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Posted By: Bob Frak
Date: 5/20/08 7:37p.m.

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In Response To: How thick is the hound metal and... (link) (Tom Cannon, 2023A, Coupeville WA)

Tom, I measured .060" which is close to 1/16" about 5/64" also. It was two separate pieces joined by the through rivet at the eye. It wasn't welded at all. I was going to drill and tap the 10 mounting holes but the mast is so thin even using a 32 threads per inch tap you'd be lucky to get a thread and a half in that wall thickness. I used 3/16" aluminum rivets and unless you have a professional gun you'd never pop off a stainless rivet that size. If the Ronstan profile is close and it's any less expensive I'd use it as well. After looking at the picture I posted I got to thinking that, if you look at the bolt head and where the new "eye" of the tang extension is, that is the load angle the forestay comes into the mast at. (You could tell by the wear and weathering on the tang before I cut it.)So I'm not sure when the "new" short tang is moved to that angle if I'm going to be long or short on length. I'm guessing I'll be 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch short but I have the tang under the base of the furller drum which has 2 holes as well as all the holes in the tensioning lever to adjust with. The only other way to keep the eye in the original position would be to use the old hole for the shroud attachment points and drill a second lower hole for the tang. Bob Frak S/Y Alegira