coldblue

im trying to install my stuffing tube in my first fiberglass boat.. a few questions.

how far out the stern or close to the hardware should the shaft come.

how do u bend it without kinking? brake line bender is kinking it.


thanks

project5k

fill it with sand or salt, this should reduce the kinking, you wanna tape over one end, fill it, tap it lightly, fill in the setteled area, tape off the open end and then do your bends...

BMAD01

What kind of hull are you setting up? And what kind of hardware are you going to use? As far as bending the stuffing tube, I put the flex cable inside and bend it very slowly, a lil bit at a time. Slow, slow, slow! Ifin you rush it, you can kink it![X(] So take yer time. Brian

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

I recently read something interesting on this subject in one of the other fora that I watch. Heat the brass with a torch and let it cool slowly. This will soften the brass and make it very easy to bend. Once you've got it bent to the desired shape, heat it again and dip it in water to cool it quickly. This will harden it again. I haven't tried this yet, but it makes sense.

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

As Brian already asked, it's helpful to know what kind of hardware, in particular the strut, you are using. Some struts, such as Speedmaster and Aeromarine, are sized so that the inner stuffing tube actually goes inside the strut.

coldblue

octura... with single offset rudder

skoda450

As a rule of thumb, the flex cable should not be unsupported for more than two inches. That is from the end of the stuffing tube (whether it ends at the transom or sticks down under the boat) to the strut should be less than two inches. The problem is that the flex cable will vibrate/oscillate wildly if unsupported for more than that distance. Unfortunately, I know this from personnel experience. As Piper said above, some installations use stuffing tubes all the way to the strut and supported by the strut at the end. This is typically on long flex cables hung under the boat like on hydros and Cats.

As for bending the brass, heat it on the outside of the bend only and it will bend by hand with out kinking. The softened brass will stretch on the outside of the bend and the unheated side will hold its shape and strength. I don't think quenching it will harden it. Once soft, always soft, but it will still work well.