On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:04:29 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:43:17 -0500, John H
wrote:

The bimini top on my Key West uses a mounting like this"

http://tinyurl.com/9ozwsy

This bracket allows the frame member mounted therein to rotate from front
to back without placing undue stress on the mounting screws. Note, I said
screws, not through bolts.

However when underway, even slowly, or just at anchor with a small amount
of ripple in the water, the bimini top sways from side to side. The side to
side motion gets transmitted directly to the screws in the brackets, and
causes them to loosen. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they
strip or worse.

I'm wondering if there aren't some fittings made that would have a ball
socket or some such to allow complete forward and back movement *and* some
degree of lateral movement.

Anyone know of such a thing? Help!

The only way you are going to stop it is to make the stainless tubing
fairly rigid - it's not so much the movement in the mount as it is the
length of the tubing that is causing your problem. And the only way
to stop that is to use heavier wall tubing - it's the wall flex that's
the problem, not the mount. Cheap T-tops have the same problem - not
enough wall strength in the tubes to make it rigid so they cross brace
the hell out of them. Even in custom made, heavy T-tops like mine
move without cross bracing.

This T-top is very similar to mine - mine is a little taller, made
from thicker tubing and is a slightly different design, but the point
is that it's cross braced to keep the sway down.

http://www.rangerboats.com/flash/gal...id=5511&gid=38

This is mine.

http://www.swsports.org/images/Pictu...g%20Boat02.jpg

With your current setup, the only way to make it stop is to cross
brace the tubing with some sort of cording - maybe bungee cord or
similar.

What I would do is brace the cornors of the top where the tubing
bends. You might be able to do it with bungee cord, but that defeats
the purpose - it would cut down on the sway though.

What I'm hoping to find is a mounting bracket which allows the side to side
motion without transmitting any stress. Actually, if the mounting bracket
that is there ( http://tinyurl.com/9ozwsy ) were turned 90 degrees, the
bimini could sway all it wanted with no stress on the screws. The only
problem then is that I'd have to disconnect it whenever I wanted to stow
it.

John H wrote:
On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:04:29 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:43:17 -0500, John H
wrote:

The bimini top on my Key West uses a mounting like this"

http://tinyurl.com/9ozwsy

This bracket allows the frame member mounted therein to rotate from front
to back without placing undue stress on the mounting screws. Note, I said
screws, not through bolts.

However when underway, even slowly, or just at anchor with a small amount
of ripple in the water, the bimini top sways from side to side. The side to
side motion gets transmitted directly to the screws in the brackets, and
causes them to loosen. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they
strip or worse.

I'm wondering if there aren't some fittings made that would have a ball
socket or some such to allow complete forward and back movement *and* some
degree of lateral movement.

Anyone know of such a thing? Help!
The only way you are going to stop it is to make the stainless tubing
fairly rigid - it's not so much the movement in the mount as it is the
length of the tubing that is causing your problem. And the only way
to stop that is to use heavier wall tubing - it's the wall flex that's
the problem, not the mount. Cheap T-tops have the same problem - not
enough wall strength in the tubes to make it rigid so they cross brace
the hell out of them. Even in custom made, heavy T-tops like mine
move without cross bracing.

This T-top is very similar to mine - mine is a little taller, made
from thicker tubing and is a slightly different design, but the point
is that it's cross braced to keep the sway down.

http://www.rangerboats.com/flash/gal...id=5511&gid=38

This is mine.

http://www.swsports.org/images/Pictu...g%20Boat02.jpg

With your current setup, the only way to make it stop is to cross
brace the tubing with some sort of cording - maybe bungee cord or
similar.

What I would do is brace the cornors of the top where the tubing
bends. You might be able to do it with bungee cord, but that defeats
the purpose - it would cut down on the sway though.

What I'm hoping to find is a mounting bracket which allows the side to side
motion without transmitting any stress. Actually, if the mounting bracket
that is there ( http://tinyurl.com/9ozwsy ) were turned 90 degrees, the
bimini could sway all it wanted with no stress on the screws. The only
problem then is that I'd have to disconnect it whenever I wanted to stow
it.

Tom has the right idea. We need to see your setup to determine how to
place the braces.

Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:43:17 -0500, John H
wrote:

The bimini top on my Key West uses a mounting like this"

http://tinyurl.com/9ozwsy

This bracket allows the frame member mounted therein to rotate from front
to back without placing undue stress on the mounting screws. Note, I said
screws, not through bolts.

However when underway, even slowly, or just at anchor with a small amount
of ripple in the water, the bimini top sways from side to side. The side to
side motion gets transmitted directly to the screws in the brackets, and
causes them to loosen. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they
strip or worse.

I'm wondering if there aren't some fittings made that would have a ball
socket or some such to allow complete forward and back movement *and* some
degree of lateral movement.

Anyone know of such a thing? Help!

The only way you are going to stop it is to make the stainless tubing
fairly rigid - it's not so much the movement in the mount as it is the
length of the tubing that is causing your problem. And the only way
to stop that is to use heavier wall tubing - it's the wall flex that's
the problem, not the mount. Cheap T-tops have the same problem - not
enough wall strength in the tubes to make it rigid so they cross brace
the hell out of them. Even in custom made, heavy T-tops like mine
move without cross bracing.

This T-top is very similar to mine - mine is a little taller, made
from thicker tubing and is a slightly different design, but the point
is that it's cross braced to keep the sway down.

http://www.rangerboats.com/flash/gal...id=5511&gid=38

This is mine.

http://www.swsports.org/images/Pictu...g%20Boat02.jpg

With your current setup, the only way to make it stop is to cross
brace the tubing with some sort of cording - maybe bungee cord or
similar.

What I would do is brace the cornors of the top where the tubing
bends. You might be able to do it with bungee cord, but that defeats
the purpose - it would cut down on the sway though.

--

"An idealist is one who, on noticing that
a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes
that it will also make better soup."

H.L. Mencken


Buy a better top with heavier tubes and connectors.

On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:49:15 -0500, Jim wrote:

John H wrote:
On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:04:29 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:43:17 -0500, John H
wrote:

The bimini top on my Key West uses a mounting like this"

http://tinyurl.com/9ozwsy

This bracket allows the frame member mounted therein to rotate from front
to back without placing undue stress on the mounting screws. Note, I said
screws, not through bolts.

However when underway, even slowly, or just at anchor with a small amount
of ripple in the water, the bimini top sways from side to side. The side to
side motion gets transmitted directly to the screws in the brackets, and
causes them to loosen. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they
strip or worse.

I'm wondering if there aren't some fittings made that would have a ball
socket or some such to allow complete forward and back movement *and* some
degree of lateral movement.

Anyone know of such a thing? Help!
The only way you are going to stop it is to make the stainless tubing
fairly rigid - it's not so much the movement in the mount as it is the
length of the tubing that is causing your problem. And the only way
to stop that is to use heavier wall tubing - it's the wall flex that's
the problem, not the mount. Cheap T-tops have the same problem - not
enough wall strength in the tubes to make it rigid so they cross brace
the hell out of them. Even in custom made, heavy T-tops like mine
move without cross bracing.

This T-top is very similar to mine - mine is a little taller, made
from thicker tubing and is a slightly different design, but the point
is that it's cross braced to keep the sway down.

http://www.rangerboats.com/flash/gal...id=5511&gid=38

This is mine.

http://www.swsports.org/images/Pictu...g%20Boat02.jpg

With your current setup, the only way to make it stop is to cross
brace the tubing with some sort of cording - maybe bungee cord or
similar.

What I would do is brace the cornors of the top where the tubing
bends. You might be able to do it with bungee cord, but that defeats
the purpose - it would cut down on the sway though.

What I'm hoping to find is a mounting bracket which allows the side to side
motion without transmitting any stress. Actually, if the mounting bracket
that is there ( http://tinyurl.com/9ozwsy ) were turned 90 degrees, the
bimini could sway all it wanted with no stress on the screws. The only
problem then is that I'd have to disconnect it whenever I wanted to stow
it.

Tom has the right idea. We need to see your setup to determine how to
place the braces.

Yes, to *stop* or minimize the lateral swaying, I need to brace the bimini
with straps, cords or what have you. Heavier uprights wouldn't help at all.
It would just be more weight swaying back and forth.

I want a way to allow the swaying of the bimini, but in a way that does not
stress the screws holding the brackets to the gunwale.

I'm thinking these may work. This piece would go into the bottom of the
stainless steel upright:

http://tacomarine.com/item--Top-Caps...set+screw.html

And the ball would go into this piece, screwed or through-bolted to the
gunwale.

http://tacomarine.com/item--Deck-Hinge--F13-0301.html

This *looks* like it would allow a good deal of lateral swaying before any
stress would be placed on the mounting screws.

That's *my* story.

On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:18:55 -0500, John H
wrote:


I'm thinking these may work. This piece would go into the bottom of the
stainless steel upright:

http://tacomarine.com/item--Top-Caps...set+screw.html

And the ball would go into this piece, screwed or through-bolted to the
gunwale.

http://tacomarine.com/item--Deck-Hinge--F13-0301.html

This *looks* like it would allow a good deal of lateral swaying before any
stress would be placed on the mounting screws.

That's *my* story.

Ah - my mistake - I didn't comprehend what you were talking about.

My bad - I had the impression you wanted to dampen the lateral swaying
rather than prevent stress from messing up the mounts.

Yeah - those might work, but looking at the design you might get more
sway than you want. That might put added stress on the assembly
itself and cause it to distort or, possible, even collapse.

Just a thought.

--

"Far better it is to dare mighty things,
to win glorious triumphs even though
checkered by failure, than to rank with
those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor
suffer much because they live in the gray
twilight that knows neither victory nor
defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:18:55 -0500, John H
wrote:


I'm thinking these may work. This piece would go into the bottom of the
stainless steel upright:

http://tacomarine.com/item--Top-Caps...set+screw.html

And the ball would go into this piece, screwed or through-bolted to the
gunwale.

http://tacomarine.com/item--Deck-Hinge--F13-0301.html

This *looks* like it would allow a good deal of lateral swaying before any
stress would be placed on the mounting screws.

That's *my* story.

Ah - my mistake - I didn't comprehend what you were talking about.

My bad - I had the impression you wanted to dampen the lateral swaying
rather than prevent stress from messing up the mounts.

Yeah - those might work, but looking at the design you might get more
sway than you want. That might put added stress on the assembly
itself and cause it to distort or, possible, even collapse.

Just a thought.



Yabut,

Even with his "increased" lateral sway, at some point it stops and the same
forces (or more, due to acceleration) are imposed on the mounting bracket
screws. He's just introducing a time delay.

Eisboch

On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:34:46 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:18:55 -0500, John H
wrote:


I'm thinking these may work. This piece would go into the bottom of the
stainless steel upright:

http://tacomarine.com/item--Top-Caps...set+screw.html

And the ball would go into this piece, screwed or through-bolted to the
gunwale.

http://tacomarine.com/item--Deck-Hinge--F13-0301.html

This *looks* like it would allow a good deal of lateral swaying before any
stress would be placed on the mounting screws.

That's *my* story.

Ah - my mistake - I didn't comprehend what you were talking about.

My bad - I had the impression you wanted to dampen the lateral swaying
rather than prevent stress from messing up the mounts.

Yeah - those might work, but looking at the design you might get more
sway than you want. That might put added stress on the assembly
itself and cause it to distort or, possible, even collapse.

Just a thought.

And a good thought. I've got to find a place that stocks these and see what
they look like. West Marine supposedly carries them, but I've not been yet.
Maybe tomorrow. After golf. If the weather's decent.

Priorities, you know.

Eisboch wrote:

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:18:55 -0500, John H
wrote:


I'm thinking these may work. This piece would go into the bottom of the
stainless steel upright:

http://tacomarine.com/item--Top-Caps...set+screw.html

And the ball would go into this piece, screwed or through-bolted to the
gunwale.

http://tacomarine.com/item--Deck-Hinge--F13-0301.html

This *looks* like it would allow a good deal of lateral swaying
before any
stress would be placed on the mounting screws.

That's *my* story.

Ah - my mistake - I didn't comprehend what you were talking about.

My bad - I had the impression you wanted to dampen the lateral swaying
rather than prevent stress from messing up the mounts.

Yeah - those might work, but looking at the design you might get more
sway than you want. That might put added stress on the assembly
itself and cause it to distort or, possible, even collapse.

Just a thought.



Yabut,

Even with his "increased" lateral sway, at some point it stops and the
same forces (or more, due to acceleration) are imposed on the mounting
bracket screws. He's just introducing a time delay.

Eisboch


The answer is a higher quality bimini with heavier hardware and straps.

On Sun, 4 Jan 2009 17:57:03 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:18:55 -0500, John H
wrote:


I'm thinking these may work. This piece would go into the bottom of the
stainless steel upright:

http://tacomarine.com/item--Top-Caps...set+screw.html

And the ball would go into this piece, screwed or through-bolted to the
gunwale.

http://tacomarine.com/item--Deck-Hinge--F13-0301.html

This *looks* like it would allow a good deal of lateral swaying before any
stress would be placed on the mounting screws.

That's *my* story.

Ah - my mistake - I didn't comprehend what you were talking about.

My bad - I had the impression you wanted to dampen the lateral swaying
rather than prevent stress from messing up the mounts.

Yeah - those might work, but looking at the design you might get more
sway than you want. That might put added stress on the assembly
itself and cause it to distort or, possible, even collapse.

Just a thought.



Yabut,

Even with his "increased" lateral sway, at some point it stops and the same
forces (or more, due to acceleration) are imposed on the mounting bracket
screws. He's just introducing a time delay.

Eisboch

It's ok to talk directly to me!

You're correct, if conditions were severe, the swaying could eventually
cause the upper part of the socket to contact the sides of the base.
Hopefully I'd have enough sense to take down the bimini before the swaying
got that bad.

(No comments about that last line, please!)

As it is now, almost *any* swaying is stressing the bottom bracket and
therefore the mounting screws.

"John H" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 4 Jan 2009 17:57:03 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:18:55 -0500, John H
wrote:


I'm thinking these may work. This piece would go into the bottom of the
stainless steel upright:

http://tacomarine.com/item--Top-Caps...set+screw.html

And the ball would go into this piece, screwed or through-bolted to the
gunwale.

http://tacomarine.com/item--Deck-Hinge--F13-0301.html

This *looks* like it would allow a good deal of lateral swaying before
any
stress would be placed on the mounting screws.

That's *my* story.

Ah - my mistake - I didn't comprehend what you were talking about.

My bad - I had the impression you wanted to dampen the lateral swaying
rather than prevent stress from messing up the mounts.

Yeah - those might work, but looking at the design you might get more
sway than you want. That might put added stress on the assembly
itself and cause it to distort or, possible, even collapse.

Just a thought.



Yabut,

Even with his "increased" lateral sway, at some point it stops and the
same
forces (or more, due to acceleration) are imposed on the mounting bracket
screws. He's just introducing a time delay.

Eisboch

It's ok to talk directly to me!

You're correct, if conditions were severe, the swaying could eventually
cause the upper part of the socket to contact the sides of the base.
Hopefully I'd have enough sense to take down the bimini before the swaying
got that bad.

(No comments about that last line, please!)

As it is now, almost *any* swaying is stressing the bottom bracket and
therefore the mounting screws.


John, I don't know how to make this more clear.

*All* of your lateral "swaying" forces are transmitted to your gunnel
brackets.
I don't care if they are ball and socket, pinned or magnetically attached.

Eisboch