Gun Metal Nuts & Washers

[Bernadette]

Looking for a supplier of gun metal nuts and washers.

Our usual supplier has shipped their manufacture of GM nuts and washes offshore (to Fiji) and they dont have any to immediately fill an order we placed.

Does anyone know of a supplier preferably in Queensland (or elsewhere in Australia)?

Bernadette

[skuthorp]

Fiji is largely under water at the moment, so they are probably all rusty by now.

[Bernadette]

GM don't rust.
Rogers and Lough Marine Engineers of Brisbane outsourced their casting to someplace in Fiji. Apparently they've had 'trouble' with that arrangement and are consequently returning the casting operations back to Brisbane. In the meantime I'm without the hardware.

[skuthorp]

Yes, i wondered about that after my too smart post!

[Bernadette]

hmmmm...yes. well you now owe me a drink (lemonade please)at the WBF then all will be forgiven ha!

[The Bigfella]

ask these guys who to talk to

http://www.australwright.com.au/datasheets/alloys/High%20Performance%20Alloys/Leaded%20Gunmetal%20C83600.pdf

[PeterSibley]

GM don't rust.
Rogers and Lough Marine Engineers of Brisbane outsourced their casting to someplace in Fiji. Apparently they've had 'trouble' with that arrangement and are consequently returning the casting operations back to Brisbane. In the meantime I'm without the hardware.

Thanks for that tip ,Fiji should be OK ...maybe ,I hope ?:rolleyes:
Rogers and Lough have nice gear but there's no reason not to get it cast locally ...they charge enough for it .

[Bernadette]

Ian, I already deal with Austral Wright for copper and NAB rod but hadn't got around to asking them about the GM nuts/washers.
Peter, Dad has been dealing with Rogers and Lough since day dot. They are our preferred suppliers as they do an extremely good job with castings. I know that they do quality work and that the castings dont have hollows or pits in them. I have personally used them for all propulsion/stern gear and all castings for the last 2 yachts and will do so again for boat #3. Their prices have always been reasonable.

[Arko]

can I ask for a little education here? What exactly, besides the obvious, is gun metal? Why use it instead of SB? I know SB is soft.

[paladin]

Gun metal is Bronze....harkens back to the day of Bronze cannon....before about the early 1500's.....when they found iron cannon/cannonballs to be less expensive...

[Bernadette]

sorry...i figured people knew what gun metal was.
the other (probably more correct) name used is...wait for it...gun metal bronze!

[The Bigfella]

... or leaded bronze, or ounce metal. 85% copper, 5% lead, 5% tin, 5% zinc - or thereabouts.

A mate of mine used to own a business in Brisbane that casts in gunmetal on a regular basis - don't think they were doing fasteners.

Diecon Engineering. 07 3390 8190

They should know where to get nuts

[PeterSibley]

... or leaded bronze, or ounce metal. 85% copper, 5% lead, 5% tin, 5% zinc - or thereabouts.

A mate of mine used to own a business in Brisbane that casts in gunmetal on a regular basis - don't think they were doing fasteners.

Diecon Engineering. 07 3390 8190

They should know where to get nuts

All you need is a patten board of your required nut size .Any non ferrous foundry will cast gun metal .Foundrymen love it , it pours easily and doesn't shrink much .

[Arko]

sorry...i figured people knew what gun metal was.
the other (probably more correct) name used is...wait for it...gun metal bronze!

Everyone save for me. Newb. Still much learning.Feel free to use this term at anytime in the future and I'll follow right along.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
As far as I know, Briggs still have them. Certainly I'm still holding a couple of large bronze dome nuts they provided me with a few years back.

Mike

[PeterSibley]

Everyone save for me. Newb. Still much learning.Feel free to use this term at anytime in the future and I'll follow right along.

I think it's more a British Commonwealth term than US .Actually a US foundry might not understand "gunmetal ' ....they might call it leaded bronze ,but would probably use silicon bronze instead ...which seems much more the norm over your way .

[Vince Brennan]

Yeh, Silicon Bronze... never head of "leaded" bronze but it makes sense...


Incidentally, aren't youse afraid that Milo or Phillip will hear "gun" and invade from the Forum?

Brave lads, all!

[Bernadette]

hi Mike. who is Briggs and where are they located please?

[PeterSibley]

Briggs Marine Products

60 Shafton St, Huntingdale, VIC 3166
p: (03) 95441229

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
Nah, they've been bought out now Peter, and they've moved. They're now a division of Alliance Castings, in Carrum Downs. However, they maintain a separate website here (http://www.briggsmarine.com.au/).

As I remember, Bernadette, you got some of their fittings for Decatur through us.

Mike

[maxwaterline]

Bernadette, several options here, depending on size/qty. Small/many (up to 3/8")Classic Marine UK or Jamestown Distributors USA. Small/few (up to 1/2") I would use phosphor bronze,drill & tap, and put 2 flats on with angle grinder and sanding disc, wouldn't be too hard without lathe. Over 1/2" probably getting nuts cast would be the best way. Woodenboatshop in Sorrento, Vic, may help with few/large, good service but expensive. I think that manganese bronze can be got in hex bar around 30mm but not sure about the longevity as this material is also known as high tensile brass, maybe above waterline and not hidden would be ok. Regards Adrian

[PeterSibley]

.
Nah, they've been bought out now Peter, and they've moved. They're now a division of Alliance Castings, in Carrum Downs. However, they maintain a separate website here (http://www.briggsmarine.com.au/).

As I remember, Bernadette, you got some of their fittings for Decatur through us.

Mike

Thanks Mike , sorry Bernadette !:o

[Paul Fitzgerald]

If you are heading to Hobart you might want to contact Retlas, they do all the marine castings in Tas AFAIK.

http://www.retlas.com.au/foundry.html

[Gold Rock]

I'm curious about the preference of gun metal (a term which I've seen used to describe more than one alloy) over the common silicon bronze. If you use, say C90500 as a representative gun metal alloy and C65500 as typical silicon bronze used in commercially produced formed stock, the silicon bronze outperforms the gun metal by quite a large margin in most mechanical properties. Is it just a question of availability in your area? I'm intrigued by the various uses of copper alloys.

[PeterSibley]

I've no good answer to that ,more local preference I'd say .It's very widely used here .Nice stuff to pour .

BTW Retlas is pretty close to the WBF isn't it ? I visited their foundry once and seem to remember it being close by ?,(I was thinking of moving South at that stage .) It might be worth checking them out Bernadette .

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Yep, they are near the docks.

Just around the corner from the Drunken Admiral.

Most places in Hobart are described by their relationship to the nearest pub.

They had a great collection of plugs for all sorts of old marine bits, dont know if they still have them.

[Gold Rock]

You could supplement your income by matchplating nuts for them, Pete.

[PeterSibley]

You could supplement your income by matchplating nuts for them, Pete.

You are right and I may get around to it ....at the moment I'm on other projects .
The last lot I made , for my own use were cast as a hexagonal "cylinder" and cut off with a grinder with a 1 mm disc .Quite satisfactory .:)