Play in Tiller

[Rico]

It looks to me like you have a mismatched set there...

Have a look at post #28 in the 'Tiller Discussion' thread: (link below) to see the tiller fitting that matches the head fitting on the tiller shaft.

Mine matches that. (It is a 3 sided channel shape not just the two tangs... Although I have heard of other boats having only the two tangs....

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...5&postcount=28

[Tim D.]

It looks to me like you have a mismatched set there...

I suspected that, thanks
Tim

[ebb]

THERE"S a dang good reason to have the tiller part recast.

It could be done using an original. That does look like the original head fitting - but not the tiller, that is a mismatch.
There'd be some shrinkage when casting from an original piece, so it might require some machining to get that nice cozy fit the two mates have. But it can be done. Wouldn't be cheap, copper being so expensive.

That cozy fit helps cancel out wobble in the bolt. but the advantage is soon lost lifting the tiller up while steering. A laminated tiller like MaiTai's has a more pronounced S shape keeping it higher out of the cockpit, helping to keep it down while steering and protected in that more efficient position.

Don't know about adding 'ears' now that time has past. But if I was going to remodel it it would have wider (not thicker) metal at the bolt, maybe as wide as the channel section is now. With an S tiller that would be more good bearing on the head piece because it doesn't have to be lifted off the rudderhead as much. There are times when sitting on the coamings or making room for legs when tacking that a tiller has to be up and vulnerable.

And instead of the tiller piece pinching in the way it does, which I'm sure was done because it looked better to someone, I would have the channel get wider so that a bigger piece of tiller could fit in there. Or at least bring the sides back the same width of the tangs at the bolt. Still have the look of the original but the redesign would make more sense.

I would also go with a slightly lighter pattern, The sides are a massive 7mm on one side and 6.5mm on the other on the one 338 has. They'd be overkill for just tangs without the connection across the top. Keep it beefy at the hinge with slightly larger rounds at the end and taper the metal thickness in sides and the top down out over the wood. Skinny the metal down the further out on the tiller - don't need overkill out there - makes the tiller heavier than it needs be.

After all it's a casting, you can sculpt it the way you want! Take a pouind of metal off anyway, even though it would be wider than the original. Probably knock the hardass corners off too. Echo that nice dome we got going on the rudderhead piece.

The top of the shaft would be thankful. So would the old rudder head. Be easier to keep it tight there. Might even take some chore out of steering.

[Tim D.]

Ebb, Perhaps casting those parts sound intriguing to you, to me it is a bit overwhelming

Is there alternatives?

[ebb]

Hey there Tim.
I guess all my verbiage is to hopefully get some interest going about redoing the fitting. It's a pretty conservative lot we got going around here! Must be something metal and alloys and fire and brimstone. And it probably would be better if an actual Westlawn grad would draw the better one.

The imposing part in this is that we have deferred to the designer and engineer on the tiller/rudderhead fitting. I think that some bad compromises were made designing the one we have. And we're brainwashed into accepting it. I'll bet that Alberg had nothing to do with it. I believe that well enginnered fittings look right, have some beauty about them. That thing we got in the cockpit is heavy and clunky and ugly. This is not to say that it doesn't have some good things. The rudderhead part is pretty sophisticated - it's the tillerhead part that never was finished by Pearson.


Awhile back I got a chromed bronze Edson tiller/rudder fitting for a backup. It's a lot prettier and sexy to look at than ours - which looks like it was recycled off Capt Nemo's Nautilus. Trouble is the keyway is in the front rather than the back.
My attempts at making a new rudder now has two keyways on the top of the shaft 180 degrees apart. Actually that may be a good thing since keyways get screwed up a lot.


There may be an impediment going off to the foundry with your own design, but, hell, if you had one chock or cleat of a certain pattern and you had to have two, it isn't a big deal to take it to a foundry and ask them to cast another. Or, as I saw for ten years of weekends being around a great yacht being built, you make up wood models from the yacht designer's specs - or scale up a fitting you like - or fix a design that's OK but missed it. It's a mystery, but it ain't no big mystery.

Getting the tillerhead recast is something you'd go to the foundry and talk about. No different than going to a machine shop, or a highly skilled welder. And find out if something can or can''t be done. Just costs time and money.

[Tim D.]

Undoubtedly when I get the boat up here and apart that will be one of my options (since there are very few others )

[Bill]

Before casting your own tiller fitting, get an original from:

Historical Arts & Casting, Inc.
5580 West Bagley Park Road
West Jordan, UT 84088
TEL: 801-280-2400
FAX: 801-280-2493
www.historicalarts.com

They acquired the original patterns for early Pearson yachts.

For more information check out post #25 in this thread:

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...istorical+Arts