After 30 years the original knobs are breaking down. A few days ago a line tried to jump off. Time for replacement. The tramps are good and the line OK (replace in a 1-2 years?), but the knobs are toast.
The knob in the foreground is missing chunks. Behind is a portion of the 46 replacements I turned.
I could have bought them, but I had something a little different in mind. The replacements are twice as strong and should outlast the boat. The screw is recessed. There is non-skid on the top.
So I turned them from 1/2-inch HDPE on my metal lathe. The first few took an hour, figuring out the measurements, materials, and machining a mandrel. But after that I was down to about 3 minutes each. Not a bad way to spend a few hours.
Blanks were cut from 1/2-inch HDPE sheet using a hole saw with a 3/16-inch center bit fitted (1/4-inch is standard). They were then turned on a mandrel, and the hole countersunk on the drill press. Assembly line.
Installing them was another matter. Most of the screws were seized and grabbing round heads with Vice Grips is a pain. But the end result was pretty.
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