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what metals to use?
By:David Walker
Date: 1/14/1999, 5:51 pm

I have a glass on wood kit boat. It is very nice, and yet it has a barely perceptible tendency to steer to port. After pondering on this problem for several months and experimenting with some tape of surfaces, I believe that I will attach onto the aft stem, a small trim tab that stays with the lines of the boat (i.e, not projecting down like a rudder). The trim tab itself will be constructed from glassed plywood. I would like to attach it to the stem using a square or two of sheet metal. These will function as malleable fixed hinges such that I can adjust them with some force into the correct angle to make boat steer straight and then it will stay that way. I will probably have to experiment to determine what thickness of metal to get so that it will not get bent my waves etc., but can still be bent by me. I have to unresolved questions. How to attach it (I have epoxy endfills BTW) is one. I assume I will just get some kind of screw and drill into the epoxy and plant each "hinge" with a couple of some sort of screws. The other which is what I'm mainly posting about is what are the rules about metals and marine use. Don't some metals deposit ions on each other or something or corrode more than another kind. I will have screws touching the sheet metal in a salt water brew. Are there any rules for compatible and incompatible metals. I have some vague reccolection that there is.

Dave

Messages In This Thread

what metals to use?
David Walker -- 1/14/1999, 5:51 pm
Re: what metals to use?
Paul Jacobson -- 1/15/1999, 3:48 pm
Re: what metals to use?
Paul Lund -- 1/15/1999, 4:44 am