Next swim platform bracket question...

[firstbase]

Pic below. Bent platform bracket. I could leave it as is but would have a minor league soft spot where the teak can bend down or I could straighten it. Any chance I can hammer it out while it is bolted on? Not a big enough deal to take it all the way off and straighten it properly. Just wondering if it will bend back with some hefty hammering? could it be heated and them hammered, would that help? Concerned that pounding it would loosen from the hull or do other damage to the transom...what would you do? Apologies for the rotated pic. Can't figure out how to avoid that happening.

 

[guy with a boat]

Leave the hammer in the tool box. The best way to straighten something without doing more damage is to use leverage. Find a couple of the biggest crescent wrenches you can locate and see if you can get it to bend. Welders and metal fab guys have or make big levers (several feet long if needed) with appropriate jaws/slots on the end and can bend most anything.

 

[guy with a boat]

You might be able to get a hydraulic jack into the mix, and/or a come-along, depending on which way the metal needs to go.

 

[firstbase]

The top brace needs to bend up in the middle. I thought about somehow jacking it from below but the 45 degree brace is of course directly underneath and blocking a straight shot from below. As for leverage..not sure what I could leverage against. the more I think about it I think I'm going to end up taking the darn thing off. If it were on the ground I could hammer it without worry. At least get it closer. I could probably just leave it be and put a starboard or even teak wedge under it and forget about it.

 

[BruceK]

Hammer, no. Leverage,what will you lever against?
How about pushing up the bent section from underneath using an hydraulic jack and a metal tube? That could straighten it, before you start lifting the boat.
Why did it bend in the first place? Not strong enough?
If you bend metal, and re-bend it the other way, it can get "plastic", ie more prone to bending. Reinforcing the bent section with an extra plate might help, brazed(it`s bronze?), or just bolted.
(Note: Beware my amateur advice,look for comment/confirmation from someone who might knows)

 

[Brisyboy]

Rigging a lever for that job is pretty straight forward - a stout post from ground to just below the horizontal plate - a horizontal length of timber sitting on top of the post and under the plate to be bent. Maybe tie the post to the angled bracket. Short end of the horizontal under the flat plate, long end - a metre or so is what you swing on. Lever and fulcrum.

I`d still check the attachment bolts after you have straightened it.

 

[firstbase]

Why did it bend in the first place? Not strong enough?
If you bend metal, and re-bend it the other way, it can get "plastic", ie more prone to bending. Reinforcing the bent section with an extra plate might help, brazed(it`s bronze?), or just bolted.

It appears one of the 3 previous owners backed into something. there are four brackets and this one is the second one in on the starboard side. It pushed the swim platform back and inch or so. It was sitting up against the hull for a foot or two directly behind the bent bracket. going out each side there is an inch or so of space. going to straighten the bracket as best I can, fill in the holes in the teak where the screws went in through the bracket from below. There were some through bolts as well. Filling holes and reinstalling with new hardward.

Reinforcing is probably a good idea, thanks. Could add a piece underneath and just use long screws and bolts.

 

[firstbase]

Rigging a lever for that job is pretty straight forward - a stout post from ground to just below the horizontal plate - a horizontal length of timber sitting on top of the post and under the plate to be bent. Maybe tie the post to the angled bracket. Short end of the horizontal under the flat plate, long end - a metre or so is what you swing on. Lever and fulcrum.

I`d still check the attachment bolts after you have straightened it.

Excellent idea, didn't think of leveraging in that manner. Right behind my boat is the pile of posts and blocks the yard uses for blocking boats. About 10 feet away. Sold!

 

[Benthic2]

I see 2 options. Shim it up with some stainless washers between the teak and the bracket, or use a small bottle jack and a lever like so: ( Drawing with a mouse is harder than it looks....forgive my artistry )

 

[firstbase]

Thanks for taking the time to draw it! I have jack stands by the blocking wood as well. Two great ideas for fixing it. Just have to adapt it to my cheapo scissors jack. I be the yard has something better though...

 

[tiltrider1]

Heat it and beat it. Buy MAP gas from Home Depot, it’s much hotter than propane. The heat will relax the metal. lay a piece of angle iron(straight edge) across the top and then beat the bar from the bottom until it’s straight enough for you.

 

[Ex Sailor]

Pic below. Bent platform bracket. I could leave it as is but would have a minor league soft spot where the teak can bend down or I could straighten it. Any chance I can hammer it out while it is bolted on? Not a big enough deal to take it all the way off and straighten it properly. Just wondering if it will bend back with some hefty hammering? could it be heated and them hammered, would that help? Concerned that pounding it would loosen from the hull or do other damage to the transom...what would you do? Apologies for the rotated pic. Can't figure out how to avoid that happening.

I would think a " heavy " steel flat bar or some sort of straight steel bar stock across the top and 1 or two serious C Clamps. You could even space that bar away from the bracket to allow for a bit of over-bend ..... FB

 

[Cigatoo]

I would shim the belly of the bend. Flat washers would work or you could easily scribe in a piece of teak. You would be the only person who knows it is there.

 

[firstbase]

Heat it and beat it. Buy MAP gas from Home Depot, it’s much hotter than propane. The heat will relax the metal. lay a piece of angle iron(straight edge) across the top and then beat the bar from the bottom until it’s straight enough for you.

Would the heat transfer over to the fiberglass and hurt it in some way or do you think it would dissipate enough?

 

[Duvie]

Use a bolt

Piece of stout angle iron across the top. It can be spaced as suggested earlier. Drill a hole in the angle and through bolt using existing hole in the bracket. Spacers on the angle give you opportunity to over bend the bracket a little so it is strait when the jig is removed.

 

[koliver]

When GB started putting swim grids on both the 36 and the 42, they neglected to consult a Naval Architect. The results are abundant, broken wood, bent metal. Don't blame the PO, this is a GB failure. You can fix this one, but it will still be no better than new.

Look at any other brand of boat that has an OEM swimgrid for an example of one that is properly designed. Chances are good that you will agree that yours is built of undersized stock in the supports, too few supports and undersized wood in the deck. Your grid is also too shallow to be useful.

Now is a good time for you to consider an upgrade.

 

[tiltrider1]

You would have to heat it red hot to hurt the glass. You want it to hot to touch but not red hot.

 

[Tom.B]

Heat it and beat it. Buy MAP gas from Home Depot, it’s much hotter than propane. The heat will relax the metal. lay a piece of angle iron(straight edge) across the top and then beat the bar from the bottom until it’s straight enough for you.

This.

 

[firstbase]

Ended up just beating it with a hammer. It went up a good bit. Put the swim platform back on, bolted it down in six places and then used screws from the bottom up through the bracket to tighten it down all over. Platform bent down maybe a half inch to meet the bracket in this one area but...you can't see it from my house. Much ado about nothing. Sorry for boring you guys with the simple stuff!

Hey, what's the best anchor???

 

[Nightsky]

I would think a " heavy " steel flat bar or some sort of straight steel bar stock across the top and 1 or two serious C Clamps. You could even space that bar away from the bracket to allow for a bit of over-bend ..... FB

++2 ^

 

[firstbase]

When GB started putting swim grids on both the 36 and the 42, they neglected to consult a Naval Architect. The results are abundant, broken wood, bent metal. Don't blame the PO, this is a GB failure. You can fix this one, but it will still be no better than new.

Look at any other brand of boat that has an OEM swimgrid for an example of one that is properly designed. Chances are good that you will agree that yours is built of undersized stock in the supports, too few supports and undersized wood in the deck. Your grid is also too shallow to be useful.

Now is a good time for you to consider an upgrade.

This was definitely a PO incident as evidenced by the dent in the wood, and slightly dislocated fasteners. Can't say much about the quality of design, naval architecture and all that but the four equally spaced brackets are stout bronze and the teak is 2". It appears well built even if standard fare design wise. Full length board, spacer, full length board spacer. Looks as good as any others I have seen. Not doubting your comments as it may have been replaced at some point in the past. I took it entirely off and sanded it to a reasonable smoothness and reinstalled back to its original placement. Very sturdy and looks good to me! I will agree that the depth leaves about 12" or so to ask for. I guess what you are saying is that if it were built to a different standard it would have taken the abuse a little better?

 

[BruceK]

Now the platform has been restored and sanded, keep it looking good, add a preservative decorative finish. I use Deks Olje No.1 oil, it`s a simple saturate and maintain process. 6 years post rebuild, it still looks good and requires little care and attention.

 

[firstbase]

Thanks Bruce. Have read about Deks for a long time but never tried it on anything. Was thinking about maybe putting something on the platform. Both decks and platform have been natural, grayed. No time to get my hands on Deks as we are going back in the water on Monday and can't find a local source. Don't know the effect if I just coated the visible teak and leaving the bottom of the platform natural. Getting up under there when in the water is pretty much impossible.

 

[BruceK]

.. No time to get my hands on Deks as we are going back in the water on Monday and can't find a local source. Don't know the effect if I just coated the visible teak and leaving the bottom of the platform natural...

Do it later, no problem just oil finishing the top and sides of the platform, it`s largely cosmetic, salt water will keep the underneath pickled. It lifts the appearance of teak, it is your "front door" to the boat.Other decking oils may be available.

 

[koliver]

This was definitely a PO incident as evidenced by the dent in the wood, and slightly dislocated fasteners. Can't say much about the quality of design, naval architecture and all that but the four equally spaced brackets are stout bronze and the teak is 2". It appears well built even if standard fare design wise. Full length board, spacer, full length board spacer. Looks as good as any others I have seen. Not doubting your comments as it may have been replaced at some point in the past. I took it entirely off and sanded it to a reasonable smoothness and reinstalled back to its original placement. Very sturdy and looks good to me! I will agree that the depth leaves about 12" or so to ask for. I guess what you are saying is that if it were built to a different standard it would have taken the abuse a little better?

One thing that I have looked very carefully at is the swimgrid. When I bought my present boat, it had the original swimgrid, but davits had been added, attached to the outside of the stern bulwarks, stealing 6" of depth from an already minimal swimgrid. I looked at GB standard issue and found that they were 6" narrower than mine, so I know how useless they are from the factory. The GB standard was also to use lighter scantlings for both the supports and the deck, when compared with many much cheaper brand names.

I have also watched friends with GBs go get theirs repaired after backing into something, while those lesser brands are robust enough to merely leave a little battle scar.

Sounds like yours may have been replaced with one that is a more reasonable construction.

When I extended mine, I flipped it over, exposing what had been the underside of the original, which I sanded to new wood to match the extension and it all ages together. I varnished the underside, so it continues to look like new, while the top side is going grey, which gives it a good non skid finish.

 

[Robvald]

Rigging a lever for that job is pretty straight forward - a stout post from ground to just below the horizontal plate - a horizontal length of timber sitting on top of the post and under the plate to be bent. Maybe tie the post to the angled bracket. Short end of the horizontal under the flat plate, long end - a metre or so is what you swing on. Lever and fulcrum.

I`d still check the attachment bolts after you have straightened it.

Agreed with above a pair of helping hands for a minute or 2 would make this pretty easy. Don’t overthink it. As we tend to do
Good luck