: Hi John,

: That link looks like it would work. Heck I've used sails that were 30 years
: old and stretched out really bad that still would drive the boat fairly
: well, it's obvious that it's not rocket science

: You might try flush riviting the sleeve into the mast or for that matter
: flush bolting. Either way should work, rivits are faster. You do have to
: carefully cut a countersunk hole in the outer surface so the rivit will
: remain flush. Normal for sailboat masts doing it this way.

: In theory they can be bonded with epoxy, but it's tricky. Aluminum forms an
: oxide layer almost instantly when exposed to air and that layer has little
: strength and it's what you'd bond to. You can, very carefully using big
: gloves, sand the aluminum with an thinned epoxy bath (normally done with
: the part submerged in the epoxy, but not absolutely required) so that
: after sanding the epoxy protects the surface from forming it's oxide, then
: you bond the epoxy to the opposite surface.

: Rivits are easier

: Bill H.

: Bill H.

I just did some riviting yesterday on my AKA strut supports I am making. But flush riviting look tricky in a 1/16" wall. A simular method I have used in the past on other projects would be to drill a hole all the way through the mast and sleeve, taper the outer holes slightly, insert a slightly long rod through the holes and the hammer ping each side into the taper, then finish by filing flush. But a rivit sticks out so little that it might not cause a sail ring any problems sliding over it.

John