silicon bronze tube?

[Rabbit]

hi gang :)

since my outer stems are nicely rounded and encased i don't plan and bolting a bunch of hardware like stem bands and rings to them. was thinking of using glens method of a tube through the hull and inner stem for running rope through. the only problem i see is that glen uses brass. most of my paddling will be in estuarys. general consensus seemed to be that hardware needed to be silicon bronze for salt water environment. i could probably use stainless, but i think that's harder to epoxy in and it looks a bit harsh against the warm tones of timber. has anyone heard of silicone bronze tube and where i might get it?

[Jim Dodd]

I haven't used silicon bronze, but I've seen where a wood bushing was used, it blended nicely with the hull, and epoxy would adhere to it.
I don't know how epoxy would adhere to the bronze.

Good luck

Jim

[Snowman]

Rabbit,

I used a copper tube for my painter holes. It worked fine, is easy to work with, colour goes well with WRC, and is readily available in multiple diameters (copper water pipe in 1/2" or 3/4"). Although I am only using my craft in fresh water, I did paddle it for about 18 months in salt water with no issues.



Snowman

[mark m]

Are you worried about brass in salt water? If so, don't worry. Brass is 1 material that stays good on salt water shipwrecks that have been submerged for hundreds of years.