mast wear plate installation questions

P

perrylaser175120

New Member
Hi,
I have read through a variety of advice on putting in the metal disks (for older boats that do not already have them), but I am still not clear on the best method ( and I can't post to the older threads).

1) (Scott at the Boathouse) suggests putting 1/4 inch 4200 at the bottom of the mast step and dropping in the disk. My fear is getting the 4200 on the sides of the mast step.

2) Other advice suggests using epoxy, but making sure not to use too much so as to have the epoxy rise above the metal. This would seem to have the same risk of getting epoxy on the sides. Putting epoxy on one side of the disk risks having it land epoxy side up.

The advice below suggests taping the disk to a yard stick which would ensure correct side down, but it still seems tricky and I'm still not clear on whether to use 4200 or epoxy.


Thanks,
Perry

ps. some of the advice:
For future reference, to properly install the disk, get a yard stick (or as we say in Maine, a yahd stick) and tape the disk to it with some scotch tape. add more layer of tape to the stick and only one or two tabs on the disk. use another stick to hold the disk down and then quickly pull off the yahd stick, and viola, it is in place
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=29075&highlight=mast+step+repair&page=
 
I was just thinking this weekend about doing this for my laser, and beyond the questions in the above post, I was wondering what is the best way to clean the bottom of the mast step prior to securing the SS plate?

I tilted the boat on its side and sprayed out the step so all the dirt would flow out, but it still seems a little too gritty/grimy for me to be comfortable installing the plate.
 
I am at the same point as above... I even asked a small child to take a rag to the inside and twist back and forth but there is still dirt on the surface that will make for a bad adhesion for the plate.
 
fyi, this is the advice I got from Jim, of Intensity Sails. I plan to try that.
I'm not sure about the dirt. I do have a toilet bowl cleaner that I have used in the past to clean out water. (You can make one by attaching a sponge to a stick) But it might not be abrasive enough to do hard scrubbing.

Jim's advice:
I use 4200 scotch tape string to the top and press it in place with a dowel. Hold it in place and pull the string out. The mast will grind the tape to nothing quickly.


http://www.intensitysails.com
 
You'll need to measure the depth of the mast step. 14" is a unworn mast step, if that's the case take a shop vac, turn it on and stick the disc to the end of the vacuum tube. Then put 4200 or 5200 on the bottom of the disc, not too much you don't want it coming up the sides. Then simply place the disc at the bottom of the tube and turn off the vac.

If your tube measures more than 14" it gets interesting, because you'll need to pour West System (or whatever resin you prefer) and make a new base for the mast step prior to completing the above instructions.

A couple of things:
1) Make sure the boat and more importantly the mast step is level before pouring.
2) You can approximate how much resin you'd need by using a pop can with the top cut off as a proxy. The neat thing about that is you can bend the can into a pouring device once you're certain that you're ready to pour.


I did the above, twice on older boats. Everything I learned about how to do this was from searching this site :p
Marvin Miller's thread is a good reference, you'll need to scroll to the end if you're only concerned about installing the disc.
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=29075&highlight=mast+step+depth

Good luck.
 
A couple of idea I used from here when I installed a mast wear step.

1) Roll up a piece of poster board and stick it in the mast tube. This masks off the walls of the mast tube and keeps off any dripping expoy or sealant.

2) Use a shop vac with no attachment to actually insert the plate into the bottom of the tube. Turn the vac on and use it to grab onto the mast plate. Stick it down the tube, then shut off the vac.
 
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