Brass hatch slide grrrr moment!

[nicknorman]

Tied up at Star City again and I foolishly though I would varnish the top of the hatch since the red is no longer red and even the grey is crazing a bit. I wet&dry'd in situ with 2000 grit but it was quite gusty and I decided to remove the hatch and take it into the boat for varnishing.

 

 

Hmmm, it is REALLY HEAVY! And whilst I was thinking that, plop went one of the brass attachment runners, straight into the cut. The fishing net pulled up only disgusting black very soft mud and I think the brass bit will have gone well down as it is very dense compared to the mud, so I'll have to make a new one.

 

This is what it looks like:

 

Brass hatch slide by nick.norman, on Flickr

 

So my question is, whilst I can get 1" brass rod, cut to length and tap the end hole, how should I go about making the slot? I'm not really into metal work. I do have a router at home but obviously that is intended for wood - can you get routing bits that will tackle brass? Any better way of doing it?

[keble]

Milling

[rjasmith]

Surely you can buy those fairly easily although I haven't tried to research it myself. Most modern build narrow boat slides use the "push on" brass channel section with the four "cylinder plus slot" sliders, also in brass as the slide "bearing" components.

 

Certainly Colecraft use them and I believe they buy them in. Give Colecraft a ring perhaps?

 

Richard

 

STOP PRESS - Midland Chandlers do the full kit (but at a price!). Maybe they might sell you one brass slotted runner or perhaps put you on to their supplier for it?

 

See here for details

Edited April 21, 2015 by rjasmith

[nicknorman]

Milling

But I don't have a milling machine.

Surely you can buy those fairly easily although I haven't tried to research it myself. Most modern build narrow boat slides use the "push on" brass channel section with the four "cylinder plus slot" sliders, also in brass as the slide "bearing" components.

 

Certainly Colecraft use them and I believe they buy them in. Give Colecraft a ring perhaps?

 

Richard

Good point, it might be a standard part.

[rjasmith]

Nick, see my edit above!

[nicknorman]

Nick, see my edit above!

Thanks, that is definitely the right thing but obviously I don't want a full set! I'll see if they are accommodating.

[koukouvagia]

I'd certainly have a go at making one myself. Put the brass cylinder in a vice and with a hacksaw carefully cut two parallel slots. Then use a drill (looks about a 3/8" one) to drill between the slots at the bottom. A U-shaped slug should then come free and you can square up the bottom of the slot with a file.

Just the sort of fettling job I rather enjoy!

[lexicon]

I think I might have a few onboard will check tonight when I get back

[nicknorman]

I'd certainly have a go at making one myself. Put the brass cylinder in a vice and with a hacksaw carefully cut two parallel slots. Then use a drill (looks about a 3/8" one) to drill between the slots at the bottom. A U-shaped slug should then come free and you can square up the bottom of the slot with a file.

Just the sort of fettling job I rather enjoy!

Yea that's the kind of thing I had in mind, on the other hand it will look "home made" because I am not very good at cutting straight and true with a hacksaw! However I guess it is hidden from view and doesn't have to be precision engineering!

Edited April 21, 2015 by nicknorman

[matty40s]

Thanks, that is definitely the right thing but obviously I don't want a full set....

what happens when you lose another one.......

[john6767]

I'd certainly have a go at making one myself. Put the brass cylinder in a vice and with a hacksaw carefully cut two parallel slots. Then use a drill (looks about a 3/8" one) to drill between the slots at the bottom. A U-shaped slug should then come free and you can square up the bottom of the slot with a file.

Just the sort of fettling job I rather enjoy!

That is what I would do, and I suspect looking at it, the way the original was made. I would drill the hole across first and then saw down to join to the hole, and then square out the corners with a file.

[nicknorman]

I think I might have a few onboard will check tonight when I get back

That would be helpful thanks. It's 1" dia x 1" long with a 10mm slot 1/2" deep.

what happens when you lose another one.......

Well hopefully I won't be so stupid next time! Anyway, we know a song about that...

[Martin Kedian]

I have one if it helps I can post it to you Martin Kedian Kedian engineering [ 01604 511512 ]

[Flyboy]

Midland Chandlery had these at Willington last year. I think they will sell them as a spare part.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Flyboy

[pearley]

Exactly the same as our Reeves ones.

[Drayke]

You could try using an angle grinder to cut the slot.

[onionbargee]

Good luck hacksawing and filing up brass.

[bizzard]

A new 4.1/2'' angle grinder ''stone'' not a ''slitting disc'' is about the same width as that slot. If you have a compound Mitre saw with a blade for metal for it set it at 0 = 90degs and clamp the blank to the base with a G clamp you will achieve a pretty accurate cuts.

[nicknorman]

A new 4.1/2'' angle grinder ''stone'' not a ''slitting disc'' is about the same width as that slot. If you have a compound Mitre saw with a blade for metal for it set it at 0 = 90degs and clamp the blank to the base with a G clamp you will achieve a pretty accurate cuts.

Yes I do have a compound mitre saw, but I'll need to get a metal blade. I think this is the best idea to get accurate cuts. Even though when I drill through the root of the slot to detach the slug it may leave an uneven finish, it can't be seen and of course it is the cut surfaces that run on the brass strips.

 

Thanks for all the other suggestions.

[mattcyp]

nicknorman, what did you eventually do to replace the missing part? I also took the hatch off today to varnish it and watched as one of the brass runners went flying.

[nicknorman]

nicknorman, what did you eventually do to replace the missing part? I also took the hatch off today to varnish it and watched as one of the brass runners went flying.

I bought the whole kit from Midland Chandlers, having dismally failed to make something (brass being really difficult to work with it transpired!). Not on the boat for a while, going down weekend of 20th Jan so if you can wait that long, and if you remind me at the time(!) I'll look one out. I am 99% sure the remaining 3 new ones are on the boat.

[mattcyp]

That would be absolutely superb - thank you!

 

I'll pm to discuss further.

[mattcyp]

For anyone who ever stumbles on this, Lower Park marina in Barnoldswick has a basket of individual hatch sliders.  Not sure if they'd post, but they might.