How to prevent attachments to pullpit from sliding?

[Jd1]

I have three items that are mounted to my pulpit tubes with clamshell fittings. All of them slide fairly easily. I have tried to put inner tube rubber material between the pulpit and the clamshell and that helps to some degree but is far from secure. Short of welding, is there anything available that clamps over a 1" stainless pipe and actually holds securely ?

By way of an example: my life ring sits on a hoop that is clamped to the railing with a clamshell fitting. The hoop is supposed to be at right angle to the railing on the outside of it but it always rotates down with time. The hoop still holds the life ring but the cheezy attachment method is driving me nuts.

I would rather not haul the TIG welder and gas cylinder to the boat and removing and re-installing the pulpit to take it to the shop would be a weeks worth of work by the time everything is said and done and all wiring inside the tubing has been dealt with.

The common stainless fittings meant for installing dodgers/biminis slide are not secure.
I have a single fitting that is rock solid and is part of a rod holder - it has four bolts for clamping and a rubber liner but only comes as part of the $100 rod holder

Surely there must be something available that works ..????

[JPA Cate]

I have seen screw type hose clamps used to do those kinds of jobs.

Ann

[Samantha ann]

Drill though both rail and fitting, then tap and put a screw thru them .

[Andrew Troup]

You could look at some of the fittings used to immobilise hydraulic tubing runs?

There is also such a thing as double sided, abrasive impregnated, metal foil, which could be used in lieu of rubber to improve the grip, but I'm not sure what it's called, let alone who might carry it.

(I have made my own by rolling fine grinding grit into heavy industrial aluminium foil using a (scrap) wide roller bearing as a rolling pin : important: grinding grit must be collected (preferably using a diamond dressing tool) from a wheel which has NOT been used for ferrous metal, for obvious reasons. Or your could use valve grinding paste, or by abrasive in powder form.

For clamps which allow for a thickness of rubber, I would beat some lead to the right thickness and then impregnate it with suitable grit (coarser, in this case)

Pieces glued back to back from cloth-backed emery "paper", maybe #320, might serve, but probably won't last near as long.

[model 10]

A strip of leather used as a tape to wrap the tube. Self-amalgamating silicone tape does some neat things too.

[lonesoldier0408]

Originally Posted by Samantha ann

Drill though both rail and fitting, then tap and put a screw thru them .

I 2nd that.

Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk HD

[Jd1]

Thanks for the suggestions!
I will try the grit impregnated method and see if that helps.
I always hear that 5200 adhesive is bomb proof - would that hold on stainless ?

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by Jd1

Thanks for the suggestions!
I will try the grit impregnated method and see if that helps.
I always hear that 5200 adhesive is bomb proof - would that hold on stainless ?

I've had better luck with a Simpson grade specially formulated for (I think) stainless, certainly marine metals..

MSR was the product code. Used it once to do a Mickey Mouse repair on a stainless water tank which had been built into the joinery, and a weld had let go along a top corner. We welded up a close-fitting exterior corner splint in heavier stainless with a strong girder profile each way at the midsection, tapering down towards the ends, coated the two items with MSR, and then used timber wedges, screwed in place, to keep it in firm contact. Still doing the trick a decade later, as far as anyone can tell (belongs in the Bad McGyver thread, eh!)

[Nicholson58]

You might find SS parts here that you can use. This place has a lot of useful stuff. Check bimini rail mount clamps. You might also apply 5200 under your existing clamps.

Marine Part Depot

[Jd1]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

You might find SS parts here that you can use. This place has a lot of useful stuff. Check bimini rail mount clamps. You might also apply 5200 under your existing clamps.

Marine Part Depot

Interesting site .... the prices are almost too good to be true with their current sale.

Yes, I was thining of applying the 5200 under the existing clamshell clamp so it isn't visible.

Thanks!

[Jd1]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

I've had better luck with a Simpson grade specially formulated for (I think) stainless, certainly marine metals..

MSR was the product code. Used it once to do a Mickey Mouse repair on a stainless water tank which had been built into the joinery, and a weld had let go along a top corner. We welded up a close-fitting exterior corner splint in heavier stainless with a strong girder profile each way at the midsection, tapering down towards the ends, coated the two items with MSR, and then used timber wedges, screwed in place, to keep it in firm contact. Still doing the trick a decade later, as far as anyone can tell (belongs in the Bad McGyver thread, eh!)

The Simpson MSR marine construction adhesive is listed as being 'elastic' which is something I am trying to avoid. Having said that, if 5200 doesn't stick the MSR is certainly worth a shot!

Thanks!

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Jd1

Yes, I was thining of applying the 5200 under the existing clamshell clamp so it isn't visible.

5200 is SATAN'S GLUE, (I think Maine Sail has copyrighted this term, but I use it often) and shouldn't be on recreational boats except for a few very specific items (hull to deck joint...)

Mechanical and other fasteners are much better.

",,,isn't visible..." From what I've read, it'll be all over YOU!

And, for those few things, you'll end up with a very useless tube of material that's pretty expensive.

Good luck.

[psk125]

You could also try roughing up the surface you're clamping to with a file.

[Jd1]

Originally Posted by psk125

You could also try roughing up the surface you're clamping to with a file.

EEEEEgaaaads man! That is shiny stainless steel that you want me to rough up. What if I ever want to move the clamp 6 inches to the left? I'd be left with a scar on my railing!
I am pretty sure I can remove Satan's Glue and be left with perfectly shiny stainless if I ever wanted to move the clamp 6 inches to the left .....

<shudder>

[bornyesterday]

Double sided adhesive tape - the 1mm. thick, black rubbery type that was used by manufacturers to hold heavy trim strips to car bodies.

Can pretty much guarantee it will hold fast if you clean the surfaces first - and it's easily removable with a heat gun if you need to move the fitting any time.

Doesn't leave marks and adhesive residue comes off easily with thinners.