Hello all,
I have a 32’ Westsail and would like to replace my 30+ year old stainless chainplates with bronze. Initially I planned to have PTF fabricate a set, but it is fairly cost prohibitive. Instead, I believe I can do it myself, but I would like a bit of help deciding on the particular alloy and form. I know to stay away from “bronze” brasses, leaving phosphor, silicon and aluminum bronzes. Which is best and/or most practical for chainplate fabrication?
http://www.onlinemetals.com offers Aluminum Bronze, alloy C95400, in 3/8"x2" and 1.5". The total cost for all of the bronze I need (12ft of 2", 6ft of 1.5") would be about $300.
I have seen people say that aluminum nickle bronze and silicon bronze are good choices for use as chainplates. However, I’m not sure about “aluminum bronze”. It’s specifications are thus:
Aluminum Bronze, C954
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 85,000
Yield Strength, psi 32,000
Elongation in 2" 12%
Brinell Hardness 170
Chemistry Copper (Cu) 83.0% min
Iron (Fe) 3.0 - 5.0%
Aluminum (Al) 10.0 - 11.5%
As opposed to silicon bronze:
Silicon Bronze, C655
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 85,000
Yield Strength, psi 55,000
Elongation in 2" 20%
Rockwell Hardness B90
Chemistry Copper (Cu) 97.0% min
Iron (Fe) 0.8% max
Manganese (Mn) 1.5% max
Nickel (Ni) 0.6% max
Lead (Pb) 0.5% max
Silicon (Si) 2.8 - 3.8%
Zinc (Zn) 1.5% max
Does anyone have experience using aluminum bronze; I want to make sure it is a strong enough metal. I’m not sure if “32,000 psi” for yield strength is enough compared to silicon bronze’s “55,000 psi”. I have found sources for aluminum nickle and silicon bronze sheet, but the total cost is near or above $1000, and I’d still have to cut it, so if this “aluminum bronze” is acceptable, it would be nice!
Thank you for your time!
Aaron