Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

mrlassi1

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
97
Where can I get a replacement aluminum casting? This part overlaps the two rubrails that come together at the bow. The boat is a 1976 AMF Crestliner 995 Crusader. Any help is appreciated.
 

EsoxRanger

Seaman
Joined
Aug 27, 2009
Messages
61
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

It's probably cast zinc. West Marine or other boat store will have it.
 

tallcanadian

Captain
Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
3,245
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

What is the size? Length, width, etc. I replaced my old rub rail when I rebuilt my boat. I may have it laying around.
 

mrlassi1

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
97
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Thank you for your replies. EsoxRanger - I was not aware of West Marine as a supplier. I visited their site and did not find a casting that would meet my need. TallCanadian - the piece overlaps the rub rail on both ends so it makes a radius of approximately 90 degrees at the bow. It's 1 1/4" wide, 1" deep, and about 12 1/2" long if you measure from one end along the front around the radius to the other end. I'm new to this forum so I'm not sure if it's okay to include an image. Maybe a small thumbnail?

I'm just getting started on this restoration. This will be my 4th project.

TallCanadian - nice job on your boat restoration!
 

tallcanadian

Captain
Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
3,245
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Thank you for your replies. EsoxRanger - I was not aware of West Marine as a supplier. I visited their site and did not find a casting that would meet my need. TallCanadian - the piece overlaps the rub rail on both ends so it makes a radius of approximately 90 degrees at the bow. It's 1 1/4" wide, 1" deep, and about 12 1/2" long if you measure from one end along the front around the radius to the other end. I'm new to this forum so I'm not sure if it's okay to include an image. Maybe a small thumbnail?

I'm just getting started on this restoration. This will be my 4th project.

TallCanadian - nice job on your boat restoration!

Thanks mrlassi. A picture would be great if you could.
 

mrlassi1

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
97
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Here are a couple of views. The broken casting (110 degrees) is the short one pictured here. The other is from one of the rear corners (90 degrees). You can also see how it overlaps the rub rails on each side of the bow. Any idea where I can get a replacement?
 

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tallcanadian

Captain
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Sep 7, 2006
Messages
3,245
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

My rub rail was bent at the turns on the boat. The only caps I had on mine were end caps, but they are not the size of what you have.
 

divimon2000

Seaman
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
68
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Looks custom, best to check the boat forums for your boat make. Junk yards, maybe fabricate one or fix that one? My Glastron site has many places to pick up parts. Sometimes dealers even can get them.
 

jonesg

Admiral
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
7,174
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

I bought a dock corner molding (vinyl rubber) and screwed/glued it to my bow. I would seal that seam first.
 

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mrlassi1

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Aug 30, 2009
Messages
97
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Would anyone know where/who would have made these castings for AMF? I also restored a Kenner Ski Barge that used similar castings to overlap the rub rails at the bow and transom corners.

There must be an OEM out there somewhere. My web search turned up zip.

Thank you for your help.
 

archbuilder

Vice Admiral
Joined
Sep 12, 2009
Messages
5,697
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

You might try rubrails.com They have about every rub rail you could think of, they might have the castings too.
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
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26,019
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Try the OEM dealer for parts.
 

Kevin Morin

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Nov 7, 2009
Messages
78
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Mrlassi1,
could I suggest that this would be easier to make than find?

All this shape consists of, using your photos as reference, is a pair of barely inclined plate arcs and some barely formed convex facing. This could be welded and routered to make a near exact copy from alloys that will last lots longer than castings.

I think you could make all that was needed by buying some 5086 0.187" or 0.25" thick plate, band sawing the top and bottom arcs using the pieces you have as patterns. Next, buy a 6063 pipe bend of 90-110 degrees, I don't know the arc, in the pipe size that has the same OD as the vertical front piece.

By cutting the front half of the pipe bend in the same wood working band saw that cut the two arcs of plate, and that would be easiest with a 6- 8 tooth per inch blade lubricated with Pam [the fried food pan spray], you could pretty easily cut your three parts needed to weld this hollow curved channel.

Any aluminum TIG welder can join the three parts and you can run it through a standard carbide round-over bit on a table or with a platten, again lubricating with pan spray. By rounding the weld with a bearing guided router bit, it becomes machined to a very smooth edge.

Finish by using three color variants increasingly finer grits of the 3M buffing pads, like Scotchbrite only hook and loop for a 4" grinder, and follow up with a metal polishing pad and you'd have the part better than new.

I've made plenty of welded versions of this vaguely similar types of hardware and the replacement is much more durable than the original, but then it's probably 50 times the cost as well.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
 

mrlassi1

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
97
Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Good News! I found a casting on ebay. It came from a vintage Chris Craft, but will work just fine. See image below. It had to be cut on the top inside edge to match the bow profile and now fits well. I appreciate the input provided by my fellow iboaters.
 

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Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
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Re: Rub Rail end cap aluminum casting

Great find!!!!
 
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