Boom Reinforcing Sleeve installation

bjmoose

Member
So I'm installing a reinforcing sleeve into a boom, and I've got a couple new questions.

Based on previous threads, I already learned to check the rules in Rule 18 for a diagram, and rule 18a, which tells me that the reinforcing sleeve is placed so that the outboard end of the reinforcing sleeve is at most 48" from the inboard end of the boom. This surprised me because it meant that the reinforcing sleeve is NOT placed right at the (inboard) end of the boom, but reinforces the area between the vang attachment point and mainsheet attachment point, while extending a bit beyond both of those.

SO, here are my questions.

1. Did I get that right about the position?

2. The reinforcing sleeve is somewhat smaller in diameter than I'd expect; it's not a snug fit by any stretch. Any suggestions on how to place it within the boom? My thought is to try and have it resting against the bottom of the boom, so that the rivets that attach the mainsheet block go through boom and reinforcing sleeve with a minimum of space, and then once it's fixed in position by those rivets, drill and rivet the vang attachment strap into place.

3. I'm pretty handy with rivets, but while I've got all the hardware off the boom, are there any fittings that folks would recommend I go immediately to a "through bolting" technique on rather than riveting? Through bolting anything that isn't right at the end of the boom, where you've got good access in order to place internal nuts, looks like quite a pain.
 
OK, I reversed my lower section and turned an old broken upper section into a new boom this weekend. Here are the lessons I learned.

1. You want to have joined the class already, so that you have the class rule book and diagrams open in front of you while you work.

2. A metric tape measure would be helpful, or be very comfortable switching back and forth between mm and inches. Double check everything before cutting or drilling.

3. When cutting a mast uppper section down to a boom, a hacksaw works, but you'll want to use a miter box to get a nice square cut. Even WITH a miter box, one of my cuts wasn't as square as I would have liked.

4. The rule book measurements are made with the mast/boom end caps ON. But you're measuring with them OFF, from the raw end of the tube. Measure the thickness of the end caps themselves and take this into account. (Hint: the mast base is thicker than the other end caps.)

5. You're going to want to have new end caps in your hands before you start the job. I was able to save one end cap, but mostly removing them was a destructive operation.

6. West marine does have some stainless rivets in their general hardware section. That's good because the "general purpose" rivets you can order from APS/vanguard aren't always the right ones for the job. I found they were too short to keep the outhaul clam-cleat.

7. You can't just buy the rivet tool you need at the local hardware store, and local rental shops do NOT rent pneumatic rivet pullers. If I were to do it again, I'd order the following rivet puller well ahead of time:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41291

(Harbor Freight has great prices, but they don't specialize in "fast" shipping.)

This riveter is probably going to be good for one set of spars, more or less, as it is a cheap knock off of a commercial grade tool costing closer to $200 bucks. I bought a different riveter from Harbor Freight once and it gave out after I pulled a bunch of 316 grade stainless 3/16" rivets on my J/24. Which brings me to my next point.

8. The 18-8 grade stainless rivets supplied by vanguard are not very strong. It's not a wonder they work loose over time. I used them for most of the jobs, but I reattached the vang attachment point on the lower mast using 316 grade stainless 3/16" rivets. 316 grade stainless rivets are MUCH stronger (and are even harder to pull!)

If I did it again, I'd probably use the 316 grade rivets for

Vang attachment point on mast
Vang attachment point on boom
center mainsheet attachment point on boom.

You can buy 316 grade stainless rivets from McMaster-Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/

9. For the boom reinforcing sleeve: As mentioned above, the rules call for it to be placed so that it NOT at the end of the boom. I built a little wooden jig out of a piece of 1x2 lumber with two nails in it to hold it in the correct position lengthwise, and I clamped that to the end of the boom with a C clamp. Then I made a little hook out of coathanger that went through one of the two mainsheet block holes, and I had an assistant hold the sleeve tightly as close as possible to the bottom of the boom while I placed the first rivet.

Once those rivets were in place, I just went ahead and riveted the vang attachment point; so it ended up a little off of center to one side, and I'm pretty sure I don't care.

10. Just go ahead and figure on "through bolting" the end mainsheet attachment point. You need two 10-24x 1/2" stainless with fender washers and aircraft (nylon locking insert) nuts. You need needle-nose pliers and a tiny 4" crescent wrench. I found it easiest to have the boom right side up, tape the screws into position, then put the washer and nut on from the inside with my fingers, then remove the tape and tighten the screws. Do one that's further in first ;-)

11. When reattaching the outhaul attachment point you either need to drill smaller holes than you did for everything else, and use self tapping screws, or you need to use longer rivets than the "general hardware" rivets. ONE longer aluminum rivet comes with the new end cap; but you'll need an additional 3/16" x 1/2" rivet for the inside.

12. Having a drill press and an asssistant to hold the end of the boom is very helpful in getting the holes placed correctly. For the gooseneck fitting on the mast, which has six holes, If I were doing it again I'd only measure, mark, and drill only the center TWO holes initially, rivet those in place, then drill through the remaining holes using the the fitting itself as a jig to ensure perfect alignment. As it was, I had to redrill a couple holes on that fitting once I started riveting it because a couple of my holes were off by a sixteenth of an inch or so, and the rivet wouldn't fit.

Big job. I didn't keep close careful tabs on the time, but building the boom took somewhere between 8 and 12 hours. The mast lower section has a lot fewere fittings; so it was less than 4 hours. Haven't reversed the upper section yet. ;-)

Search keywords: laser reverse spar replacement rivet puller riveter boom reinforcing sleeve
 
Through bolting is stronger, easier, and cheaper (since you do not need the tools).

G

Cool. I can understand that for the mainsheet attachment at the end of the boom; the access is easy. But how exactly do you through-bolt, for instance, the outhaul cleat? Getting a nut (or turning/holding a screw) halfway down the inside of a nine+ foot long boom is a mystery to me.
 
Cool. I can understand that for the mainsheet attachment at the end of the boom; the access is easy. But how exactly do you through-bolt, for instance, the outhaul cleat? Getting a nut (or turning/holding a screw) halfway down the inside of a nine+ foot long boom is a mystery to me.

drill it through to the other side
 
Drill it through to the other side.

In that case, I'm not sure i'd agree with "stronger" since there are now twice as many holes in the spar itself. Especially for something like the gooseneck attachment point, where there are already 6 holes in the lower mast at the attachment point.

Riveting, once you've got ahold of the right size riveter, isn't very difficult. The one I posted a link to is only 10 bucks (plus shipping) And 316 stainless rivets are hella strong.

I suppose it's the nature of the beast, but it's funny that there's WAY more activity on this thread NOW that i've FINISHED the work and wrote about what I did, than when I was asking questions BEFORE I started the work.;)
 
While 316 SS is recognised as marine grade it is a long way from aluminium on the galvanic scale which means a higher potential for galvanic corrosion, I believe this is why Vangard uses the grade that they do as is is as close as you can get with SS.

If you are going to use 316 make sure you use an isolation /sealing compound such as 5200
 
If you are going to use 316 make sure you use an isolation /sealing compound such as 5200

That kind of isolation is a good idea both kinds of SS rivets and I should have mentioned that in the original post.

In the past I've used something called "tef gel" or "tek gel" for this purpose. Ordinary silicon sealant is also a good choice.
 
I recently upgraded most of the boom fittings and through-bolted the mainsheet, boomvang and outhaul fixtures.

I through-bolted, instead of riveting, by tying a small thread around the bolt and then pushing it into boom. It took a bit of time, but eventually I was able to get it out the hole I needed. It helped to do it at an angle so the bolt slid down the interior of the boom and having a second person was helpful. For the record I was dubious that this technique was possible, but it was easier than I thought it would be.

After the bolt was through, I secured the fitting and silicon nut to the outside. The last step was to cut off the portion of the bolt I didn't need and file away any sharp edges.

I riveted parts that weren't under much load - the end caps, mainsheet bridal thing and outhaul cleat (which isn't used on the new outhaul system). I found that standard rivet guns (west marine, lowes and home depot) couldn't pull a stainless rivet - I bought three and returned three broken ones! I ended up with a craftsman professional from sears (~$30), which worked great. BTW, you NEED stainless.

Hope that helps someone.

A.
 
drill it through to the other side

Not needed and will just weaken the boom.


Use the thread method mentioned above to thru bolt the fittings that place the fasteners under a tension load

(the cleat on the boom does not put the fasteners under tension, so rivets, even alum are fine for that)
 
My old boom was through bolted on everything through to the other side by a North American Champion, Kim Zetterberg, and survived several time up to 40 knots, it is more than strong enough
 
Not needed and will just weaken the boom.


Use the thread method mentioned above to thru bolt the fittings that place the fasteners under a tension load

(the cleat on the boom does not put the fasteners under tension, so rivets, even alum are fine for that)


I second that!
The method described above is exactly how I did it. It is not difficult at all. It will take a bit of time, but once you get going, it is very very easy.

G
 
How do you keep the bolt from turning while you tighten the nut, since you can't apply a screwdriver or wrench from the inside?

Extra long screw, held with vice-grips from the outside, then cut off once the nut is tight?
 
How do you keep the bolt from turning while you tighten the nut, since you can't apply a screwdriver or wrench from the inside?

Extra long screw, held with vice-grips from the outside, then cut off once the nut is tight?

Exactly. Bolt length of 1" works just fine.
 
My old boom was through bolted on everything through to the other side by a North American Champion, Kim Zetterberg, and survived several time up to 40 knots, it is more than strong enough

Read the following:
http://www.laserforum.org/showpost.php?p=14301&postcount=3

Ask any spar builder, drilling needless holes is never recommended.

Also, when you thru bolt completely thru the tube as you suggest, you run the risk of collapsing the tube by overtensioning the bolt.
 
I've read it before, and I am telling you there's noting wrong with it, granted its a 15 year old boom, so the metal may be a bit stronger, dunno, but I would do it again


don't go bashin till you've tried it yourself, it makes you sound like your uninterested in new/old ideas
 
I've read it before, and I am telling you there's noting wrong with it, granted its a 15 year old boom, so the metal may be a bit stronger, dunno, but I would do it again


don't go bashin till you've tried it yourself, it makes you sound like your uninterested in new/old ideas

Ross,

It seems that we are not the ones uninterested in new ideas, but rather that you are not interested in a better way of throughbolting.

Georg
 
ross, you didn't do any of the work. you bought it that way. if that's what you use, great. when you get your next boom, how would you do it? you don't seem to do alot of repair work on your boats, based on your posts.
 
I do my spars my self, but I take my boat to a guy, I want it to be done flawlessly, but I do fix my surfboard myself, I do ok with with fiberglass

And I would through bolt my boom, but rivets work well enough, just gotta try not and screw em up when you take em out

I know my way around tools and boat work, don't worry
 
How about a mixture of both? Through bolt half and rivet half? I've always had riveted spars. Over time the fittings can loosen up a little. At that point I just re-rivet them. As long as you inspect and repair as needed you should never have a problem.

I have to question the 40 and 35 knot things. Guys, you do realize a knot is 1.2MPH? So, 40 knots would equate to 48 mph wind. That's over tropical storm strength.

In 30 years of sailing in lots of places I have never sailed in over a true 25 knots of breeze on any boat. 40 knots is southern ocean storm stuff.
 
In 30 years of sailing in lots of places I have never sailed in over a true 25 knots of breeze on any boat. 40 knots is southern ocean storm stuff.

Try SF Bay in the summer, Rob. In the afternoons it typically picks up to a steady 25 knots. As luck would have it, when I took my J24 sailing test for the cruising course, it was 30 knots (as measured by OCLC's electronic wind indicator back at the business office). I failed the man overboard portion of the test because it was impossible for me to head up quickly enough. All that said, I don't know why anyone would voluntarily go out in that wind speed. I went because I had an appointment with a financial penalty for backing out of it. It was too bad too. Because of it I gave up.

But we digress.
 
Try SF Bay in the summer, Rob. In the afternoons it typically picks up to a steady 25 knots. As luck would have it, when I took my J24 sailing test for the cruising course, it was 30 knots (as measured by OCLC's electronic wind indicator back at the business office). I failed the man overboard portion of the test because it was impossible for me to head up quickly enough. All that said, I don't know why anyone would voluntarily go out in that wind speed. I went because I had an appointment with a financial penalty for backing out of it. It was too bad too. Because of it I gave up.

But we digress.

Steady 30 or gusting? How do they rig the boat for the test in those conditions? Blade and full main or do they reef the main. How many folks on board? I'm just interested in what an instructional school does.

Unless I'm stuck out in it, if it's blowing over 25 you'll find me on shore with my feet up and a beer in hand watching the carnage.
 
Steady 30 or gusting? How do they rig the boat for the test in those conditions? Blade and full main or do they reef the main. How many folks on board? I'm just interested in what an instructional school does.

Unless I'm stuck out in it, if it's blowing over 25 you'll find me on shore with my feet up and a beer in hand watching the carnage.

Steady, steady, steady, which of course makes it a lot easier. It also doesn't shift much. We started out reefed but I messed up the lines and we had to re--reef while underway. This was while we were still setting our sails while cruising in the marina and protected, with much less wind. We had two sailing her, one skipper and one crew, with a third student standing in the companionway and the teacher sitting on the transom rail. It took every bit of my strength to gybe, no crash gybe allowed. You have to pull the boom almost to the center and then gybe.

I like a dark beer.
 
Steady, steady, steady, which of course makes it a lot easier. It also doesn't shift much. We started out reefed but I messed up the lines and we had to re--reef while underway. This was while we were still setting our sails while cruising in the marina and protected, with much less wind. We had two sailing her, one skipper and one crew, with a third student standing in the companionway and the teacher sitting on the transom rail. It took every bit of my strength to gybe, no crash gybe allowed. You have to pull the boom almost to the center and then gybe.

I like a dark beer.

The good'ole heavy air, controlled jibe. That's the best way to go in the bigger boats. Those booms flying across in a snap jibe like we do in lasers will tear stuff apart and kill someone if there is contact!

Sounds like a good school. Sometimes you hear things like, "we had 8 people on the J24 for our MOB test." That would not be fun.

I'm not so much into dark beer. I like the pale ale's or better yet scotch.
 
San Francisco? Try Santa Cruz. As luck had it for the NorCal Championships, where it often blows in the 25 NAUT range, a front came through and while trucks were overturning on the bay bridge, it was even windier on the coast in SC. Bravery vs. Idiocy, 14 boats ventured out and one lap was completed and the race was shortened due to increasing winds. At the leeward mark in 3rd, the boom snapped in half, the one I spent all day reinforcing for what I knew was coming, as I had raced here thirty years before in the O'Day finals (and not once inbetween!) and the wind was easily 35 with a running 15 foot swell. My blocks pulled off the boom that day, deja vu. So back to 2008, and half the boom with razor edge flailing in the wind, I turned the boat downwind to keep the boom away, and headed to the nearest beach. Rescue boat tried to tow me, saying the waves were too big risk it having no sail power, but I figured the boom and the stitches to come were a poor option, so I let go of the tow line and headed for a thin stretch of beach inbetween cliffs. When I saw a lone surfer, I knew I would at least have help, and timed it right so the wave snockered me into the beach and I flipped right up onto it. The lesson here is, get a new boom and a bucket of beer and forget through bolting and sailing in Santa Cruz in a cold water hurricane. I lived on Maui most of my life as a windsurfer so I know strong wind strengths. There is no stretch of the strength here, well, maybe a little.
 
No I believe Merrily. Having sailed in the Bay weekly for the last four years, this is not uncommon. Actually I remember that day, that Merrily mentioned, and it was howling. She sailed with us that same weekend. Last night (5/1/08) was beautiful and basically an easy night on the Bay. You can see by the records that nearer to the East Bay where she was sailing was in the mid 20s, http://windandtides.com/ . Just a side note...
Ralph
 
Sailstarz, that is why I did not go. I have learned my limitations....hehehe....stories to tell the grandkids though...LOL
 
I don't doubt Janet. My thing was people always say, "Oh it was blowing 30!" when in reality it's not very often at all that boats are racing in 30 knot plus conditions and quite honestly never 40! I'd argue against the laws of physics allowing a full rig laser to make forward progress in 40 knots of breeze. Even in the rare instances something like this does occur it is because you got stuck in a building beeze. I've never seen an RC start a race in a steady breeze greater than 25 knots.

There are things that happen that make us thing it's blowing 30, but put a wind guage on it and it's probably 25 at best in the gusts.

Things like breeze against the tide, or in shallow water can build up a steep/short/brutal chop. Offshore systems can drive huge swells on an ocean course and in 20 knots of breeze it might feel like 35, but it's not really.

From the posts I'm seeing there are not many showing racing in true and verifyable 30 knots plus conditions.
 
I was just curious, has anyone ever tried a toggle bolt? They do come in stainless steel and are kind of made for an application like this. For lack of a better site, this one gives a pretty good description http://www.mutualscrew.com/products.php?pid=4934 .
Ralph

How do you keep the bolt from turning while you tighten the nut, since you can't apply a screwdriver or wrench from the inside?

Extra long screw, held with vice-grips from the outside, then cut off once the nut is tight?
 
The good'ole heavy air, controlled jibe. That's the best way to go in the bigger boats. Those booms flying across in a snap jibe like we do in lasers will tear stuff apart and kill someone if there is contact!

I'd agree with that! I can remember as a lad being told of a speed test being done with some sort of radar gun thingy onboard Lion New Zealand, which was a 78' Maxi built for the '86 Whitbread. they claimed that the end of the boom was doing over 700km/h in a hevy weather crash gybe.

Dont think I'd wanna be hit by that!
 
OK, I reversed my lower section and turned an old broken upper section into a new boom this weekend. Here are the lessons I learned.

1. You want to have joined the class already, so that you have the class rule book and diagrams open in front of you while you work.

2. A metric tape measure would be helpful, or be very comfortable switching back and forth between mm and inches. Double check everything before cutting or drilling.

3. When cutting a mast uppper section down to a boom, a hacksaw works, but you'll want to use a miter box to get a nice square cut. Even WITH a miter box, one of my cuts wasn't as square as I would have liked.

4. The rule book measurements are made with the mast/boom end caps ON. But you're measuring with them OFF, from the raw end of the tube. Measure the thickness of the end caps themselves and take this into account. (Hint: the mast base is thicker than the other end caps.)

5. You're going to want to have new end caps in your hands before you start the job. I was able to save one end cap, but mostly removing them was a destructive operation.

6. West marine does have some stainless rivets in their general hardware section. That's good because the "general purpose" rivets you can order from APS/vanguard aren't always the right ones for the job. I found they were too short to keep the outhaul clam-cleat.

7. You can't just buy the rivet tool you need at the local hardware store, and local rental shops do NOT rent pneumatic rivet pullers. If I were to do it again, I'd order the following rivet puller well ahead of time:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41291

(Harbor Freight has great prices, but they don't specialize in "fast" shipping.)

This riveter is probably going to be good for one set of spars, more or less, as it is a cheap knock off of a commercial grade tool costing closer to $200 bucks. I bought a different riveter from Harbor Freight once and it gave out after I pulled a bunch of 316 grade stainless 3/16" rivets on my J/24. Which brings me to my next point.

8. The 18-8 grade stainless rivets supplied by vanguard are not very strong. It's not a wonder they work loose over time. I used them for most of the jobs, but I reattached the vang attachment point on the lower mast using 316 grade stainless 3/16" rivets. 316 grade stainless rivets are MUCH stronger (and are even harder to pull!)

If I did it again, I'd probably use the 316 grade rivets for

Vang attachment point on mast
Vang attachment point on boom
center mainsheet attachment point on boom.

You can buy 316 grade stainless rivets from McMaster-Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/

9. For the boom reinforcing sleeve: As mentioned above, the rules call for it to be placed so that it NOT at the end of the boom. I built a little wooden jig out of a piece of 1x2 lumber with two nails in it to hold it in the correct position lengthwise, and I clamped that to the end of the boom with a C clamp. Then I made a little hook out of coathanger that went through one of the two mainsheet block holes, and I had an assistant hold the sleeve tightly as close as possible to the bottom of the boom while I placed the first rivet.

Once those rivets were in place, I just went ahead and riveted the vang attachment point; so it ended up a little off of center to one side, and I'm pretty sure I don't care.

10. Just go ahead and figure on "through bolting" the end mainsheet attachment point. You need two 10-24x 1/2" stainless with fender washers and aircraft (nylon locking insert) nuts. You need needle-nose pliers and a tiny 4" crescent wrench. I found it easiest to have the boom right side up, tape the screws into position, then put the washer and nut on from the inside with my fingers, then remove the tape and tighten the screws. Do one that's further in first ;-)

11. When reattaching the outhaul attachment point you either need to drill smaller holes than you did for everything else, and use self tapping screws, or you need to use longer rivets than the "general hardware" rivets. ONE longer aluminum rivet comes with the new end cap; but you'll need an additional 3/16" x 1/2" rivet for the inside.

12. Having a drill press and an asssistant to hold the end of the boom is very helpful in getting the holes placed correctly. For the gooseneck fitting on the mast, which has six holes, If I were doing it again I'd only measure, mark, and drill only the center TWO holes initially, rivet those in place, then drill through the remaining holes using the the fitting itself as a jig to ensure perfect alignment. As it was, I had to redrill a couple holes on that fitting once I started riveting it because a couple of my holes were off by a sixteenth of an inch or so, and the rivet wouldn't fit.

Big job. I didn't keep close careful tabs on the time, but building the boom took somewhere between 8 and 12 hours. The mast lower section has a lot fewere fittings; so it was less than 4 hours. Haven't reversed the upper section yet. ;-)

Search keywords: laser reverse spar replacement rivet puller riveter boom reinforcing sleeve

OK, while this is a lot of explaination, I'm still confused. My question only concerns installing the rinforcing sleeve, not cutting off top section spars and through bolting hardware.

The class rules are pretty clear as to where it goes, and it would appears that the forward mainsheet boom block rivets need to be drilled out then the sleeve positioned per class rules, new holes drilled in the sleeve, and new rivets going through the boom block's padeye, the boom and boom sleeve. I would assume part of the trick is to keep the sleeve tight against the boom during all of this and a broom handle wedged inside (or similar) might work to hold it in place.

1) Is this correct?
2) If so, is the sleeve only held on by these two rivets, or are other rivets needed elsewhere to attach it?
3) I am surprised when you order this part, there are no instructions as there are with some other parts.
 
I took the sleeve just past the mainsheet mid block, but first drilled and riveted the vang on. Seems to hold up okay in the breeze. To save your end caps, drop a heavy drill bit in through the gooseneck hole and keep tilting it end to end like a rainstick. The weight of the drop will keep your caps happy. I think throughbolting is not the answer, but every one will question that. A real rivet gun and stainless rivets from West Marine do the trick, just make sure the rivets are long enough to get a good metal ball going inside the boom. The sleeve is not the right diameter they sell, maybe you can find one at a specialty aluminum tubing shop. None here. Good luck and here's one to us cheapskates who won't fork out the big bucks for a boom. While you are at it, re-rivet the rivet on the topsection, and always make sure it faces aft when you rig up. assall.
 
etc etc...

1) Is this correct?
2) If so, is the sleeve only held on by these two rivets, or are other rivets needed elsewhere to attach it?
3) I am surprised when you order this part, there are no instructions as there are with some other parts.

As with most things there are numerous ways to achieve the same result. I used a tape measure to position the inner tubing. First set the boom up so gravity helps you out. Centre the inner tube so it lies more or less plumb and horizontal, but just 600mm or so from where it should be. Slide the tube in using the end of a locked tape measure until the tape measure reads the correct distance. Find a scribe or something else with a sharp end and align the holes in the boom with the ones in the inner tube, or use the sharp ended tool to carefully turn the inner tube until the holes align.

If you have no holes in the inner tube, it's easier. Use a permanent marker through the boom eyestrap holes to mark one position, then pull the tube out, drill the hole and go back to step one, but push a rivet into the hole you drilled once it's lined up again. Then mark the others and drill them. Then go back to step one for the final run.
 
I took the sleeve just past the mainsheet mid block, but first drilled and riveted the vang on. Seems to hold up okay in the breeze. To save your end caps, drop a heavy drill bit in through the gooseneck hole and keep tilting it end to end like a rainstick. The weight of the drop will keep your caps happy. I think throughbolting is not the answer, but every one will question that. A real rivet gun and stainless rivets from West Marine do the trick, just make sure the rivets are long enough to get a good metal ball going inside the boom. The sleeve is not the right diameter they sell, maybe you can find one at a specialty aluminum tubing shop. None here. Good luck and here's one to us cheapskates who won't fork out the big bucks for a boom. While you are at it, re-rivet the rivet on the topsection, and always make sure it faces aft when you rig up. assall.

Thanks for replying. Since I would be reinforcing an older boom with all the hardware already attached, can I just leave the vang hardware attached? or do I need to remove it and reattach riveting through the sleeve? Seems like because the sleeve is smaller, it would fit without removing the vang. Also when I ordered the replacement sleeve, they sent a replacement end cap, so saving it is not really an issue. They also sent 3 or 4 SS rivets. I assume that two go for the mainsheet block and one or two are for the end cap. Does this sound right?

You are correct that you cannot use a the typical rivet gun to install stanless steel rivets. They are two to three times stonger than aluminum. Most rivet guns have a disclaimer in small print somewhere on the package that says not to use it for stainless steel rivets. I destoyed one trying. It is also worth noting that you cannot buy a "real" rivet gun at any retail store incluing Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, West Marine or any other hardware or auto parts store, I looked. I bought a semi-heavy duty gun on eBay for about $20, that I have used for stainless steel rivets on a Sunfish boom. It worked OK, though I would like something with more leverage. However, I have used aluminum rivets for a mainsheet block on a Catalina boom. Yes they work themselves loose, but they will do the job for awhile then I just replace them. Next time I will use stainless.
 

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