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JP Sylvain
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Joined: 15 Oct 2006
Posts: 1
City: Sherbrooke
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 Posted: Oct 15, 2006 11:10 am Post subject: Tower: Aluminium or Stainless |
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HI guys, this is my fisrt time on this site and I'm not pretty good in English!! But I love this site and I'd need infos in a way to buy a tower. I have a 1995 Bayliner 20'5 open bow. I want to know what's the best between Aluminum and Stainless??? Wich one is better, the more solid, or the lighter??? Wich one is gonna keep silent with the years???
And if you have suggestion about a tower, let me know!!!
Thanks a lot!!!
JP
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Fishmaster
Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 1112
City: Atlanta
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| Posted: Jan 29, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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That is more of a preferance than a proven better solution.
Most wakeboard towers, T-Tops, radar arches and tuna towers on boats are made from aluminum as it is easier to bend, weld and machine and has a strenght to weight ratio advantage.
Stainless can be polished up to a near perfect chrome finish and is natrually corrosion resistant. Aluminum has a anodized finish which provide corrosion protect.
There is no right or wrong answer and you could be pitched benefits of each.
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wakeboardin2k4
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Joined: 28 Oct 2005
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City: Wilmington
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Lennyp04
Criminal
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Posts: 82
City: Allentown
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| Posted: Mar 01, 2007 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd go with aluminum. I think it stronger. Just my preference. |
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pyrocasto
PityDaFool Who Posts This Much
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 5291
City: hendersonville
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| Posted: Mar 01, 2007 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Lennyp04 wrote: | | I'd go with aluminum. I think it stronger. Just my preference. |
Except it's not. 
Stainless would be shinier over the years, and stronger, but much heavier.
Aluminum would be just fine, as you will not break that thick tubing ever. Either one you should be pretty much maintenance free.
If you are building it yourself, go Aluminum for sure. Stainless is harder to work with 100 times over. Cant even cut it with a metal cutting sawzaw bit or even a cutting torch.
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jjaszkow
Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 2124
City: Some Airport
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| Posted: Mar 01, 2007 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Isn't stainless a less ductile material than aluminum? I am no expert, but I believe that stainless is stronger but more brittle than aluminum. To be honest, I am not certain how this translates into tower performance, since I am certain that they are engineered to withstand their working load. |
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vette74
Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 30 Jul 2003
Posts: 2144
City: Houston
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| Posted: Mar 02, 2007 5:59 am Post subject: |
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| pyrocasto wrote: | | Lennyp04 wrote: | | I'd go with aluminum. I think it stronger. Just my preference. |
Except it's not.
Stainless would be shinier over the years, and stronger, but much heavier.
Aluminum would be just fine, as you will not break that thick tubing ever. Either one you should be pretty much maintenance free.
If you are building it yourself, go Aluminum for sure. Stainless is harder to work with 100 times over. Cant even cut it with a metal cutting sawzaw bit or even a cutting torch. |
You cannot cut aluminum with a torch either.
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pyrocasto
PityDaFool Who Posts This Much
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 5291
City: hendersonville
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| Posted: Mar 02, 2007 9:23 am Post subject: |
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vette74, that surprises me, since you can melt it with a match. Learn something new every day.
But at least a hack saw or whatnot will take care of it pretty easily. 
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| eeven73 wrote: |
At least 50% of the population is retarded so I discount what they think or feel automatically. |
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jjaszkow
Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 2124
City: Some Airport
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| Posted: Mar 02, 2007 11:23 am Post subject: |
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| vette74 wrote: |
You cannot cut aluminum with a torch either.
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It's not the prettiest of cuts (of course nothing with oxy-acetylene really is), but it definately can be cut with a torch. On the other hand, cutting some grades of stainless gets interesting because I believe that it creates a film of chromium oxide on the surface, making it really hard to cut with oxy-ace torches.
Better to use a plasma cutter, wheel or brake. Your cuts will look better at the very least.
Now welding aluminum on the other hand does get interesting. You have to be careful about avoiding burnthrough. Both can be welded with GMAW (MIG), but in my opinion aluminum is much harder to deal with. |
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vette74
Wakeboarder.Commie
Joined: 30 Jul 2003
Posts: 2144
City: Houston
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| Posted: Mar 02, 2007 11:53 am Post subject: |
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| jjaszkow wrote: | | vette74 wrote: |
You cannot cut aluminum with a torch either.
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It's not the prettiest of cuts (of course nothing with oxy-acetylene really is), but it definately can be cut with a torch. On the other hand, cutting some grades of stainless gets interesting because I believe that it creates a film of chromium oxide on the surface, making it really hard to cut with oxy-ace torches.
Better to use a plasma cutter, wheel or brake. Your cuts will look better at the very least.
Now welding aluminum on the other hand does get interesting. You have to be careful about avoiding burnthrough. Both can be welded with GMAW (MIG), but in my opinion aluminum is much harder to deal with. |
I guess I learned something new also. I have tried it before and it was a slopy mess more melting than cutting. But I have been using a plasma cutter for the last 4 years so the torch sits in the corner collecting dust.
I would much rather weld stainless than aluminum from the fact that if I don't buy aluminum from a reputiable source I always seem to get a type you cannot weld.
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