Plugging holes in stanchions? Ideas please.

[bobk]

I'm having new dodger boards made for the sundeck on Chateau de Mer. After removing the old boards, we found very large holes in the SS stanchions where large aluminum rivets had been used to attach the dodger boards. We'd like to keep the hole spacing but use smaller machine screws to fasten the boards. So my question is does anyone have a suggestion for putting something like a helicoil or other machine screw insert into a stainelss tube? Or something which would plug the holes and allow a new one to be drilled and tapped?

Bob
Chateau de Mer
1981 48MY

 

[saltshaker]

Not sure if it will hold to polished stainless but you might want to do a test to see if Marinetex will work. I know it works on other metals.

 

[bobk]

Not sure if it will hold to polished stainless but you might want to do a test to see if Marinetex will work. I know it works on other metals.

Thanks Jack. I thought of that and other epoxies, but am hesitant about long term bonding.

Bob

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Why not move the screws to different locations. The old holes will be covered by the new dodgerboard anyway. What am I missing.

 

[rtrafford]

A good welder can fill the old holes in a jiffy....

 

[bigbill]

not sure of the name, but they make a type of rivett that is hollow in the center with threads. you put it in the hole, it spreads open on the backside, and you unscrew the tool, leaving machine threads for a bolt.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Like an expandable machine thread molly. ws

 

[captddis]

They are called "well Nuts" They have a rubber body with a brass threaded insert, As you tighten the screw it expands the body.

 

[Avenger]

Or Riv-nuts, or Nut-serts, or whatever. There's a bunch of them, just like Heli-coils and other thread-restoring products. Most of them work very well.

 

[bobk]

Thanks guys. Just needed a clue to what they were called. Found lots of possibilities on the internet.

Bob

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Make sure theyre stainless or youll have a rust streak a mile long... ws

 

[rsmith]

Make sure theyre stainless or youll have a rust streak a mile long... ws

GOOD stainless.LOL What is that these days. I bought a box of 316 screws from the local nut and bolt shop about 1 out of every 10 rusted like carbon steel. Dam Chineez!