Pintle Problems

[G.Sherman]

I need to replace this worn out pintle on my catboat with a new bronze part. I need to get it off the rudder to be able to recreate it as a model for the foundry. Anyone have any thoughts on how this was attached or how to carefully remove it without screwing up the rudder? There are three attachment points, I can't tell if they're threaded, smooth rods
peened over or what…
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/PICT0026.jpg

[Yeadon]

My first reaction ... clamp it up, drill carefully.

[Thorne]

ditto

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
Ditto again. (My guess is that they're rivetted.)

Mike

[Yeadon]

For the foundry's purposes, they won't cast it with the drill holes ... they'll likely fill in the holes before they use it as the pattern. Once they've done the pour, then you'll pilot the new piece for your fasteners. (Or you'll pay them a chunk of money to do it.)

So, while you want to be careful in removing it, I wouldn't worry too much about being too precise in removing the fasteners (aka, museum-quality work) if you won't be re-using the part.

I hope that made sense.

[merlinron]

i would say they are rivets, peened into a tapered or countersunk hole. drill one side a bit deeper than the thickness of the pintle, just a tiny bit smaller( 1/32") than the diameter that you see as the joint between pintle and rivet. put a drift in the hole and give it sharp rap, the rivet should drive out the other side. make sure you support the underside closely around the rivet when you drive the rivet out. the better/ closer you supoort it the easier the rivet will drive out.

[oakman]

I like to put a piece of soft wood directly under whatever I am driving. The first blows will loosen the pin and drive it into the wood just a little. Then I move the wood and drive the pin the rest of the way out.

[Jim Ledger]

Here's the pintle of another catboat rudder being fastened in place with bronze rod, headed cold with a hammer. Grinding off the head and punching out the rod would be the way to remove it.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m193/searover1916/P1010052.jpg

[G.Sherman]

Have decided to move forward on new bronze fittings for the gudgeons and pintles.... using these a patterns.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/Pintle.jpg

[Jim Ledger]

Interesting.Is that the top pintle or the bottom?

I've been thinking a lot lately about catboat rudder hardware, patterns and casting for my own boat.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
Why the coach-bolt gudgeon rather than a stronger through-bolt?

You should be able to get a pintle like that off the shelf. We certainly have them out here --

http://www.woodenboatfittings.com.au/public/gudgeons&pintles.jpg

and I can't believe they're not available to you closer to home.

Is the boat big enough to warrant three sets of fittings?

Mike

[G.Sherman]

Both pintles are identical on this boat. The screw type gudgeon is designed to be screwed into my sternpost...... these pieces of hardware are for a 75 year old wooden catboat.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff164/Gaz02026/FixedDeadwood.jpg

Casting these is surprisingly inexpensive.... about $200 for 2 sets:)

[santone]

I may have a part for you:
The part that fits over the rudder is 10 3/4" long and tapers from 1" wide at the rudder end to 1/2" at the end. It will fit on a rudder 7/8" thick (inside diameter).There are 5 pre-drilled 1/4" holes for through bolts to attach it to the rudder. The only thing it needs is a pin(tel) to insert in the 3/8" hole. This piece is in excellent condition. Contact me if you're interested 631-368-6143 Tony

[G.Sherman]

Tony-
Thanks for the offer, but I've already sent the models off to be cast in silicon bronze. My pintles measure 6.25 inches in length and have a .625 inch pin.

Anyone have any ideas about what kind of tools I'll need to re-rivet the quarter inch bronze rod into the pintle and a tiller strap? A ball-peen hammer and what?