Mill my own T-track? Aluminum Bronze or Silicon Bronze?

[WoodenKetch]

954 is very strong, stronger than aluminum and certainly adequate if used in the standard sizes to match your track cars. I also cast my track cars but I would not recommend that without good reason.

The bar is cast to guarantee cleaning up to the nominal dimension. The surface is a bit rough, but after removing all the roughness you have the size of material that you ordered, or a bit more. They can be as much as 1/8" oversize in thickness. I use a 36 grit sanding disk on the angle grinder to smooth it out, finishing with finer grits will give a better polish if desired.

A 1" bar will not be very easy to bend regardless of the thickness. What size is your jib? I would size the track based off what you have today or what a track manufacturer recommends, their metal isn't any stronger than yours is.

Here is a picture of a track I made for my bowsprit, a little hard to see but you get the idea. I used bar that was a bit thin for the clearance needed by my track car, so I epoxied a 1/8" hardwood strip to the top of the bowsprit for clearance. I would not recommend that, it is and extra step and teak does not glue well.

You could do tracks for most of the boat, but switch to a couple padeyes aft of the cockpit where you are unlikely to need fine tuning adjustment. They would be suitable for lifeline mesh or whatever. For jib loads, you will want through bolts holding the track if you weren't already planning that.

[cadmus]

If the rest of your boat is as classy as the first 1' 6"..... you got to post more photos!!!!!!

[tvangilder]

I replaced the aluminum jib sheet track on my Cape Dory 36 and replaced it with two 8' lengths of silicon bronze 1 1/4" sailtrack that I was lucky (very lucky) enough to find used. I also found a pair of murray sheet leads that were chrome plated. I had the chrome stripped by Wade plating in Philly.


In the past in my boat shop I have used two layers of silicon bronze from atlas metals, as well as have milled short lengths of silicon bronze for a gooseneck track for a merriman gooseneck

[cadmus]

Thanks for responding on this topic!! 2 years later!!! Let me digest what you wrote after work. I was just about to revisit the silicon vs aluminum bronze debate, order materials, and then rent time on a milling machine to make the T profile.

[cadmus]

GOT PICS?!?!?!


thanks @TVANGLIDER

[tvangilder]

I do have pics somewhere. let me see what I can find.



to make T track I just cut about a foot at a time on my benchtop unit.

[tvangilder]

I found bronze T track at Anchors and Oars in Grasonville, near Annapolis, Md. They have a fair amount of used bronze T track at very reasonable prices. They dont have everything on their website, but this is them.


sailboatparts.com

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by cadmus

I have sources for solid flatbar of silicon bronze

There are machinable bronzes but machining silicon bronze is not for amateurs.
Lots of online stuff about machining bronzes.

[tvangilder]

It also depends on which alloy of silicon bronze. high silicon bronze and low silicon bronze machine fairly differently. they both TIG weld easily but machine differently

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by ScottMeilicke

Do you need a Genoa track? All the cool kids are using floating low friction rings to adjust sheet angle. You would need two hard points where the track would go, one forward to attach the twing, and another aft to lead the sheet fair to the winch.

From i-36.com:


https://forums.sailinganarchy.com/in...nd-genoa-cars/

https://www.sailmagazine.com/diy/dec...rictions-rings

This is a good point.



I've gone to 3D leads on my F-24, I had Barber haulers on my PDQ, and I don't think I would ever install lead cars again. These are easier to adjust and more flexible. You can put the clew anywhere you want in a few seconds. The in-hauler (Barber hauler) function is optional but very useful. In my case, I haul outboard for reaching.


For a 27-foot boat, climbing rap rings are all you need. Light, cheap, low friction, and durable. Stainless can work, but it's more banging around on the sheet and deck.



Use Dymeema single braid for the control lines, not because it is light or new-tech, but because it runs smoother. Then cover the tails with something traditional looking (polyester) for ease of handling and cleating.

[tvangilder]

and for a traditional look, go with lignum vitae bullseyes...


https://www.classic-marine.co.uk/pro...itae-bullseye/

[impulsive19]

The curve would be my concern... how exactly will this be accomplished?

[cadmus]

Originally Posted by tvangilder

In the past in my boat shop I have used two layers of silicon bronze from atlas metals, as well as have milled short lengths of silicon bronze for a gooseneck track for a merriman gooseneck

By "two layers" you mean the top of the T is a flat bar maybe 1/8" thick and 1" wide (if a 1" track) and the bottom is square or rectangle bar that makes the | of the T? it worked well? for how long? was it a smooth curve? As good as milling or not? I fear it will not be as strong or smooth of a curve as milling a T out of solid bar.





when milling out of solid bar did you use a normal milling cutter? or a mini saw arbor? How many passes did each corner take?



Many thanks,

[cadmus]

Originally Posted by tvangilder

and for a traditional look, go with lignum vitae bullseyes...


https://www.classic-marine.co.uk/pro...itae-bullseye/

Ohh. sexy. [drool] I have a lathe. one more project to slow me down..... shoot.

[cadmus]

Originally Posted by impulsive19

The curve would be my concern... how exactly will this be accomplished?

Does one or the other bronze alloy require this? this has long been a concern for me. 1" track on my boat.


I never needed prebend on normal aluminum track.
I have prebent seat track (bushplane cargo track) using wooden jigs to keep it from bending on the "top-bottom" axis while allowing small inch by inch bends on the track sides with bar clamps. it was tedious and the final project was less than perfect.
If starting over i would by a pipe bender-roller and machine dies for the T-track and seat-track.









(ON A SIDE NOTE. Cargo seat track was the backing plate material i used for my wood handrails on my deck. also some cheek blocks and organizers and stanchions. So the ceiling of cabin has handy places to tie cargo nets and lee cloths and handles when underway. All quickly remove eyes when anchored. I wish they made bronze seat track)