WANTED-Teleflex Chrome knobs 6801812

Capt.Will

Active Member
Aug 15, 2016
148
Lake St. Clair
Boat Info
1997 Sea Ray 330 Sundancer
Engines
7.4 MPI Mercruiser Inboards
Seeking out some new knobs if anyone has any laying around. Cannot find any decent deals online anywhere so far.

Want to go from this...
FBD7E68B-87F9-4CAE-9A30-FB804EC4A15E.jpeg
A4468790-AC18-4D33-B7D3-CEA7CE32F868.jpeg



To this....
51+WrI0kq-L._SX425_.jpg


If anyone has the knobs available for sale, I am interested. The part number is 6801812 for the Crome knobs. I am looking for 4 of them. Not a big deal if you have the plastic inserts or not. I figure I can reuse the ones that I have now. Thanks for any help. Will
 
Ohh nelly....this is slick. I did not know they had chrome handles available. I've been trying to figure out how to switch mine to balls (found on 99+) since buying my 97. Maybe chrome handles would be a better/easier option.

I found some just now for $50 +/- each. Kinda spendy indeed...
 
Ohh nelly....this is slick. I did not know they had chrome handles available. I've been trying to figure out how to switch mine to balls (found on 99+) since buying my 97. Maybe chrome handles would be a better/easier option.

I found some just now for $50 +/- each. Kinda spendy indeed...


I also wanted the Chrome ball (type) knobs but unfortunately I don't see an option. If the prices are going to be $40 to $50 each then I will live with black knobs. Bummer.
 
Those chrome handles will get hot in the sun,but they will look really cool.I mean whats 200 bucks anyway?
 
I have chrome handles in Florida, and never noticed that they get hot. However, The are about in the middle of the forward bimini, so they don't really get any overhead sun.
 
I have never noticed that. Why would chrome metal get hotter than than black plastic that seems to me would absorb sunlight as heat?

MM
The metal will not dissipate heat as fast as plastic which is less dense and more porous.I have the old neoprene handles and they can get pretty warm at the beach.Aluminum would be cooler in the heat.A good machinist could make a set of anodized(colored)aluminum handles.I wonder what masterfab would say about that.
 
Just a tip guys I made mine out of aluminum then polished them find a machinist to fab them
 
Seeking out some new knobs if anyone has any laying around. Cannot find any decent deals online anywhere so far.

Want to go from this...
View attachment 78419 View attachment 78420


To this....
View attachment 78421

If anyone has the knobs available for sale, I am interested. The part number is 6801812 for the Crome knobs. I am looking for 4 of them. Not a big deal if you have the plastic inserts or not. I figure I can reuse the ones that I have now. Thanks for any help. Will


Will,

I blame you for this.

I really liked your idea and started down the road to replace them. 6801812 is out of stock everywhere and Teleflex/Seastar has no date when they will be back in stock. The best price I found was $55 and the average price was $65 a piece.

Next I decided to have my existing ones chromed. I removed them and took them to a well respected chrome facility and they wanted $75 a piece to remove the covering and chrome them...ouch!

At this point I decided to take another route.

First, I removed the rubber covers:
upload_2020-3-9_9-19-19.png

upload_2020-3-9_9-19-51.png

upload_2020-3-9_9-20-15.png


Then I used a draw file to remove the casting marks.

upload_2020-3-9_9-21-38.png


Then I used a 6" buffing wheel on my bench grinder with Jeweler's Rouge compound.

upload_2020-3-9_9-23-54.png


This is part way through the buffing process. Originally, my plan was to chrome them using a kit by Caswell Plating. It is a two step DIY system that gets good reviews.

The buffed finish is really beautiful so I decided to try to coat it as is rather than electroplating it. The product for that is ProtectaClear which is designed for clear coating polished metal. It arrives tomorrow and I will post an update by the end of this week on the finished product.

So far....about $20 for the buffing wheel and compound and 2 hours of work. The clear coat is $24.95.
 
Will,

I blame you for this.

I really liked your idea and started down the road to replace them. 6801812 is out of stock everywhere and Teleflex/Seastar has no date when they will be back in stock. The best price I found was $55 and the average price was $65 a piece.

Next I decided to have my existing ones chromed. I removed them and took them to a well respected chrome facility and they wanted $75 a piece to remove the covering and chrome them...ouch!

At this point I decided to take another route.

First, I removed the rubber covers:
View attachment 80634
View attachment 80635
View attachment 80636

Then I used a draw file to remove the casting marks.

View attachment 80637

Then I used a 6" buffing wheel on my bench grinder with Jeweler's Rouge compound.

View attachment 80638

This is part way through the buffing process. Originally, my plan was to chrome them using a kit by Caswell Plating. It is a two step DIY system that gets good reviews.

The buffed finish is really beautiful so I decided to try to coat it as is rather than electroplating it. The product for that is ProtectaClear which is designed for clear coating polished metal. It arrives tomorrow and I will post an update by the end of this week on the finished product.

So far....about $20 for the buffing wheel and compound and 2 hours of work. The clear coat is $24.95.

Very cool. How will you deal with the holes in the tops of the handles where the "plugs" go?

I really would have thought those buggers were solid plastic. Crazy!
 
Very cool. How will you deal with the holes in the tops of the handles where the "plugs" go?

I really would have thought those buggers were solid plastic. Crazy!


I just started clear coating them a couple of hours ago.

The Protectaclear product is decent but it's instructions call for submerging the metal in a baking soda solution to remove any polishing acids. This was a mistake since the baking soda actually etches the zinc based material. Back to the buffer for another hour to clean them up.

I just went over them with 100% denatured alcohol to clean them prior to coating.

In regards to the plugs.....that is an interesting question since the replacement plugs from Teleflex are the same part number. Presently they sit about 3/32" above the handle line. I believe with a couple of dremel passes I can get the plugs to sit level with the handle.

Also the red plugs have to be repainted (faded) before they back on the the throttles. The black transmission plugs are fine.

upload_2020-3-11_18-23-21.png

upload_2020-3-11_18-23-57.png
 
Wow. Great Job. Those look fantastic. Please post pictures of them mounted back on the boat.
 
They do look fantastic and gives me some ideas. I had no idea that the handles were metal under rubber. Assuming mine are the same. Really think mine are plastic. Boat is still under shrink wrap till mid April though so will have to wait.
 
They do look fantastic and gives me some ideas. I had no idea that the handles were metal under rubber. Assuming mine are the same. Really think mine are plastic. Boat is still under shrink wrap till mid April though so will have to wait.

I thought the covering was plastic. One of my handles had cracks on it and the pieces could be pried off. It was only when I removed the others with a butane torch did I realize they were rubber and once heated could be pulled off by making an incision with a razor knife under the handle.

The metal underneath is zinc/lead formulation similar to the zinc material used to counter corrosion under the boat.

That said if you have this setup.....I agree these look plastic.


6271602_20170615151545467_1_XLARGE.jpg
 

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