WANTED: RUDDER BLADES.

[Bob23]

Hey all you 23 er's:
   Does anyone have a blank old aluminum flat rudder blade that they want to sell or give away? As some of you know, I magically changed mine into a foiled wood blade. I'm already planning the next one which should out perform the first one, which I realized is just a prototype. I'm trying to avoid buying a new blade to keep the cost down but I suppose I could just get one made at a shop out of 3/8" flat stock.
   Hmm...I wonder if the entire rudder could be wood?
Bob23

[rwdsr]

Bob,
My cousin has a piece of heavy duty aluminum about the same thicness as a rudder blade.  My thoughts a while back while I was watching your build, was to cut a strip about 6 inches wide and just long enough to drill to mount where a rudder goes, then encase the strip in wood and build the foiled rudder out of solid wood with the aluminum strip down the center.  Did I explain that right?
BobD

[Bob23]

Yes, Bob you did. Essentially, that's what I did. Sort of. I don't know how to post photos here but I could email you some from the building project. Lemme know.
Bob23

[Greene]

You can cut aluminum plate pretty easily at home if you use a strong circular saw, a good carbide blade (40-60 tooth inserted backwards) and liberally spray the blade with a silicone based lube.   We used WD-40 to spray the blade and then keep spraying the cutting area of the metal.  The lube makes it cut easier, but more importantly it keeps the hot aluminum from sticking to the teeth of the blade.  Cut slow and wear eye and ear protection.   

I've made several solar heaters with this method and have cut many pieces of 3/16" to 5/8" plate when I used to sell cut-to-size metals.

Mike

[Craig Weis]

Cut the 3/8" marine 6082 aluminum on a band saw or jig saw and lube the cut with plenty of hard wax [Ace Hardware] to aid the cut, cool the blade, and stop burnishing. Oils will tend to gather the shavings around the cut and stop the teeth from removing material.

skip.

[Salty19]

Just an out of the box thought

Use solid wood throughout. Laminate them if required for thickness.  Then use some SS or anodized aluminum plate (say 1/16 thick) around the pivot area, to minimize friction and wear on the wood.  Varnish with a dozen coats or more.

OR

Use a solid wood core, perhaps 1" thick, laminate with foam to the foil shape.  Then as above plate for the pivot area.  This is preferred to minimize weight and maximize floatation in area that really needs it.  Then paint with foam compatible paint (Greene probably knows the right stuff to use).

I bet I could build one for less than $40 either way.  OK, maybe a little more.

If you want it to last longer, wrap it in glass, shaping the core undersized to accomodate the extra thickness.

Do away with the downhaul and engineer two tang with a spring to hold the rudder down, yet would allow it to be tilted up when hitting bottom or lifted up all the way to get it out of the salt. Spring tension would be lightest at the extreme low and high position.   

OR just pay a welder to put a new lever on the nut that you'll use as the pivot.  I know you had to drill yours out and go with a larger bolt.    Radiator repair shops can probably knock that out in 5 minutes for $10.  If you use a fine thread you can probably drill a small hole in the end of the lever, tie a loop of line through it--one side to the right, one to the left.  Lift one side to tighten, lift the other to loosen.  Attach the upper end of the loop to an eyebolt or similar on the top/rear of the tiller or at the top of the mount itself.

Jes thinking out loud...

[Salty19]

Bob--Don't waste your brain cells on my uphaul/downahaul idea.  It won't work...stupid me.

[Bob23]

Mike:
   My downhaul works pretty good. I can email you photos if you'd like. True, it won't haul the rudder down, but it does keep it down.
Bob23- a work in progress

[Bob23]

This is and old thread, I know. But I'm planning on my Rudder Project #2 and am still wondering if there are any old blades out there for el cheapo. I know, I know. How can I plan rudder #2 when I've never posted photos of #1? Good question...maybe someone else has the answer!
Bob23 in rainy NJ

[curtisv]

Bob,

I have one.  I was planning on putting it in place and comparing the Ida foil to the original but it sat under a quarter berth cushion for years now.  I'll send a message.

Curtis

[rip]

Hey Curtis, Spotted your website in your reply ref rudder blades. Very informative. I am new around here and maybe you can help me. I tried to send this via email but when I click on the email logo nothing ever happens. Also I was happy to see all the minuses attributed to you. This because I have hardly posted at all and have accumulated minuses though I am a very positive kinda guy! ralph on the Hudson

[curtisv]

Ralph,

I have no idea why you have negative karma.  You know how it goes with that - to erase karma you have to be reincarnated.  In PHPBB that means create a new login and start over.  I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Thanks for the comment on the web page.  Did you have a question that you couldn't ask in email?  Did you try the PHPBB "send a message" feature?

Curtis

[rip]

Curtis, Goodness, what is PHPBB? Haven't noticed it anywhere on this forum. I just didn't get any results when I clicked on the email logo that appears on the left of any posting.

[curtisv]

Curtis, Goodness, what is PHPBB? Haven't noticed it anywhere on this forum. I just didn't get any results when I clicked on the email logo that appears on the left of any posting.

Sorry.  If you look at the bottom of the web page is say's "powered by PHP".  PHP is a language used on the web server side.  PHPBB is a bulliten board (the BB part) package written in PHP.  This web site used to be run using PHPBB but I see now looking at the bottom that it uses another package known as Simple Machines Forum which you can read about by clicking on the very top right icon, or Simple Machine Forum wording at the bottom of the page.

Curtis