: I must admit, I have an advantage here, because I machine metals and plastics
: for a living.

What timing! Have I got a question for you.

I'm trying to figure out what hardware to buy for my canoe seats. The builder recommends 3 3/4" spacers on the stern seat and 4 3/4 and 5" on the sliding bow seat. Add the width of the gunnels and the seat or support thwart, and you're looking at bolts of 6 and 7". In silicon bronze, that gets pretty expensive as I need four of each. The prices I've seen on the net so far run about $5 each in those lengths and 1/4" thickness.

The builder says you can just buy extra 4" bolts and have them cut and welded together by a machinist shop to get the length you need. If I were to do that, is it ok to use the 3/16" bolts Northwoods Canoe sells or should I go with 1/4" bolts? I'm talking about silicon bronze. Is this something a machinist could do pretty easily? Or would it end up costing me as much as just buying the right lengths to begin with.

Thanks,

Patsy