Bow eye

[bahma]

I need a bronze bow eye for my Albury wooden runabout.
The stem is 6" plus thick, I would prefer a 3/8th inch single stem, would go to 1/2",
I have searched Google to no avail. Is there a company that will cast one for me?
Stainless Steel would be acceptable.

Many thanks,

Bahma.

[Gerarddm]

Fisheries Supply in Seattle has a 3/8 x 6 Buck Algonquin bronze bow eye, could you modify the stem to make it work?

[Gib Etheridge]

These people will drill and tap the SB eye nut of your choice and supply you with the SB nut, washer and rod threaded at each end for way less than you would expect.

http://www.porttownsendfoundry.com/nuts.htm

I threaded the rod they supplied just enough at it's outer end to finish flush with the inside of the eye when well tightened.

You can sort of see the one I chose here;

[Oldad]

I have some concern over single shaft bow eyes. A good friend found his 22 foot sailboat adrift after spinning around on a mooring left the eye nut at the mooring and the boat adrift. Of course that did not happen all in one day but over the course of a month or two and had he inspected the fitting once in a while it could have been avoided. Maybe brazing the nut to the shaft and double nutting inside would eliminate the chance of that happening.

[bahma]

Thanks for the quick replies, the Buck Algonquin fits the bill perfectly. I note your concern Oldad, This eye will be used solely for being towed, an activity which neither boat nor I anticipate doing much of. However, I will double lock nut it to place.

Bahma.

[BC Bill]

I use bronze bow eyes from Port Townsend Foundary. Several different style available. They will provide 3/8" bronze rod cut to length and threaded if you give them the stem thickness.

[Keith Wilson]

Another source for a 3/8 x 6 bronze eye: Hamilton Marine.

[Sailor]

I love your area of the world. I sailed in the Duke of Topsail for 6 months way back in the day, about 10 years ago. I recall an albury runabout that belonged to the William H Albury. Went for a jaunt in her one night. I knew the Deckhand on the William H. Albury and we hung out a bit. Great times.

[rbgarr]

Too small for you, but versatile: http://www.bayofmaineboats.com/boweye.htm

[TerryLL]

Be advised, the Buck Algonquin 3/8 X 6 stem eye is a fairly rough casting and can stand a considerable amount of fairing and polishing to be halfway presentable. I bought one, then spent a couple hours trying to make it right, and finally pitched the sorry thing.

[Lew Barrett]

I cast my own, with help from Sam Johnson. Not a practical solution if you have never done it before, but it was an entertaining day.

A lot of Buck's stuff is a fair bit rougher than it used to be. Hard to say what gives: a set of fairleads I got from them were decently presented without needing anything at all.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

A pity you're so far away.... We have these out here, either 3/8" or 1/2" dia, and in lengths to 6" --

Mike

[Thad Van Gilder]

bucks eyes have a sand cast finish. the are easily cleaned up with a random orbitol sander and a rotary tool to get in the nooks and cranies. They can then be polished. you can order one from them already polished, but they are expensive.

I just cast my own. I have a collection of steel eyenuts and just use them as patterns. dead easy.

-Thad

[Lew Barrett]

bucks eyes have a sand cast finish. the are easily cleaned up with a random orbitol sander and a rotary tool to get in the nooks and cranies. They can then be polished. you can order one from them already polished, but they are expensive.

I just cast my own. I have a collection of steel eyenuts and just use them as patterns. dead easy.

-Thad

Buck's been in business forever, and their quality has been good in my experience. Maybe with the cost of labor being what it is, rough castings have given way to polished only when the customer is prepared to pay of the extra labor.

Mike's stuff looks gorgeous as always, and as he says, too bad he's there and we are here! Details are what separates wooden boats from riff raff, and chasing them is part of the (uh) "romance" of the journey.

[Canoeyawl]

Here is a fabricated bow eye using two bolts through the stem

[Lew Barrett]

No fair....you're another guy with skill!

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

Here is a fabricated bow eye using two bolts through the stem

Now that's a bow eye. Nice.

[Ian Marchuk]

That is a lovely bow eye indeed , Canoeyawl.
I've had a piece of bronze flatbar 1/2"X3"X36" that I salvaged quite some time ago. It has been kicking around the shop for ages, and now I know exactly what some of it will be doing in the near future.
Now to find some SB carriage bolts.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Ian

[Canoeyawl]

Those are 1/2" bolts made from plain SB barstock, I headed them at an angle to match the part. I have made others that had countersunk heads that were invisible, but no pics. It was a long time ago.
(I could probably lift the boat by that bow eye).

[JimConlin]

Here is a fabricated bow eye using two bolts through the stem

That's a beautiful thing.

[Ian Marchuk]

I do know my way around aluminium and steel.... bronze not at all.... how did you form the heads?

[Canoeyawl]

I do know my way around aluminium and steel.... bronze not at all.... how did you form the heads?

Most Bronze is very forvgiving, Silicon Bronze or Everdur being my favorite. A die made from two blocks of steel bolted together with a beer can shim between, a hole drilled through on the parting line, remove the shim and Voila a perfect die set. You can counter sink the hole for a machine screw type head or file the edges for a carriage head. I usually combine them on either end of the hole in the die. Heat the head to a dull red and bang away with a fair sized hammer like maybe 24-30 oz. It is a wonderful metal to forge like butter. Cold forging will work but it work hardens quickly so it needs constant annealing.
For me - I prefer to do it all at once, so hot works best. Note that too hot and the metal will go to "brittle short" or become crumbly when you strike it, but if you overheat it you can just wait a few seconds until it cools back down enough to work. A darker room will help.
I have posted several times here on the forum about making bolt-heads, and there should be some images of a die or two somewhere...

[Ian Marchuk]

Thank you for your comments and advice Jake. I will do some more noodling about and some practice runs to familiarize myself with the working nature of the material before getting cocky .
Your bow eye is a lovely piece of work, and your advice very helpful.
Ian

[Canoeyawl]

For what it's worth, that shape is designed to not pick up a pot warp or kelp strands. An off the shelf eye often seems to be festooned in some manner. I hate that.
The location on the boat is above the waterline and is "just right" to nest the bow roller on the trailer, but I think that part was mostly luck...

It is set-up to fit an old style 1/2" bow shackle, maybe a 5/8" hole?
When I left the boat on a mooring in Searsport for a month (a rough anchorage) I substituted a 316 stainless one.

[bahma]

Another source for a 3/8 x 6 bronze eye: Hamilton Marine.

This looks even better, I've ordered both, I shall make the decision as to which one to fit when I have tem in my hand.

Thanks forth info