Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Oar lock height quick fix
I designed my seat too high in relation to the oar locks. I'll either make new, higher oarlocks or re-design my seat to be lower... next year. In the mean time, does any one know if there is an easy way to raise my oar locks? I have Sawyer Cobra's with 5/8" shafts. I thought I remembered seeing something that looked like a simple shaft extender, but can't seem to find anything now.
Thanks!
Mike
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on
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buy a Delrin or UHMW insert made to press into a wood oarlock block, cut it to the length you want to raise the oarlock, then slide it on the oarlock so it stacks on top of the block you are already using.
You need to have a long shaft on the oarlock to get this to work.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Rosso on
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Yeah. but that's the problem. My shaft is too short.. (insert joke here)
But seriously. My oarlocks have the standard 4 or 5" shaft on them so that wouldn't work. If I time to go buy a chunk of Mahogany I would just build new taller blocks with a hole routed through them that would allow me to attach the nut and retaining ring back onto the shaft.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on
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Michael, what an opportunity, maybe you need more than one piece of mahogany. How does the new owner like the Trout Hunter? You sure did a good job on it. You're a metal worker, can you weld on a longer shaft, machine it to size and then extend the blocks with a spacer? How about if you machined a piece of steel to slip over the current oarlock shaft with an opening for the pin to lock into the existing hole. On the new piece of steel weld a collar or washer that would provide a higher surface for the oarlock to now rest on. Then you wouldn't have to change the boat. Essentially a sleeve with a collar sized to fit the existing shaft and to raise the oarlock. With the big water you have back there you might want to make it really strong!
Mahog
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Ha! I was wondering when you'd chime in, Rick. I'd considered that, but the thing is these oarlocks are bronze. I'm no expert, but I'm thinking that if you tried to MIG weld bronze it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Bronze, copper, brass (and most likely some others) cannot be 'welded' in a traditional sense. They have to be brazed or soldered together. Don't ask me why!
The kind of machining you're talking about we can't do at my shop. Takes a metal lathe and some specialized drill press jigs which we don't have.
By the way Rick, check this out to see what we pull out of our 'big water'... http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/fishing/trout-fishing/...
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Big Water, Are there any machine shops close by? Any buddies with a lathe? I have some 4140 that's about the right diameter I could send you. It's tubing and some of it is fairly long. We have a lathe at my inlaws, it's an old railroad lathe but it could do basic cutting. I'm sure we have some Shelby tubing too. Send me a rough drawing or needed dimensions. Maybe I can do something for you. I not the best welder but I could perhaps make up the parts and then you could weld it. I also have some great bronze tig and gas rod that I used to sell for Cronatron Welding Supplies. If you were to cut down the existing shaft leaving a space for a v fillet why couldn't you extend it and braze the fillet. An outside steel tube could provide sufficient support.
Have you seen the stainless steel oarlocks that are made in Oregon? Take a look through my pictures from the festivals and I will to.
One more thought, what about a steel tube drilled in three places. The first hole would line up with the hole on the bottom of your current oar locks. The second hole would be located and sized to allow a steel roll pin to be inserted too. The first roll pin would keep your oarlock in place, the second could prevent a washer from sliding up the tube. The current block could be drilled out to accept the tubing and at the bottom of the tubing a third hole could hold a cotter key.
Just some thoughts. Anything to get you some longer shafts!Mahog
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Big Water or should I say, Big Trout;
What a fish, it would give most western Steelhead anglers a heart attack! Wow!
Here's the link to the Helfrich's, they do the stainless steel oarlocks, I'll bet they can make clonger ones too.Mahog
http://Comment by Kelsey Helfrich on April 5, 2011 at 4:45pm Delete...
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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I am sure I have seen oar locks with a longer shaft on them for sale somewhere online. I'll have to take a look to see if I can find them again.
Another option would be something like this from boulder boat works.
There is also a guy local to me that has these mounted to his drift boat. They are oar lock risers from NRS.
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These look nice too http://duck-trap.com/hardware.html
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...CHOKE!!!.... Holy s!@#! $325 for a pair of 8" aluminum tubes??? Boulder Boat Works must be mighty proud of their little invention for that price.
Hey Rick! I think I might need you to machine something for me!
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THOSE are the ones!! Thanks, Andrew! I KNEW i'd seen them somewhere before. I'd been on Boulder Boat Works site many times but I had completely forgotten that they had those. The ones from Duck-trap look sweet, but I really like my Sawyer's.
Thanks, man!
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Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on
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Hey Michael,
Regal vise has some longer oarlocks on there site http://www.regalsportingtechnologies.com/oar_locks.html I have not actually looked at them but thought they were a great idea.
Mike
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Permalink Reply by lhedrick on
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My deck was too high so I used ash blocks and aluminum plates to raise the locks. To get around the shaft being too short I just used wire rope to solve the problem. It worked out fine.
For a temp fix just use plastic washers or bronze shaft bushing.
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