Bronze Flathead Screws

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Idon84
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Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Idon84 »

I've been working on installing some new 10" bronze cleats and am in need of a 5/16 flathead bronze machine screw at about 4.5" (Going through 2.5" mahogany boomkin, 1" deck & 1/2" backing plate.)

The best price I have found is a little over $11ea from Jamestown Dist.. Bolt Depot wants over $20ea. The next closest size at 3" is only $3ea. OUCH! Anyone have another source less expensive? I need 8 total. And what about using SS on a bronze cleat? Is using dissimilar metals above the water line cause any issues? Thoughs? Ideas?

Thanks,
Bryon
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Hirilondë
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Hirilondë »

There really isn't an issue using S/S, but it will look funny.
Dave Finnegan
builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
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Gresham’s Law of information: Bad information drives out good. No matter how long ago a correction for a particular error may have appeared in print or online, it never seems to catch up with the ever-widening distribution of the error.
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by bcooke »

Those are normal prices for bronze bolts in that size range. Once they get a little long or a little fat the price goes up exponentially. I have a few hundred dollars in common bronze and stainless hardware in my project so far. I even have four 1/2" x 6" bronze flat head bolts that I never used still sitting on the shelf. I won't say what I paid for those...
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Idon84
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Idon84 »

Thanks guys,

Just wanted to be sure. SS would look horrid so I guess I'll be spending about $80 for fasteners. Originally they were attached using #18 2" bronze screws that only went into the boomkin. Obviously I would like to bolt through the deck so I'll have to shell out the funds.

So that breaks down to $125 for 1, 10" cleat, 4 screws, 4, bolts & 4, washers, and that is only for 1 side. CRAZY! And I though epoxy was expensive.
Bryon
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bcooke
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by bcooke »

In the grand scheme of things, epoxy is dead cheap; easily the cheapest part of the boat project. Its the hardware and shiny bits and pieces that make up the various systems that drive the costs sky high. When I say a few hundred dollars in bolts and nuts I am being conservative and exercising a level of denial that I need in order to keep going. To say I had $500 in bolts and nuts and washers and hose clamps etc. wouldn't be unreasonable if I were to actually look back at my purchasing records. It all adds up really fast.
-Britton
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Most everything you read on the Internet is wrong.

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Capn_Tom
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Capn_Tom »

Am I missing something? Your dimmensions add up to 4" without the cleat. You have to love the fact that the 5" is twice the price of the 4". One thing I've noticed lately with Jamestowns' website is that in some cases the displayed price of a fastener is higher on the description page than it is in the shopping cart. Unfortunately that was not the case in this instance.
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Quetzalsailor
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Quetzalsailor »

With a sufficient degree of stubbornness and possessing the means, you could weld up your own overlength screws or fastenings.

I have done both stainless and steel. For the steel, I welded the business end of 1/2" lag bolts to a length of 1/2" dia rod bent to an 'L', for stair rail brackets (16 times), and for a different house, the lag screw and a bit of 1/2" square stock to stiffen an old style railing and balusters.

You could also bolt and bung the boomkin to the boat (bbbb), and mount the cleat to the boomkin with less precious screws.
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by s/v Faith »

On a receint delivery I ended up in Oriental NC. The Marine Consignment of Oriental had several boxes of silicone bronze fasteners... all told over #100! I paid less then $200 and bought the entire stock.

I wish I had the screws you need, but I do not believe my inventory includes machine screws that large... (regular wood screws, yes).

Threads like this one make me thankful I did not pass it up (like I normally do), but I will add that all 6 of the 10" bronze cleats onboard 'Faith' are secured with stainless screws, and it does not in any way look funny.
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Hirilondë
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Hirilondë »

s/v Faith wrote:On a receint delivery I ended up in Oriental NC. The Marine Consignment of Oriental had several boxes of silicone bronze fasteners...
On the subject of marine consignment shops, I had the opportunity to visit that shop a couple years ago and chat with the owners (husband and wife). Oriental is actually the second shop they opened. They were the original owners of Wickford Marine Consignment. They sold Wickford to go long term sailing and eventually landed in Oriental. They were still living on their boat when I met them down there.
Dave Finnegan
builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gresham’s Law of information: Bad information drives out good. No matter how long ago a correction for a particular error may have appeared in print or online, it never seems to catch up with the ever-widening distribution of the error.
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Capn_Tom »

The board does not cut itself short!
triton318
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Stainless Fasteners with Bronze Fittings? Heck Yeah!

Post by triton318 »

I've also used oval head stainless machine screws (bolts) on bronze hardware. I even had the bronze fasteners, but I hate slotted heads. Hate them. Refuse to use them. There's not one fastener on my boat with a slotted head. The only thing I hate worse than that is when someone uses a 3" bolt when a 1" bolt would have worked. Either cut the damn thing or buy shorter ones. Whew...that felt good.
Jay
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Rachel
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Rachel »

Jay: Ha ha. Glad you feel better (and... understood!)
Idon84
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Re: Bronze Flathead Screws

Post by Idon84 »

It is defiantly fastener time and I can see how the cost will really add up. I guess when building I need to keep that in mind. Also for most things I can use SS so the cost is a little bit more manageable.

Thanks again for the input!
Bryon
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1980, Hess Cutter.
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