A few toggle design choices

[paramita]

Ok. So lets open the retro fit with tangs can of worms! A few questions (please feel free to answer any questions I'm not smart enough to ask)

1. what's the best method for attaching the tang?
   
   • Im imagining (hoping this isn't a terrible idea) that I could through bolt from one side of the mast to the other using the existing holes for the T-balls. My concern here is weather or not a bolt through the center of the mast would interfere with internal halyards or electrical wiring.
   • If a through bolt is the way to go could some one point me in the direction of what type of nut and bolt is recommended for this application.
2. do I need to have the tang fabricated to match the angle I measure for the current shroud? or are there standard aftermarket tangs I should look at?

[Douglas]

Gulp ! that's a heap of information you are after ,,, but all of it, is important information .

Both Brion and Joe's answers on this forum have helped me heaps , in the past .

Maybe you would like to search the forum for , mast bushings .

Of course Brion uses Skeen's (sp-?) book for scantlings sizes , but I found similar info in that Ferro Cement Construction book , by Bingham .

Without this forum , I wouldn't have been able to fabricate a complete new mast in SE Asia , on a pontoon , next to the boat !

[paramita]

So I'm looking at the size of my existing t-ball backing plates, the clevis pins at the bottom of my shrouds, and compression tubes available from rigrite (http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/SparPar...sion_Tubes.htm).

Currently all the pins for my shrouds at the deck are 1/2" or less. All my shrouds have the GIB 740-7 sized backing plate which has a 5/8" wide slot. Rigrite sells a compression tube (K-9632) with 1/2" I.D. and 5/8" O.D.

I'm wondering if there would be any issues simply using a 1/2" through bolt with that compression tube leaving the backing plates? I assumed it would be ideal to leave the backing plates in as it couldn't hurt to have the mast wall reinforced.

Removing the plate would would leave a 7/8" wide cutout which (from looking at Rigrites site) would allow me to use through bolts as large as 3/4".

I've attached a sketch of my proposed plan. Any input would be greatly appreciated.