Hiking Stick Attachment Hardware

[Steve Lansdowne]

I need some help figuring out how to attach my wooden hiking stick to the top of my wooden tiller. The stick is about 3/4" deep and the tiller is about 2" deep at the point where they attach. I tried it out today for the first time and the 2" screw which I had used to hold the two together worked itself fairly loose, and I can see that this is not a good solution. What do other folks use?

[CyberRebel]

Now that's a cool name! My name's Steve and I live in Lansdowne, Maryland! :D

[Steve Lansdowne]

Originally posted by CyberRebel:
Now that's a cool name! My name's Steve and I live in Lansdowne, Maryland! :D I was just south of there last summer.

[Wild Wassa]

Steve would you consider installing a universal swivelling joint. We use the Ronstans.

I would certainly stay clear of the one piece flexible bits, they seem to have a mind of their own. They also do not sit flat when stowed. Also with the snap-on snap-off types, I can only 'just imagine' when they would snap-off.

Consider installing a clip closer towards the rudder box for when you are not using the extension, this will hold the extension down.

Warren.

ps, when you are moving quickly, and jumping about, you don't want a cheap extension joint to buckle and to lock. It happens, it's locked in upright and here comes the boom.

[ 09-03-2002, 02:29 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Wassa]

The finest quality that I can obtain readilly are the Harken range. They are expensive, about 60% more expensive than the Ronstans. I think that the Harken are titanium, but I can't tell.

A good reference is http://www.ronstan.com ...marine catalogue ... tiller extensions.

I have a Ronstan RF1127 on my boat, but I prefer the RF1121. Easier to maintain the fitting and easily removed from the tiller, using two screws or bolts. You will have to shape the end of your extension to fit this hardware.

Warren.

[ 09-03-2002, 02:05 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[James R]

Back in my Snipe racing days (cotton sails and wood masts) I would make my own universal joints out of a small piece of sheet metal, sometimes stainless sometimes aluminum. Follow these steps:

1. Notch all four corners so that the whole thing resembles a cross with two short and two long tabs.
2. Drill a hole in the center and in the two larger tabs.
3. Bend the larger tabs upwards 90 degrees and the smaller ones 45 degrees or less.
4. Attach this piece to the end of your tiller with a bolt and washers. Use a plastic washer between it and the tiller for less friction.
5. Fold a 4" or so piece of sheet metal, slightly narrower than your extension, around a dowel or a bolt. Attach it to the inboard end of your extension so that a bolt can just pass through the loop you created.
6. Pass a bolt through the holes in the larger tabs and the loop in the extension to finish the installation. The smaller tabs will hold the extension up so that it doesn't get caught underneath the side decks.

You can probably get the metal for nothing from a local sheet metal shop. They probably throw away larger pieces than you'll need on a regular basis. Your only cost should be that of a couple of bolts, washers, lock nuts and screws.

[James R]

I looked at the Ronstan site after my post above. If you have trouble visualizing what I tried to describe take a look at the RF1121 universal joint in their catalogue. The only difference is in the extension attachement. In my case the attachemnt is one piece and rotated 90 degrees

[Steve Lansdowne]

Thanks for all your ideas. This is a fairly small boat and I'm a do-it-yourselfer, thus I may try those ideas first. Thanks, again!

A day later - I tried a piece of shock cord through holes in the tiller and hiking stick, tied at both ends. It should work, and may be tighter than rope since the knot is closer to the hole than it might be with a rope, though the cord does stretch a bit. I'll keep a short piece of line handy just in case I need to fix it.

[ 09-05-2002, 08:35 PM: Message edited by: Steve Lansdowne ]