Does anyone here know where I can get a couple of chain plates made here in Perth?
Google this and you will find many down in the Henderson area as well as all over Perth and Fremantle, Kwinana - you will need to provide them with engineering drawings of what you want else if they need to design what you want the dollars will rise.................
perth marine stainless fabrication
A preliminary question might be whether you think the old ones are strong enough. If yes, just duplicate. If no, a naval architect/engineer might be wise. I would imagine a cat would need stronger ones than a mono, which would absorb some of the gusts by simply heeling more. I'm no engineer, so would heed the advice of experience and expertise. I've seen monos with what seem to me inadequate ways of transferring forces from rig to keel. You want not just good chain stays but good linkages to keel and mast step. Apologies if this is going too far for your original question!
Select to expand quotedog said..
Does anyone here know where I can get a couple of chain plates made here in Perth?
Unless they're something special why not make your own ? You can get the 316 flat bar from Stirling in 2mtr length
www.stirlingsshop.com/500/index.php?route=product/category&path=35_40_286
then mark, drill, cut and polish. Easy. 
This is the only pic I've got at the moment. The current chain plates are about 5mm thick (I havent measured them up yet so only estimating), with the top 100mm (estimate) being double thickness (welded together). I'm gathering this is so they don't bend at the top where it pokes out from the deck because of the angle of the cable back to the mast.
Im keen to make them myself however I don't have a welder and never welded stainless before.
if I could get 10mm thick flat bar then that might be the way to go, I don't have to worry about welding so I could make them myself, just a bit of drilling and polishing.
Thoughts?
Why do you have to make new chainplates? The boat looks nice and newish. If the chainplates are underspec you will want to upsize them.
You could do composite chainplates, which is what I have done lots on my little cats and for 4 chainplates for my larger cat. You do have to know laminating and fairing though. But no leaks and no issues ever. So they are good for composite boats.
Would leave composite chainplates well alone to the experts like Phil.
As per Harb Stirling do 316 ss flatbar 10mm thick to 100mm width. This should do you fine - or lesser width say 75mm - what is the width of yours now. Don't replicate the 5mm thick double flatbars together welded chainplates - that is probably why you are needing new ones - the welding causing the fatigue problem leading to fracture and total breakage. Get 10mm thick ss 316 flatbar of the same width as you have now. If you have to make a slight bend to the 10mm thick 100mm wide 316 ss flatbars at the deck do it very carefully with a large radius, over a smooth former so as to not make a mark on the inside concave side of the bend. As you say finish the whole lot off with carefully polishing.
From your photo I can see an after shroud chainplate that runs athwart ship and is probably bolted to a bulkhead below.
Also (vaguely) a forward shroud which is probably rigged the same way to a forward bulkhead..
I have added a drawing of what you have described on the left and what I imagine on the right.
Very often these through deck chainplates have a horizontal plate welded to them which is either above deck (my case) or below deck. These plates give the sealant a surface to bed to and seal the deck from chainplate leaks. I think you will need to go below to measure and photograph your set up.
My question is why are you thinking of replacing the chainplates on such a new boat?
gary
These flatbar type chainplates must be total thickness single thickness parent metal no welds in them. So 10mm here. A slight bend in them is fine as long as done smoothly as before.
Agreed r13
I can't see any reason to reduce thickness and then add stress by welding the extra thickness above deck.
Would like to see a photo of what they look like below deck, though.
gary
The boat is a schionning wilderness 1050 and is 26 years old, I've just recently repainted the mast and top sides. I've owned the boat for 5 years and am unsure of the age of the chainplates but I reckon they could be the original ones. One of them is showing a little rust colouring on the top. Im concerned that where the two plates are welded together there could be corrosion/rusting happening but there is no way of knowing.
There is only 1 shroud on each side (to the aft), with the chain plate bolted to the bulkhead, so you can see my concern because if there is a failure then there goes the mast!!
Also there doesn't appear to be a plate welded horizontally with the deck above or below from memory but I will have a closer look next time down.
Thanks guys
