Old fashioned Steering System

[bmiff]

I am searching for a source for an old time steering system, the kind where there is a drum mounted on a shaft with a steering wheel attached. Flex wire cables (or even rope) run from the drum aft to the tiller. Very basic. Very simple. Very reliable. Anyone know of such a source?

Bob

[paladin]

build it with parts from the hardware store.....

[Thorne]

Welcome to the Forum!

More info really helps -- is this for a 70' powerboat or 12' skiff? Sail or power? Materials used in the boat, rudder type, etc etc etc...

[Tom Lathrop]

I got mine on ebay. Here is another:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/old-cable-steering-for-boat-hydro-plane-ect_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ31283QQihZ018QQitem Z280101286369QQrdZ1

I also have an extra drum like the one above that you can have. may also have the shaft to go with it but no bracket. I was also able to find vintage pulleys, speedometer and some other vintage hardware there.

[bott]

I remember that the WB article on Zulu had some nice close up shots of their steering system (much like you describe)...

Maybe that'll illuminate the idea.

[geeman]

Try going to fiberglassics.com

[Tom Robb]

If you've got the where-with-all to build the boat, building that steeting system ought to be do-able.
A version of it can be found on many outboard motor installations too.

[ssor]

I built mine from a used bronze wheel, a section of propeller shaft, a drum turned on a lathe and bearings made from locust. I took the piece of propeller shaft to a machine shop with a drawing of what I needed, turn the shaft for the bore of the wheel add a keyway, a threaded section and a nut. The drum I slid onto the shaft and pinned it with a piece of 1/4 brazing rod, wrapped three turns of polyester double braid and drove a tack in at the center of the turns. It has passed seven summers now with no problems.

[paladin]

as above...add a sheave with swivels to change direction with the line, and something to tension the line and you're in business.....

[Nicholas Scheuer]

for a coaster car when I was an adolescent. I made a couple more after that. It's realy fairly simple, you mount a rotating drum on a pair of bearings (a section of broomstick and two short boards with 1/14" holes in my case) on the front of the vehicle. Then you mount a steering wheel on the end of the shaft. Quicker steering action can be achieved by adding an enlarged diameter to the shaft; extra wooden slats fastened around the circumference of the broomstick.

The trick is to have the rope lead fair from the tiller to the drum using small blocks mounted on the chassis (hull, in your case).

The Stevenson Weekender has just this sort of steering gear.

One more thing, screw the rope to the shaft at its midpoint, so that the steering gear does not have to rely on friction alone between the rope and the drum, which will result in slippage.

Have fun!

Moby Nick.

[ssor]

I had the rope slip on the drum once when I was trying to dock. I have the top spoke marked marked with a turks head. It was like I had been riding a bicycle and having the handle bars slip. That was when I drove the tack in.

[rbgarr]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Boat-steering-gear-for-cable-sytem_W0QQitemZ160103777740QQihZ006QQcategoryZ3128 3QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Bob Cleek]

Or, for a more reliable and more simple option, go with shielded cable, the same as for throttle controls, in an appropriate size, of course. These will also solve the problem of running cables all over the boat from the wheel to the rudder. Gear boxes for these are a readily available item.

http://www.tnorrismarine.co.uk/morse.php

http://images.shipstore.com/ss/images/mor/morc200box.jpg

About $125.

[Tom Lathrop]

Of course drum and cable steering for an outboard can be home made but, and it's a big but, these things need to be solidly built and installed. Failure of any component can lead to a real bad day on the water.

[ssor]

The steering used by many watermen on the bay is just a lever with solid rod linkage to a bell crank and to the tiller arm. Steering is by fore and aft movement of the lever at the side of the boat near the throttle and gear shift.

[paladin]

a trip to ACE hardware.....a couple of pipe nipples, pillow blocks1 foot of PVC pipe about 6 inches in diameter, two pipe caps some pvc cementand a couple of hours or less...depends on how much planning and coffee sippin' ya do...:D

[Ed Weldon]

Glen-L sells all the hardware for this. http://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=29 Ed Weldon Los Gatos, CA

[Tom Robb]

Or how about attaching a stick to the top of the rudder that's long enough to reach the helmsman(person) and steer by moving the stick back and forth....

[rbgarr]

I'* getting tied of teleflex syste*s binding *p with g*nk and having to be freed *p each year, so*eties twice. Thinking of going back to old style syste*.

[Kim Whitmyre]

I'* getting tied of teleflex syste*s binding *p with g*nk and having to be freed *p each year, so*eties twice. Thinking of going back to old style syste*.

Lately, your posts contain a "secret code" style of look :p

[Tylerdurden]

Find an overhead door installer, If your nice used pulleys and cables might be had for free.