[Public-list] bronze rudder post replacement

[brooks.glenn at comcast.net]

HI all,

Looks like I need to replace the bronze rudder post on Dolce. ( built 1968, hull # 318).

The lower bronze shaft sitting in the shoe, bottom of the keel is heavily corroded, and partially dissolved.  There is no pin in the lower shaft, but the end looks like it was turned down to fit into the appeture in the shoe.  Now it is maybe 1/4"and extremely loose in the apperature--the apperature in the shoe remains at about 1/2" ID in size. 

At the lower end of the shaft, there is  least 1/8" dissolved, soft orange metal all around the outside of the exposed parts of the shaft, including where the pintels grab hold mid rudder.

The upper shaft isn't quite as bad but is generally scaly and corroded in large blotches down by 1/16" in places...
So overall I think I should replace the upper and lower shafts.

Question is, what is the best method to cut out the old and install the new?

1) The rudder appears to be two piece foam overlaid with more than  3/16" of glassmat and roving.  The trailing edge is nicely fared and thinner than leading edge.  Overall the rudder is excellenct condition, except for the now bad bronze shaft...

I am thinking about cutting out half section of the foam and trying to retain part of the underside, and gluing in a new piece of foam to encase the new pieces of stock, but expect the whole area around the rudder will get damaged during the process.  Also thinking about routing out a 1" channel in a long strip of hardwood, then pining that into the existing foam, bonding a second hardwood  covering strip on the leading edge of the new shaftand glassing all together.


2)  I drilled pilot holes around the prop opening in the rudder.  There doesn't seem to be bronze stock in the lower end of the rudder opening.  Am I right is assuming there are two rudder posts ( upper and lower) in the '68 construction.

Can anyone suggest the best way to do this?

PS,  I really don't want to go stainless as the pintels and shoe are in excellent condition, and the rudder post mounted in the hull is bronze.

Thanks much

Glenn Brooks
Dolce 

hull #318