Mast support help

[Jill PainterParticipant @jillpainter92925]

I have ‘inherited’ a large (50” Hull + 18” bowsprit) RC Gaff cutter which has been stored at the back of a garage for a few years…dry, but a little forlorn. I am a newbie to the world of RC boats and want to at least try and get her up and running. However, the mast support is missing (the mast is 50” high) and the mast is 18mm…which is bigger than supports on offer at suppliers. Any suggestions would be appreciated. The rigging is an altogether different matter…..thank you.

[Jill PainterParticipant @jillpainter92925]

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hi Jill
Welcome to the forum. What do you mean by a mast support? Do you mean a socket or something like that? A photo or two would help.
It's the rigging that is more important than anything.
Tim

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Jill

Is the mast solid or hollow and does it fix on the deck or pass through the deck?

As Tim says some photos would be a great help.

Paul

[Jill PainterParticipant @jillpainter92925]

Thank you….the mast is solid and appears to fix on the deck, and does not pass through.

[Jill PainterParticipant @jillpainter92925]

Sorry, fat fingers….I’ve unscrewed the plate and the deck is solid underneath, no hole.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Jill

Thanks for posting the photos, upon first inspection it looks as though the mast heel isn't the original fitting as it clearly to small for the deck cut out however a simple solution to your problem would be a short brass sleeve fixed to the mast, this sleeve should extend approx 5mm from the base of the mast have an internal size that provides a tight fit over the existing mast heel i.e. an ID of 18mm.

I hope this helps.

Paul

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

The purpose of the deck fitting is partly to stop the mast pressing through the deck, partly to stop the mast sliding about. The rigging does the needed holding upright, and passes the driving forces down to the keel.

Depending on relative sizes, the mast can either sit in a socket,or sit over a stub. If sitting over, a bit of brass tube to fit over the mast and the stub, or if the stub is smaller diameter, to fit that and sand the mast down to fit (wood mast assumed).

For some brass and copper fittings, I have found that a visit to the plumbling department of a DIY store can yield good results. Pipe diameter adaptors, compression fitting rings to name a couple of items where somebody else has done the difficult bits.

[Jill PainterParticipant @jillpainter92925]

Thank you, I’ll head out to my plumbers merchant and see what they can do. The rigging is a bit of a mess and looks like someone has knitted it together!

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

It looks like quite a nice model so all of the above but another suggestion would be do away with the deck fitting which as Paul says is unlikely to be the original and make a new brass plate to fit the recess in the deck. That would improve the appearance. The mast could then be easily located with a hole in the brass plate to take a brass pin fitted into the heel of the mast which is simple and secure.

A collar or band would also look good at the bottom of the mast and my choice would either be a suitable piece of brass tube or a piece of thin sheet brass rolled into a hoop and soldered or pinned at the join. Depends on how far you want to go and availability of materials. I suspect you could be visiting a model shop sooner rather than later and you are likely to find what you need.

Tim

[Author]

Posts