites for ronstan and harken, their systems looks like they need a larger groove also. not sure if tidesmarine track would fit 3mm, does anybody know the thinnest neck on their sizing pucks?
pics are my gate looking up and down mast, and the two examples of attachment for track, slugs or glue and clamps.

thanks

[Franziska]

Rutgerson has a trackless system of cars running in and on a normal groove.
Works fine for us (36ft cruising cat).

Saves money and is one less item to fail (track).

Not sure if that's an option as alternative for you.

https://www.rutgerson.se/produ...ake...atten-systems/

[Silver_Surfer]

thanks for the info on Rutgerson Marine, i had never heard of them. i now have them bookmarked.
ckd the pressure asorbing slides, which i think your refering to, and yes the neck of the car/slug is 4.3mm. too big for me.
i have an older Harken set up, with slugs and a metal tang that sticks out the groove.
the battens have similar cars and slugs.
i do like their roller bearing line of blocks. ROC blocks.

thanks again for your input

[Kestrahl]

From what I can see the tides marine smallest is 4mm.
You might have to drill and tap each one.

[Silver_Surfer]

Yeah i think your right. Seem like a cool upgrade while mast was down may upgrade original lewmar 30's that i raise the halyards with. Thx for the info. I was going to order the pucks and ck myself. I wish manufacturers would have that info on their own websites

[stormalong]

Probably best to drill and tap. May take a day to do it all but it is the strongest solution. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes a hole. Be careful with small taps - they can bind and break in aluminum. Be sure to back out frequently and use a tapping lubricant.

Is there clearance for pop rivets? A much faster solution.

Be sure to use an antiseize formula on the screws or rivets. I prefer Duralac over Tefgel because Tefgel acts like a lubricant and I have had bolts back out under load with it. Duralac dries.

[Silver_Surfer]

thx good to know haven't used the products you mentioned, just LocTite. but that was for automotive use, never used anything yet for marine.
thx again

[Matt Johnson]

You can use a drill-tap bit and have it done with the quickness! Use the clutch on your drill to trip if the bit starts to bind... also use a lubricant. I've done over a thousand 10-24 machine screws this way and broke about 20 of the bits (easy to pull out as they break above the tap part) and they save enormous time!

Use Locktite as it not only holds the screws in place, it helps isolate the dissimilar metals from causing corrosion.

Matt

[Silver_Surfer]

Thx Matt for the info. Since I won’t be able to do myself as I have a rigging shop change out my original NavTec navtangs and -10 rod for BSI I would be paying per hour a rigger to do this. He’s not gonna let me work in his shop to save some bucks. Now I’m thinking I didn’t ask never know. I will ask Thx for the input

[Franziska]

Better than Loctite would be Tefgel to separate the metals...

[Silver_Surfer]

Thx. I’ll ck the specs on both products

[Matt Johnson]

Tefgel is great, but it does lubricate the machine screws and can allow them to back out. In this case, I still think Locktite would be the better option.

Regarding the Antal track, when I priced out a similar system, the mast track adapters were pretty expensive when all added up. Instead, you could buy just the track alone for much less and a few dozen machine screws. Even at a riggers hourly rate, you may save money not having to buy the slide adapters and have him drill and tap.

Matt

[Silver_Surfer]

Thx Matt. I’ll follow up should be bringing boat in next week