Crosby Sled rubrail, need ideas...

[i386]

I saved my old rubrail, but it looks pretty rough. I can reuse it if I have to, but it's going to look like something old on a new boat.

Here you can see what it looks like...

It should also be said that this rubrail is also a structural element.

The original rail is 3 pieces; 1 bent around the bow and 2 more or less straight pieces. There is a splice piece where they join.



Taco marine makes a very similar part though it isn't exactly the same. I had them send me a small sample about 1.5 inches long.

The sample fits my boat perfectly but there are some problems.

1. I don't know if/how I can bend it and have it come out looking good.

2. There are no splice pieces made for this product.

3. The material isn't that expensive but it has to be shipped motor freight.


I suppose if I could manage to get it bent I could have someone weld it for me. It's pretty thin and would require a pretty skilled welder one would think.




Any ideas how to make this material work?


Any other materials I (actually "we" since there are 2 of these being restored now) could use to accomplish the same thing?

 

[Mark42]

Re: Crosby Sled rubrail, need ideas...

You could take a sample piece of the old rubrail to a metal supplier. See if the rub rail can be recreated from multiple pieces. Like a U piece for the bottom, and a section of round or rectangular tube for the top. Attached together with aluminum screws, it might make a suitable replacement, even if it doesn't look exactly like the original. But it will look new. Plus each piece may be able to be bent nice and smooth using conventional pipe bender or metal benders and then attached together. And you end up with a rail that you don't have to pay motor freight prices for.