Sliding Hatch

[pearley]

We have a Reeves hull and the rear hatch as 4 phosphor bronze sliders that run on a brass strip. Provided we keep the brass polished the hatch moves freely but a drop of rain and they seize up and trying to open the hatch from inside is bxxxxy hard. Has any one improved these with rollers or sliders of a different material?

 

If rollers were fitted I would have to drill new holes through the side of the hatch as it would otherwise sit too high. The existing sliders also stop the hatch from being lifted off the runners and from being pushed off the end of them. So if using rollers I would have to make up and fit new stops and retainers.

 

Regards

Pete

[raymondh]

Hi,

Ours are nylon/plastic type material sliding on brass strips , dont need to polish the brass, quick spray with silicon loo stuff now and then, can move the cover with one finger

Ray

[bottle]

I was told and have no reason to disbelieve my boat builder that he fitted a self lubricating plastic (where your phosphor bronze is).

 

Not much help but it seems to work for us.

[Ex- Member]

Ours is Nylon blocks on Stainless Steel strip, nice and smooth running but enough resistance to avoid rapid sliding such as rollers would. Nylon is a really good material for this, it will last ages and is in a way self lubricating as it does have a slight oil content. Temporary fix though is rubbing on hard standard candle wax.

[Grace and Favour]

A wee drop of plumber's liquid silicone would ease your problem

[trackman]

Our hatch was steel on steel and moved easily enough. It was b noisy when rusty though!!

I fitted brass strips on top of the slides and since then it's been really easy to move and quiet too.

No rollers, nor fancy materials, just steel on brass.

[MikeV]

We have a Reeves hull and the rear hatch as 4 phosphor bronze sliders that run on a brass strip.

I've got the same. After the hatch came off for painting it was sticking quite badly so I took off the sliders (I thought they were just brass, but I may be wrong) and gave them a good clean up with a fine file. I then cleaned the brass strip and just touched it with a WD-40 pen - less messy than spray lubricants. It then slid very easily. You do need to keep the brass clean though.

[BlueStringPudding]

Silcone spray used to antistat your ironing - available from most supermarkets. (Amazing how two decades in the theatre costume industry can help with boating....)

[NBDensie]

Silcone spray used to antistat your ironing - available from most supermarkets. (Amazing how two decades in the theatre costume industry can help with boating....)

 

 

A blob of silicone grease the size of a match head or two spread over the brass strips worked very well for our hatch. Morris grease got sticky and dirty in a few days, the silicone grease is still working after several weeks and looks clean.

[BlueStringPudding]

What's good about the spray is you can also use it when your tights get static or your frock clings to your legs. (Not sure you have that trouble much, Densie )