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DIY rudder casting shims
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Author:  presto13031 [ Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:43 am ]
Post subject:  DIY rudder casting shims
Amateur tip - Make shims out of used plastic food container lids (I know this may be common knowledge, but I thought I'd post anyway.)
For the Hobie 17(/18 upgraded) rudders "Molly McButter" bottles are nearly the same sizs as the contact area for the upper castings. The lowers are smaller.
I used 2 "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" lids and made 8 shims.

1) Eat baked potatoes, with all the fixins (especially bacon), and put I Can't Believe It's Not Butter tub lids in the special basket in dish washer (so they dont fly all over and melt onto the heating element).

2) Trace appropriately sized circular object onto lids as many times as you can.

3) Cut shims out with scissors.

4) Punch holes in center for bolt. I used a hole punch and "nibbled" out the hole till it fit.

5) Install on rudders.

6) Look at crew, and say (using a Fabio voice) "I Can't Believe It's Not Rudder...........Shims" :mrgreen:

7) Laugh hysterically, then explain the Fabio reference to crew. Youtube is your friend here.

For you skinny, health conscious, people, you can use Crisco lids and make more, but omit steps 6 & 7
Author:  srm [ Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY rudder casting shims
Or, for the super lazy type...

Cut out pieces of milk jug (1" square, round if you want to be fancy). Jam as many in between the housing and rudder as will fit to be snug. Insert pivot bolt. Use hammer to punch bolt through shims. Install nut onto bolt.

sm
Author:  hrtsailor [ Wed Jun 06, 2012 7:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY rudder casting shims
I use milk jugs for shims also but I have a 2" diam. hole saw with a 1/4" bit. I simply cut the discs on a drill press.
Author:  presto13031 [ Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY rudder casting shims
so baked potatoes or Oreos/Frosted Flakes can be used to make shims... I wonder what I can use a Jack Daniels bottle for on the boat.... :mrgreen:
Author:  sxrracer [ Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY rudder casting shims
presto13031 wrote:
so baked potatoes or Oreos/Frosted Flakes can be used to make shims... I wonder what I can use a Jack Daniels bottle for on the boat.... :mrgreen:


Seal it up really well and use it for a mast float.
Author:  Tim H16 [ Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY rudder casting shims
David Hall wrote a great article: Towards the "No Slop" Rudder in the March 1997 issue of: On The Wire

https://www.thebeachcats.com/OnTheWire/earthlink/_mattson/hobie/archives/v1-i7/feature1.htm
Author:  fastcat [ Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY rudder casting shims
I must be old school. I too make my own shims but from a 12"x12", 1/16" PTFE Sheet (Dupont calls it Teflon). It cost about $25.00 for the sheet, but so far a set of 4 - 2" dia washers,1/side/blade, has lasted me 5 hard years of sailing with no noticeable wear. They work great with virtually no slop in the rudders. Not as cheap and sexy as a Pringles lid, but well worth the price. :wink:

P.S. I made 3 washer sets total, and still had half the sheet left which I have used for other projects as well. 8)
Author:  cezo823 [ Tue Jun 19, 2012 9:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY rudder casting shims
Nylon Washers are much more popular now than they used to be also, most hardware stores and big box stores carry them, if not you can get them from mcmastercarr pretty cheap also.
We use quite a few of them at work so I use the ones that I pick up off the shop floor.
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