Chart Table Lid: Fitting a Gas Strut?

[Nigel]

I'm thinking of fitting a Gas Strut to my Chart Table Lid; I saw this on eBay.

Dimensions of the lid are 400mm x 700mm, hinge along the long side. Weight of lid is 2.4kg.

Has anyone done the same?

[MarkTheBike]

Nice idea; doesn't your lid have the bendy spring holdy-uppy thing in it?

[Nigel]

Nice idea; doesn't your lid have the bendy spring holdy-uppy thing in it?

No, it has the bendy spring nearly holdy-uppy unless I knock it thing

[Odysseus]

Like this idea Nigel, post a photo when complete, I took my holdy upy thing off and put it on the fridge as one spring tends to drop lid one my head when in the bottom of fridge. 2 springs work well, no headache now!!
Odysseus
Bav 38

[MarkTheBike]

Nice idea; doesn't your lid have the bendy spring holdy-uppy thing in it?

No, it has the bendy spring nearly holdy-uppy unless I knock it thing

Ah, yes. I was offered one of those on Cut-Price Special Offer Day, but fought back the urge to buy and settled for an ordinary one. How empty has my life been since....

[Nigel]

I'm thinking of fitting a Gas Strut to my Chart Table Lid ...
Dimensions of the lid are 400mm x 700mm, hinge along the long side. Weight of lid is 2.4kg.

[Update]

I've made a mock-up at home, same weight and depth (different width, but irrelevant). The calculators I've seen for various gas struts say that for a "door" of this size, a 120N strut is required. As the lid is being held almost vertical, rather than horizontal, I've found that a strut of 50N is more than enough, I think 30N would do. However the extra capacity will prevent it dropping in choppy conditions.

With 50N it self-opens from about 45°. With the chamber pivot mounted 240mm from the hinge, the piston pivot at 80mm, I get 100° opening, and a 3mm gap when closed.

However, note that I've found a new source of gas struts, they also sell on eBay

[Odysseus]

Looks good Nigel, I will be going this way, I take it your chart table is about the same as mine, photo attached.

Any photos would be good.

Odysseus
Bav 38

[AFRiCA]

I have a bavaria 42 and I used a piece of dowel with a swivel fitting attached to the lid. The dowle pivits down into a hole drilled into the bottom of the chart table. Advantages. You can adjust the hieght by trimming the the length of the dowel. The dowel method is fool proof and solid

[tiger79]

I took Nigel's tip and bought a gas strut to replace the bendy spring device.  The strut works brilliantly!  Good investment of £1.89 too!

[Odysseus]

Well done Nigel I have mine ready to fit.

Odysseus
Bav 38

[Moodymike]

What size did you both get?

[tiger79]

I got a 60N strut.

[Odysseus]

I got 60 as well.

Odysseus

[singlefish]

did you use  a 60 on fridge too ,  im gonna miss getting my head bashed especially with chart table .



anyone any tips for opening lockers with circa 2003 push button catches , got a couple in forepeak whilst push in and out, locker wont open , discovered that nylon inside swells slightly with moisture , and trouble arose after last winter when i didnt dehumidify , praps the dehumidifier will get em working again this winter , any thoughts , experience .

cheers

[MarkTheBike]

Hi singlefish

Spooky coincidence - I've just spent the afternoon taking my push-button catches to pieces and unsticking them. It's the 3 in the centre of the table and there was some rainwater in the bilge just underneath so moisture causing them to stick. A judicious thump will unlatch them if required then, if you unscrew the body, the button just pulls through the hole. Get a medium flat screwdriver and prise the nylon backplate out then take the innards out, clean them up with kitchen tissue, and grease all moving surfaces. Stick them back together (not forgetting the spring) and you'll be amazed at how smooth they become, just like new.

This leads me on to a problem that is linked (i.e. why I took them off) but is slightly off-thread. Over the 14 months we've had the boat, the top drawer has always slightly snagged on the underside of the table top. This hasn't stopped the drawer latching and the 2 lower drawers have remained free. However, over the last month or so, the top drawer now is a 'wallop' fit and doesn't latch, neither do the two below. It's almost as though the table sides are collapsing (or the boat's bending in half!). Anybody got any idea what's causing it and how to fix it, short of taking a spoke-shave to all the edges. I'm baffled. 

[Ripster]

Just fitted one on the chart table (50N) and it works great.  Not only does it hold the table up and help it lifts, if you work it out right it holds it shut too.  Great mod.  I have bought some stronger ones for the cockpit locker lids.  These things really are cheap as chips now.

[Moodymike]

What strength are the cockpit locker struts?

[Ripster]

What strength are the cockpit locker struts?

I bought a couple of 150n short ones to test as these were the strongest they had.  Going to test then before fitting to see how they cope with the weight. 

[Nigel]

... Not only does it hold the table up and help it lifts, if you work it out right it holds it shut too...

I couldn't get mine to close without a bang, despite experimenting on the mock-up.

[Ripster]

... Not only does it hold the table up and help it lifts, if you work it out right it holds it shut too...

I couldn't get mine to close without a bang, despite experimenting on the mock-up.

I messed about for ages trying to get it right.  I found that the base mount had to be as high as it would go.  That way, once it gets to about 3 inches open it pulls it shut.

[Odysseus]

Can you post a photo please, I have mine to fit.
Odysseus
Bav 38

[tiger79]

Can you post a photo please, I have mine to fit.
Odysseus
Bav 38

See my pic in reply #8 - the base mount needs to be as high as possible.

[Ripster]

Can you post a photo please, I have mine to fit.
Odysseus
Bav 38

See my pic in reply #8 - the base mount needs to be as high as possible.

Sorry just seen this!  Don't have any pics at the mo, but it looks virtually identical to Tiger79's.  When I do the cockpit lockers, I will be sure to post up some pics.

[Aquila]

Tiger many thanks for the info and picture, I ordered my gas strut this week which has just arrived and will install in my nav desk next week, great idea and no more squashed fingers when attempting to remove a chart.

[Odysseus]

Thank you tiger, job done fitted 80 nts gas strut.

Cockpit lockers next.

Odysseus
Bav 38