oarlock bushings

I have a 17x52 Tatman McKenzie boat and one of the oarlock bushings (white nylon or plastic?) is getting worn down pretty bad.  Does anyone know where to get replacements for these? Also, are they glued in or just set in? Thanks in advance for any advice.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on June 17, 2013 at 11:29am

Tom, one solution is white plastic plumbing pipe. When I did a quick search here on the site I got 22 pages of responses on "oarlocks", with all kinds of solutions for oarlocks, oarlock blocks, substitutes etc. The older sources for these materials have dried up, ie Don Hill Boats. Randy Dersham might have something.

Rick Newman

Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on June 17, 2013 at 11:38am

Thanks, Rick.

Permalink Reply by tungsten on June 17, 2013 at 4:34pm

I no anchor rope will chew through white plumbers pipe in one day,not sure how it will work for bushings.

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on June 17, 2013 at 6:31pm

Tom,

Your going to want to make or get a bushing made from Delrin or Acetal.  This material can be purchased in tube form and bushings made by cutting off a piece.  If you have access to a metal lathe you can make them from tube or solid stock and even add a flange on the top.  

Delrin (Acetal) has high stiffness, low friction and excellent dimensional stability.  Stay away from Nylon as it is hydroscopic and will absorb water from the environment.  It will then and tighten up on the oarlock over time.

US Plastics has this material in tube form, their site is:

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23867

You might find a plastic bushing in McMAster-Carr Catalog.  They have lots of stuff like this and may have plastic bushings also.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#plastic-hollow-rods/=n8m1yt

Hope this helps.

Dorf

Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on June 17, 2013 at 6:33pm

Very helpful information. Thank you, Dorf.

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on June 17, 2013 at 6:45pm

Tom,

Let me know if you run into a problem going this direction.  This kind of thing is really up "My Alley".

Dorf

Permalink Reply by AJ DeRosa on June 17, 2013 at 9:44pm
We have several boats in our "historical" fleet. They were all made in the 50's and 60's. They are all river worthy and we exorcise them on a regular basis. They all have original oar lock blocks made of oak or mahogany. None have bushings and all work just fine. Just a thought.

AJ
Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on June 18, 2013 at 8:30am

Tom, If you want to simply replace the white UHMW bushings I have many of them. 
I've closed the shop but this is a Tatman specialty item that I don't mind making available to this group.

They are $9.00 for three, + the postage which will be around $3.00.

You can fax your information and credit card to 541-822-3625

They are a press in fit so you should be able to punch the old ones out.

Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on June 18, 2013 at 8:35am

Great, Randy.  This seems like the simplest solution.  Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Brian King on June 20, 2013 at 9:28am

Willies drift boat site sells oar lock bushings for $9.00 a pair. They are for the 5\8" shaft oar locks. When you get to their site click on the drift boat accessary tab and I think it is on page 6. I've got 3 pair and they are nice.

Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on June 20, 2013 at 9:34am

Thanks Brian. Already have 'em coming from Randy. Original equipment.

Permalink Reply by Brad Dimock on June 20, 2013 at 6:49pm
Then there's the low tech solution. Cut some long 1" wide strips of plastic from a gallon- size ziplock bag. Wind them onto your oarlock shaft until it just turns into its hole with a nice smooth, greasy turnabilty. This lasts a season or more in Grand Canyon, is infinitely renewable and adjustable, and costs pretty much nothing. It matters not what housing the oarlock is in--wood, steel, brass, Delron, aluminum. It just works. Before the ziplock revelation, I had been given some fancy Delron bushings which were nice for a while, but either the Delron or the bronze oarlock began to wear and they got rattly. The ziplock cured it. I learned the trick in the 1980s from a fellow boatman named Moki, and it's all I've used ever since. My friend Greg Loehr says, " A low tech solution to a high tech problem is the highest technology there is."

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