On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:35:32 -0400, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

The driveshaft is out and polished, ready for pickup for cutting and
straight-checking. I did the growth removal in place as I pulled it out
~18" at a time, through the point where I'd cut off the bearing (using the
nick I made for reference, of cours!). At a point, however, about that
time, I became concerned for the leverage as to whether the shaft would
remain straight if I allowed that much weight on the fulcrum of the end of
the cutlass bearing. So, last night as I was finishing up, I stuffed it
back in far enough that it no longer stood out from the rudder (the better
to snag someone, too!). It was so polished that it s l o w l y slid out
about 6" before coming to rest. I think it's smooth :{))

However, as I'm thinking about the pickup and straight-checking reality (I
don't have a truck nor the van I used to haul my shaft before), I realize
that the prop shop which does pickup/delivery from Stuart to Ft. Pierce may
ALSO be in the biz of fixing pits.

So, while I'm ready to drop the rudder, I believe I'll give them a call to
see if they want to/should pick up the rudder at the same time. Certainly a
shop with the ability to manipulate it vs my standing it against the skeg,
the currently-best location I can figure, to work on it, is better, and, if
they do this all the time, are better equipped to deal with it.

So, I'll ask before asking for a pickup on the shaft.

Now to get out the cutlass and the dripless, still attached to the stern
tube..

Pix of this stage (removal and polishing) begin he
http://justpickone.org/skip/gallery/...ring&start=112

L8R

Skip and crew


Skip, shafts aren't as fragile as you appear to think. The yield
strength of 316L stainless is something like 25,000 PSI, or about
24,885 PSI to actually bend your 1-1/8" shaft. Generally I have seen
long shafts shipped by being fastened to a board or timber the length
of the shaft, and maybe a bit longer. Probably as useful for keeping
the shaft from getting dings and scrapes as keeping it straight.

In passing, I always wondered what people using the so called
"dripless" shaft seals do in the event of a catastrophic failure of
the rubber flex housing? With a conventional stuffing box one can
re-pack it with old tee shirts and use Crisco for a lube but what
happens, way out there in the briny, when that red rubber hose bursts?

--
Cheers,

Bruce