Bronze for chainplates?

[Matthew Sebring]

It seems to me that bronze would be a good material for chainplates. The tensile strength is similiar to stainless and it's not susceptible to the same type of failure through deck stainless plates are so at risk of. Is there a reason why this would not be a good idea? Are there cyclic loading problems with the metal?

[benz]

Matthew,

There is no better metal for chainplates and such than bronze (Silicon B. is my favorite). It absolutely will not deteriorate the way other metals (especially stainless steel, which with cheapness and shinyness seduces many who eventually pierce themselves though with many sorrows for its sake) do. Bronze is heavy and expensive, but well worth it in my opinion. I bought two plates of it from which to cut all my chainplates and fittings, and while it is not delightful to work with, I am very satisfied with the result. There are many old boats still cruising with their original bronze parts and no worries, where SS chainplates would have had to be replaced several times.
go Bronze.
Ben

[Matthew Sebring]

Well then this begs the question... Why isn't it used? Are there ANY downsides at all? Sure cost is an issue but it shouldn't be the determining factor. Bronze seems to be the standard turnbuckle body material, why hasn't it also become the standard thru-deck chainplate material? Any thoughts?

[benz]

Downsides to bronze? lets see.... it turns green! What if you don't like that green look?! What it it doesn't match your spray dodger (don't get me started on those) or your sailcovers? Shiny matches everything!
Bronze also does not mix well, electrolytically speaking, with galvanized steel. See a 'dissimilar metals chart' either online or in the Jamestown Distributors catalog. And if load-bearing moving parts are made from bronze (as in windlasses and such) they will wear out faster than stainless. But for chainplates and padeyes and bobstays and gammon irons, the only reason not to use bronze is cost. Unless you don't like green.
Ben

[benz]

I forgot to mention above that stainless is far more easily and reliably welded than bronze. Anything bronze which has to be shaped in a way that can't be bent out of plate and bar stock has to be cast, where SS can be welded into anything the imagination can conceive, and the weld is pretty strong until Crevice Corrosion sets in. Welders are a lot easier to come by than foundries, and so the use of SS becomes also a matter of convenience.

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
I'll just add, as I often do, that stainless is popular because sailors are like magpies: they like shiny objects. If you go with bronze, just be sure of the quality (Manganese bronze and Naval bronze, for instance, are both brasses). If you get cast pieces, be very sure of the foundry.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss