New Brass hatch runners

[Polishicebreaker]

 

I've currently got hardwood runners which are damaged and don't slide well so bought some brass strips to use instead. 

Could I ask is it normal to use brass strips both on boat and hatch so it's brass sliding on Brass or should 1 edge be a different material?  Also, how best to fix the brass to metal- high quality ,mastic good enough or countersunk flat head screws?   the strip only 3mm thick. 

 

many thanks

[BEngo]

I have steel sliding over 2 mm brass.  PTFE, nylon or tufnol discs would be good, but I don't have room. My brass is  fixed with  brass csk screws, but has a good layer of sealant beneath it to ensure the water does not get between the two metals.  If it does the rust that forms pushes the brass up between the screws, so you end up with a mini roller coaster shape.

N

[Polishicebreaker]

thanks, that sounds good. Maybe I'll see if I can find some discs too if there's room.

[john6767]

Ours has brass strips, and on the hatch underside there are hard plastic blocks at each corner.  It is quite a large hatch and very heavy and it is still quite hard to slide, polishing the brass does help.

[Tracy D'arth]

Plastic joint blocks like are used in kitchen carcasses make great low friction running blocks.

[Batavia]

There wasn't much available space on either of our last two boats, so I used 2.5mm brass strips on one side and 1mm PTFE strip on the other, secured with industrial double-sided adhesive tape.

[Sea Dog]

Mine has brass strips on the combing and brass travellers on the hatch - Nylon or PTFE definitely gets my vote!  Brass on brass demands continual fettling.

[Ray T]

Low friction tape?

 

https://www.mcmaster.com/low-friction-tape/

 

https://www.findtape.com/film-tape/uhmw-skived-ptfe-tape/c124/

This site has various thicknesses of tape.

[WotEver]

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

Low friction tape?

 

https://www.mcmaster.com/low-friction-tape/

 

https://www.findtape.com/film-tape/uhmw-skived-ptfe-tape/c124/

This site has various thicknesses of tape.

Axminster sell it too - it’s what I used. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

My boat was built with brass runners and brass bearings on the hatch. I had UHMWPE bearings made to replace the hatch bearings.Slide easily and don't need any lubrication, unlike brass on brass.

 

UHMWPE = Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene. An engineering plastic that is almost as low friction as PTFE (teflon), but safer to machine.

[Ex Brummie]

5 hours ago, john6767 said:

Ours has brass strips, and on the hatch underside there are hard plastic blocks at each corner.  It is quite a large hatch and very heavy and it is still quite hard to slide, polishing the brass does help.

In Bizzard style, scotchbrite on the underside of the hatch would polish the brass every time you slide it.

I have steel on Tufnol, and that has lasted 30+ years. The Tufnol came from the factory via a neighbouring moorer whose company had a cleaning contract there. He got fed up of the hint dropping squealing after 2 weeks .

[WotEver]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

UHMWPE = Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene. An engineering plastic that is almost as low friction as PTFE (teflon), but safer to machine.

Yeah, that's the stuff I bought from Axminster although it appears that they no longer stock it.

[steve hayes]

We have brass strips and the wood liner for the hatch just rests on them, always moved easily and quietly 

[Slim]

My hatch has steel runners bearing on 3mm brass strips. There's not enough room to  put PTFE  pads on the steel. I have a can of dry PTFE handy and give the brass strips a squirt once every couple of weeks. Makes an amazing difference. 

[LEO]

Bit more detail needed here, is the hatch square or tapers like a traditional hatch. If square it's easy to match up brass to the runners and the slide. If it tapers a bit more care is needed.

 

I recently made a new slide, and glued the brass strip to the runners, to the tapering slide I carefully worked out the area of cover needed to mate brass to brass and cut a rebate for the strip and glued it in.

 

It's worth dressing the brass over the front end of the runner as it makes the cover slide more easily.

 

Works well.