BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Source for aluminum non-folding mast steps

On 10 Feb 2005 07:04:32 -0800, wrote:

I am wanting to add aluminum mast steps to my boat and cannot find any
source except for stainelss. Anybody out there know of a manufacturer?
Pace Edwards no longer makes them from what I can gather.

Anybody ever make their own? Seems like a fairly easy task.

All comments are appreciated.

I am wanting to add aluminum mast steps to my boat and cannot find any
source except for stainelss. Anybody out there know of a manufacturer?
Pace Edwards no longer makes them from what I can gather.

Anybody ever make their own? Seems like a fairly easy task.

All comments are appreciated.

Yes, I made mine from 30mm x 6mm aluminium bar - ordinary not marine
in any way. I bent them using oxyacetylene. The trick is to mark with
white chalk the bending point. Put it in the vise and apply a layer of
carbon over the chalk mark by using only the acetylene gas with the
oxygen turned off. To heat for bending to the correct temperature,
heat with a good oxygen + acetylene flame. When the carbon burns off
and you can see the chalk mark, it is the correct temperature to make
the bend. This way there will be no stress tears in the metal and no
melt-down of the aluminium if it gets too hot. I made mine 13 years

Peter
N Z yacht Herodotus