Straighten bent Scotty boom. (suggestions)

Morty

Well-Known Member
Seems one of my Scotty 60" booms got bent when my gear connected with a well-anchored crab trap. There's about 1/4" bow in both tubes and that's preventing them from extending without a lot of effort. I have the boom stripped down to just bare tubes so far, and do have a 12 ton bottle jack. No Press frame, but I could use the weight of the boat on trailer as a vertical anchor (combined 6,500lb).

Suggestions?
 
I would take it in to be repaired... I know my skill with makeshift repairs isn't up to snuff and would likely damage it more ;) Use the life-time warranty, in my opinion!
 
If you have it stripped down to bare tubes, find a piece of steel bar a tiny bit smaller than the inside diameter of the tubes, chamfer one end, lube it up and drive it in with a dead blow hammer. It does not have to be a long piece, and you can use a smaller pipe to drive it through. Won't be perfect but it will slide back and fort with less effort.

Or you can go to Metal Supermarkets and get some 1.25 stainless tubing or pipe and with a little ingenuity fabricate a one piece boom to your own specifications
 
Have you called Scotty or how much for a new tube?
In my experience you run a tube inside good luck getting it out if its a tight as it should be. Highly unlikely that your going to get it straight enough to slide properly also the tube will probably end up somewhat egged. Now its straight but egged and doesn't slide properly.
Might be worth in the long run to just go buy a new tube, do you need the hassle of that kind when your on the water and not the same as on land or at shore!

Good luck
 
Even if you get it somewhat straightened out it will never be the same and is also a weak point now. Imo get a new boom
Grab a new boom. Berrys sells them. It will be a big time weak point if you do manage to straighten them. I got a pair of booms from there, think they’re around $110
 
In the days before the telescope boom, you could get decorative S.S. pipe and replace it yourself. was available in Coquitlam, but you had to buy 20'. they would cut it to length, I remember making 4 or 5 booms for the old # 1106 model or whatever they were. had to drill 3 holes...
 
Anyone who builds canvas boat tops will have 1” and 1.25” stainless pipe for the frames. The bigger pipe on the scotties is 1.25”. I got a couple of 48” pieces of scrap for almost nothing and replaced my 30 inchers. Have to make sure the wall thickness is right. I suggest that you check the diameter of the smaller pipe on the telescoping booms. Maybe it is 1”. You might be able to get a couple pieces of replacement pipe cheaper than a new boom.
 
Get the replacement from scotty, not sure of cost but the trust factor is worth every penny. Straightening bent tube will not have the same strength, using other tube may affect other points on rigger. I have seen replacement booms listed on used/craigs for sale. As others stated get your brake set so no repeat occurs.

HM
 
not worth the effort just replace with two new booms from scotty
 
If it were me I would drive out to the factory, which is close to me, and see what they say. You may be happy with the outcome. I know I have been on things that they just replaced without charge when they have got damaged through no fault of the parts or design. They really do go the extra mile which is why they have such high brand loyalty and why the other down-rigger manufactures have not been able to get much of a market foothold in BC to compete with them.

With Covid-19 you may have to wait as they may not be open or want you turning up for now. Once things settle down, you could call them to see if the factory service center is open.
 
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They are open, dropped a couple riggers off 2 weeks ago. They have a table set up outside, place them on it and knock on the door
 
I'm in Surrey so the ferry ride would add too much to the cost. Berrys Bait wants $125 plus labour. (that buys a lot of anchovies.) ;);)

I don't like to waste stuff so after a week of thought on this tried the best idea that I had. I figured the weight of my car, and the fact that the tires were rubber and wide, would make an ideal press.

I made a jig from some scrap wood I had. I made supports for each end of the tube and put side rails that were just slightly lower than the tube diameter and just a snug fit to the tube size (so that the tube would not roll over when I put pressure on the bend). The jig space was changed for each tube size. I put support under the side rails so that they would not bend down when I drove my car tire onto it. I set the jig, with tube in behind the car tire so that the highest point in the bend was centered under the tire.
jig.jpg
tube in jig.jpg

Slides like new :D:D:D
 
Just curious how you bent them in the first place. If your downrigger line and/or Canon ball got caught up in a well anchored crab trap, your downriggers have approx 35lb weight setting so that any force applied greater than 35lbs weight would release line and have either your line spool out or if the force was sudden and bug enough it would snap you line. Is figure your braid or wire would snap before it would bend your downrigger rod. Wondering if you can share more details so that others may be able to prevent what happened to create your bent downrigger rod.
 
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