Thread: stern post - transom fastenings

The long things are bronze machine bolts and the ring and screw is likely a steel lifting eye. All have experienced a good bit of electrolysis damage, probably from mixing dissimilar metals in the same piece of boat.

The bolt heads look cut or spun off, so you'll have to estimate their length, which is best done when the new piece is fitted. If the boat has bronze fasteners in it, then you have to stick with bronze or this sort of thing will happen again. So, if there are other places where you have a steel piece attached to the boat, remove it, because clearly the stern post fasteners where bronze, which suggests the rest of the fasteners are as well.

They look like "home made" bolts to me. The pic reminds me of when a fisherman from Hastings, Danny Hall, was fixing his boat, new deck, gunwale etc, he was making his own bolts from copper rods. He would measure the length, cut the rod, thread it then belt the "bolt head end" with a hammer untill it splayed and flattened out to form the head. Worked a treat and was cheaper than buying them. The same was done on my little boat Florence, The bolt head is nice and flat and countersunk just a bit into the gunwale and then filler is applied.

They could be home made, though they do have indications that suggest they were rolled threads and the heads do appear to have been "removed" some how, one was clearly cut off. Custom length bolts are fairly common, especially in loner or larger sizes.

I just pulled them out on Sunday and they are complete. They all needed drifting from the thread end as well as pulling from the flat end. They definitely werent coming out thread end first and do have some taper on them. The double ended threaded one was just a bolt. The boat is full of them so must have been the builders technique

Cheers

This is a common thing, making custom length bolts and drifts. Some rod stock, a set of thread dies and you're good to go. Buying an assorted bunch of fasteners isn't cost effective unless you can buy a huge quantity, so making them is pure economics. Besides, where do you find 423 mm long bolt at a reasonable price?

Thanks, I'm getting the sternposts made up now, and think that making the bolts is the way to go. Any ideas where you can get sil bronze rods in Melbourne?

RS is a good option. The link below shows the rods and prices:

RS Australia | World Leading Distributor of Electronics, Electromechanical and Industrial Components Your search for bronze rod




Melbourne
668 Somerville Road,
Sunshine West, VIC, 3020
Monday - Friday
8.00am - 5.30pm
Saturday
9.00am - 12.00pm

Ph: 1300 656 636

Thanks all, got them from bronzeandbrassfittings.com.au , good prices, service, and super fast delivery from Sydney