Where to get aluminium spreaders made 2019? General Forum Forums

I'm searching for the company name that has made aluminum spreaders for DE boat owners in florida before. If you can't find anything but high dollar solutions just find some wood and use a table saw and belt sander to shape new ones using the old ones as a template. We did that out of teak on valkyr. added a couple lbs aloft that I wasn't happy about but will last forever. Even normal Fir/spruce that most are made of have long life spans and your talking under a hundred dollars of materials. I think the teak was 180 or so for a single piece large enough to cut both spreaders out of.

ok some links these are for DE32 but probably applicable to being adapted to DE38  maybe

http://downeasteryachts.com/th.....s-spreader

http://downeasteryachts.com/ar.....r-spreader

http://downeasteryachts.com/ar.....hives/2685

thread on types of wood for spreaders

http://downeasteryachts.com/fo.....-wood-type

in this thread I talk about replacing valkyr's and have a few photos also

http://downeasteryachts.com/fo.....eplacement

also link to rigrite where you can get parts for wooden spreaders. Their website says they no longer make wood spreaders but that they do make aluminum replacements.

https://www.rigrite.com/Spars/SparParts/Spreaders_Wood.php

last thought. It would be really easy to laminate your own spreaders out of fiberglass and wood. multiple 1/8 inch thick  layers of decent wood with penetrating epoxy and then layer of wood layer of epoxy and fiberglass (or carbon fiber/kevlar whatever you want) another layer of wood or multiple layers at once and then clamp and press the hell out of them untill you get a blank the right size. Then trim and sand to shape. Coat with epoxy and wrap with layer of glass. They will be about the same weight or just a bit more than stock and 10 times stronger and longer lived.

The cost of materials for this type of project will be minimal as it is physically a small project.

I think the laminated will be much stronger. Use penetrating epoxy to seal the wood and then laminate with good glass or carbon fiber or combo there of. Once laminated and shaped wrap in glass and epoxy and shrink wrap it to cure it to get the lightest strongest lamination. all holes drilled oversize filled with thickened hardend epoxy and the drilled again for the through bolts or screws that are holding anything on.. Paint it white.. mount it and you should be able to forget it for the next 20 years.

Next plan is just shape a solid piece of wood. soak in some penetrating epoxy and paint and go with it. Check it every few years..

Or use a piece of teak... mount it and check every few years. Ours has been up ten years and still looks good and we have never even sealed it. It's a pretty silver from UV and weathering. Now it was a nice piece of teak 🙂 I've see some I wouldn't have used as it had softer sections in it that would have worn away quicker.

Boat was designed for wood. It meets the engineering. aluminum or laminated would exceed the specs for just wood. I think that the solid wood will be about the same price as laminated as a nice solid chunk of sitka or teak is going to be decently pricey unless you have a source so to say.

Laminating will be the most work. Laminating is going to need epoxy and your glass or carbon fiber. I would use glass with pieces of carbon fiber tape. I would vacuum bag it at all stages of construction to get the lightest strongest lamination. a shop vac and some plastic and tape should be all you need to do that. lots of online resources for do it yourself methods with a google search or two. Because it is a small part you shouldn't need any of the dedicated or special parts that is normally used.

hmm.. might look up laminated beams and how they stand up to comprehensive force now that I think about it. maybe solid piece of wood with penetrating epoxy and wrapped in glass and carbon fiber.

🙂

I have not heard of any of the DE's having a spreader failure other than defective/rot and even that i can only remember a couple people including you mentioning it happening.

your idea of a box section in aluminum sounds good but you will need to smooth and polish all edges so that it doesn't wear holes in your main sail.

I've go nothing for where to get wood. been a few years since I sourced anything. Maybe go out on some of the wooden boat forums? look for local specialty wood providers/sawmills. We used to have someone here but they got old and shut down their business about 8 years ago.

🙂 start exercising your google fu... search terms would be sawmill sitka spruce specialty wood

ok... i can't help myself.. did that search and found a couple places you can order the wood from

https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=sawmill+sitka+spruce+specialty+wood&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

https://www.jcitouchwood.ca/our-timbers-jci-touchwood-sawmills#mast-and-spar

https://goosebaylumber.net/wood-products/atlantic-white-boat-cedar these guys have a bunch of marine grade ceders and firs.. all ranging in the 5 dollar a ft range for a 4x4 size chunk.. double check but I think a single 5ish ft 4x4 could be cut in half and made into a couple spreaders.. which would put your cost around 30 dollars and shipping. Measure existing spreaders and figure dimensions you need to get .. remember when cutting in half you will lose about 1/8 of an inch to the saw blade. At that price range I would purchase enough to do 4 spreaders in case you mess up. Or you could do 4 spreaders so you have a spare or two. Or could sell the spares. I would definitely make and keep a spare on the boat. Actually as small a space as they would take up in the lazarette  I would make the four and keep a full set as spares. I would also get enough to make 6 or 8 spreaders and sell one or two pairs to turn the project from a net expense into a profit for you.

https://www.glen-l.com/resources/lumber-suppliers.html

anyway .. i have now officially spent to much time on this 🙂 lol... hope some of this helps.