SS bowsprit for de 32 General Forum Forums

P.s has any one added a dolphin striker to the bow or would advise for or against?

Went ahead and ordered the material 316l for the sprit. 4x4" x 8' x .188 thickness square tube 1/2x4"x24" plate to cut the lugs out of,and some thin 5x5" plate for end caps. Cost about 400-500$ (online metals). I'll update as I get further along. Seems 6061t3 aluminium would be a better choice from what I gather4x4x 1/4 thick would have done the trick and would have been less then HALF! the weight. But I don't weld alu. Just would need SS bushings where clevis pins would go through. Steel is acceptable too as long as it's painted(epoxy) or powder coated any chips in paint would need ground and repainted. From what I've read in my research aluminium is far the best choice due to weight. I've found quote s for electroploishing my 8ft sprit from 500 to 1500 but if you want mirror finish your gonna need to polish 80 120 320 grit then send out to be electro polished. Or you can send it out with mill scale to be electropolished and still have the cortosion inhibitions with out the " look". to buy 4x4"x8' #8 mirror finished 316l tube is 1000$! So seems to me the hardest part of this job is gonna be polishing this thing!!!!

P.s the lower bobstay fitting on the deed looks like it's glassed into the hull. This is unacceptable as it could corrode/crack and not be redaily removeable and repairable. Has any one cut theirs out or corrected this issue?

What grade aluminium did you use? Do you have any pictures, dimensions? I might go and use alu.

316ss polished from mill finish.. .polishing SUCKS!

It's all 316l from online metals if you get mill finish it's cheap maybe 450$ for the whole thing . I welded it up and few hrs tig welded with 316l wire.   a grinder Polished with sand paper pads 60,80,120,200,330,600grit to polish (4days later)! 4" box tubing, forget the thickness but it's stout! 3" delrin roller from eBay and all 1/2" 316 through bolts. all the tangs are same as the pin size. Doubler plates behind the tangs to spread the load ..wayyyy over killed it.i also used 2x2 316l square tube for the Samson posts . I recored the forepeak with corecell m80 no relief cuts and inlaid 1/2" g10 4 " around all penitrations for strength and core protection. So let it leak . Drilling the holes and polishing is most of the labor. Il also be adding knees in the be birth to tie the deck to the hull a little better...