| Author | Message | ||
     Scott Corder (Pastcommodore) Rating: N/A |
Russ is right on the money. I've also heard of folks simply "flopping" their original tracks (upside down and swapping sides). I haven't tried that, but the methodology seems good (the old cracked surface would face down). Russ' mention of the stainless trick is also right on. I did that a few years ago with simple, thin strips of stainless mounted right on top of the plastic using the same screw holes. The stainless only needs to be thick enough to resist impact without denting into the plastic. I no longer sweat the thought of having to replace my tracks! Cost very little. And it works for the vertical hatchboard tracks as well !!! (which also take a beating when racing) Jeff's idea to fabricate is also good. Like him, I have a pretty decent woodworking shop and have used various plastics to fabricate many things for my boat(s). Like he mentioned, the specific material can sometimes get costly, but I've also found that some of the less expensive materials sometimes work better. I especially like delron (sp?) That's the stuff used for the "wheels" in many of the blocks you can buy from harken, etc. It cuts well, can be sanded and polished, etc. I've also often found that some of these plastic materials actually have better qualities than the original, i.e. allow surfaces to slide more easily against each other or resist sunlight or don't need upkeep like teak, etc... |
