Author Topic: Mast Step  (Read 14070 times)

Dulcinea

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Mast Step
« on: October 14, 2012, 08:35:31 PM »
I need some advice from those who have replaced their mast step. Mine is the typical rusted/rotted step and it looks like the bolts holding in have rusted and the heads have rounded off.  Are these machine bolts installed into metal or are they lag Balts screwed into wood?  Any advice from personal experience removing this step greatly appreciated.
Dennis Roberts
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Dolce_Vita

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2012, 03:29:34 PM »
I'm about to go down this route too.  My mast is getting pulled (for the first time!) on Tuesday 10/23.  I plan to cut it shorter to remove the corrosion from the base of the mast, and have a new step fabricated to make up the difference.

From what I've been able to research, those are lag bolts that go thru the relatively thin fiberglass layer on top of the ballast and thread directly into the lead.  There is no wood involved in that area.
@(^.^)@  Ed
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Dulcinea

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2012, 08:37:44 PM »
Interesting. Don't know how lead assists or retards removal. Would love to hear some first hand account from someone on the other side of this. Otherwise I guess you just get all your tools and attack.  What's new about that?

Dolce_Vita

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2012, 09:29:02 PM »
There's a few good project articles on it here on this website.
Briar Patch has a Picassa photo album on it:
http://picasaweb.google.com/101211161196102038779/MastRefurbOnBriarPatch?authkey=Gv1sRgCKrBlK7Eson_xAE&gsessionid=oZ14mPwwaIsIzHoY1ih2JA
@(^.^)@  Ed
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rbrtfeld

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2012, 12:05:40 AM »
I am going to have to do this as well in the near future.  Please keep everyone informed on where you get the new step made and how much it was. Good luck

Dolce_Vita

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2012, 03:35:17 PM »
I've been trolling the web, and here's the collection of replacement mast step pictures I've come up with:
(the first two were by the now-defunct Metalmast)

@(^.^)@  Ed
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Dolce_Vita

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Re: Mast Step (one more)
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2012, 03:37:03 PM »
One more (from Briar Patch).  Note the isolation block between the mast and the step.
@(^.^)@  Ed
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Dulcinea

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2012, 09:16:29 PM »
Got my mast step out today. It definitely looks like the metal mast steps in the pics above. One bolt came out whole with help from a Craftsman bolt extractor. Had to cut the heads off the other three.
There's very little room to work down there.  Also cut two inches off the mast where it was corroded and sending the whole shebang to MetalMast this week. Installation in the spring 

Having that mast just laying there on saw horses brings up a number of projects. Replacing the wiring and getting new lights. .....and the beat goes on.....

Dolce_Vita

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2012, 10:05:04 PM »
You found a current address for Metalmast??  I thought they went out of business a number of years ago when a fire damaged the building they were in.
@(^.^)@  Ed
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Dulcinea

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2012, 06:46:51 AM »
I believe they are now RigRite out of Rhode Island. Maybe they bought the MM inventory.

Rusty Pelican

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2012, 09:01:39 AM »
You are correct, RigRite bought a bunch of old parts.

Dulcinea

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Re: Mast Step
« Reply #11 on: October 23, 2012, 09:19:59 PM »
Thanks rusty Pelican. And I think they have the ability to fabricate anything they don't have in stock, this according to the lady I spoke with there.