[Public-List] Main Sail Track Fasetening

[Gordon Laco]

I did the job once on a large client's mast (the mast was large, not  
the client)  I did it with two electric drills; on one I had the drill  
bit on the other was the tap.  It only took seconds to do each hole.   
I carefully fixed the track in place with strategic screws then zinged  
in the rest using the track as a jig.  The drill with the tap chucked  
in it was reversable.. that is key to the idea!

It sounds like your mast is already drilled but some holes had rivets  
and others screws?  If that is the case, you could put the tap on the  
drill and 'zing' each one with a  shot in and out.   Short machine  
screws shouldn't be too horrible to put in... you could do those with  
a drill too if you got some with Robertson heads.  Now there is a  
test... who of you stalwart colleagues knows about Robertson screws????

Gord #426


On 19-Oct-09, at 4:41 PM, C.B. Currier wrote:

>
>
> I will second Gord's opinion on the rivets! I would go with the  
> Stainless
> Steel ones. I would also not drill & tap every hole but only do those
> at the gooseneck. The rest of the rivets will hold on fine with  
> properly
> sized ss rivets. Unless of course you really want to spend the time
> drilling & tapping ?
>
> -- 
> C.B. Currier
> Infinity
> #57
> Daybreak #458
>
> Gordon Laco wrote:
>> Hello Mick
> -
>>
>> I may be misunderstanding your question...but it
> looks to me like the
>> best thing for you to do is get a 3/16 tap
> and run that in and out of
>> each hole to clean up the threads.  I
> would say that 1/4 is too big
>> both with regard to the screw
> heads and it is more meat than you need.
>>
>> I would
> recommend that you not use aluminium rivets - they are too
>> soft
> and you could tear the track out under sail in heavy winds.
>>
>> Last thing - remind me where in Oz you are.
>>
>>
> Gord
>> Canada #426 Surprise
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 19-Oct-09, at 4:10 PM, Michael Taylor wrote:
>>
>>> After painting the mast I am putting the main sail
> track back onto
>>> the mast.  I see that some have tapped each
> of the existing holes to
>>> replace the rivets with machine
> screws.    The track is stainless
>>> 7/8" with 3/16th
> holes drilled.  The next drill size up will just
>>> clean out
> the existing mast holes and leave sufficient room to
>>> thread
> either 1/4 inch or 6mm machine screws.
>>>
>>> Having
> got a sample of machine screws with various heads it seems
>>>
> that the heads are too big for the existing sail track (they don't
>>> seat at the base of the track).  I assume that the only way to
> use
>>> machine screws is to either change the sail track or
> drill new holes
>>> which I'm not prepared to do.
>>>
>>> If I can't use machine screws it will be back to
> aluminum rivets
>>> with a steel mandrel as I've found
> strainless very difficult to
>>> remove - and install.
>>>
>>> Have I missed something with machine screw
> fitting here?
>>>
>>> thanks
>>>
>>> Mick
>>>
>>> #231
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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