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Hi guys. I'm taking a slightly different approach to the retainer mounting
holes. The thru-hull rings are all made from the same sheet of 516-70 steel, and
are 3/8 inch thick and 6 inches long. Rather than try to drill down into that
3/8 thick shoulder, I am welding nuts on the outside of the ring, and will
thread bolts through the retainer rings into the nuts. My thinking is
this....first off, 3/8 is pretty thin and a 1/4 inch hole doesn't leave much
room for error. Second, if the threads get buggered up for one reason or
another, a bolt could get stuck in there and be very difficult to remove, plus
I'd have to weld, drill, and re-tap the hole.
With nuts welded on the outside of the ring, if it gets screwed up, I can
just hack saw it off and weld another nut in it's place. Of course, it's not
quite as pretty, but not being a machinist, I don't design things that need a
mill. I'm just a welder, so that's the approach I take.
My son-in-law owns his own machine shop, and is anxious to help, so I guess
I'll have to find something for him to make. I really like the look of all those
shiny, machined parts but frankly, it looks expensive. I'm trying to keep the
maintenance in the field down to things I can fix with a big hammer ! My guess
is that diving in the Sea Of Cortez will make it difficult to get a machine shop
repair done quickly so I don't lose days on end when something breaks.
The strength of the retainer ring hold downs doesn't need to
be that great. Plus, a blind hole can get wet inside and corrode/rust
unless you're removing the bolts and cleaning, lubricating, and re-painting on a
regular basis. Then you may be ''wearing out'' the hole. I like the idea of a
nut, where I can paint it real good, and replace it easily if need be.
Frank D. Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. Watch the video on AOL Living. |