Oiling winches

[jwilson]

I really hate servicing winches, particularly the genoa winches on the coaming, whilst afloat. Far too easy to have greasy hands or gloves and drop something that then bounces overboard. I thus try to do it every winter whilst ashore.

My Harken 40 self-tailing winches annoyingly need unbolting from the deck to fully service. You can do 80% whilst bolted down, but the last inner gears need the whole winch taken off. As for one coachroof mounted winch that means removing the heads compartment headlining, lights etc, that one only gets the full monty every 2-3 years.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I really hate servicing winches, particularly the genoa winches on the coaming, whilst afloat. Far too easy to have greasy hands or gloves and drop something that then bounces overboard. I thus try to do it every winter whilst ashore.

My Harken 40 self-tailing winches annoyingly need unbolting from the deck to fully service. You can do 80% whilst bolted down, but the last inner gears need the whole winch taken off. As for one coachroof mounted winch that means removing the heads compartment headlining, lights etc, that one only gets the full monty every 2-3 years.

The need to unbolt the winches from the deck to fully service them is the reason I removed the old winches from my boat and fitted some second hand Lewmar winches in their place, now servicing is all top down and no longer a chore.

 

[Poignard]

I have Lewmar 34ST winches and every part can be removed leaving only the main casting in place on the cockpit coaming,

 

[Caladh]

I have teak combings and am wondering how to stop the wood from getting stained/damaged by paraffin when washing down the casting. Don’t really want to remove them completely.

 

[Poignard]

Mine are mounted on the wooden coamings and I don't wash the main castings, I just wipe them with paraffin moistened rags. As you can see, there is no sign of staining on these 53-year old coamings

 

[lw395]

.....

I have a Barton on my Kiwi boat. Just had it in bits. It had been neglected for years and the pawl springs were rusted away. Only a repair kit was available from Australia, two springs - all I needed - plus two pawls, 48 Australian Dollars plus P&P.

I made two pawl springs from a couple of safety pins, winch now working fine, cost a rummage in First Mates sewing box. If I had a bit of fine spring wire, I could have wound them. I have that skill.

In some eyes, that might be wrong too....................................

Our old boat had a shower drain pump, the motor brush springs rusted away.
I had to buy two biros to get new springs!

 

[Refueler]

Our old boat had a shower drain pump, the motor brush springs rusted away.
I had to buy two biros to get new springs!

Our local Nuts and Bolts shop has springs from tiny through to HUGE ... for pennies ...

My 3D printer .... servicing the filament drive - popped the tension spring and WHEEEEEEEEE - away it went to spring heaven somewhere in the room ...
New spring was 10 euros .......... shop in town 5cents

But like the Biro solution.

 

[lw395]

I have teak combings and am wondering how to stop the wood from getting stained/damaged by paraffin when washing down the casting. Don’t really want to remove them completely.

Just wipe away what you can with kitchen roll or rag.
then wipe again with cloth moistened in your solvent of choice.
You don't have to slosh the stuff everywhere.
If you can remove things like bearing cages, wash them in a jamjar with a little solvent.
So long as the dirt is not going to get into the moving parts, it is not essential that every nook and cranny is surgically spotless.
When you re-assemble and add new lube, if the lube turns dirty, you know more cleaning is needed.

 

[Refueler]

It always amazes me that some people do not service their winches. I wouldn’t think of starting a season without servicing them. I quite like doing it too: an easy job for a quiet and enjoyable day on the boat.

Once weather improves ... we have storm after storm here ... I will avail myself of a six pack .... few tools ... my tin of Russian All-Use Grease and my tin of bicycle oil ... spend a wee hour giving the winches a birthday treat.

 

[lw395]

Our local Nuts and Bolts shop has springs from tiny through to HUGE ... for pennies ...

My 3D printer .... servicing the filament drive - popped the tension spring and WHEEEEEEEEE - away it went to spring heaven somewhere in the room ...
New spring was 10 euros .......... shop in town 5cents

But like the Biro solution.

I need a tension spring for a garden tool, one of those pruner on stick things.
I know where to buy bespoke springs in industrial quantities, haven't found what I want on the shelf. Haven't spent more than 5 minutes looking yet TBH.

 

[rotrax]

I need a tension spring for a garden tool, one of those pruner on stick things.
I know where to buy bespoke springs in industrial quantities, haven't found what I want on the shelf. Haven't spent more than 5 minutes looking yet TBH.

Here in NZ, Bunnings DIY stores stock loads, all different types.

I found in just post communist Prague a hardware shop par excellence. 6 inch vice, top quality grey iron, with soft jaws included, under 20 quid. I found several types of volute springs, bought about a hundred for a few quid, sold most to Vintage motorbike guy's - helped many out, especially for Douglas brake cable return springs.

I love poking about in old hardware shops - never know what might turn up.

 

[Refueler]

Interesting seeing Poignards wood coamings and the rear Tufnol winch.

I had to replace the Tufnols on my Alacrity years ago .. and I could only get one way Lewmars ...

My Tufnols were handed rotation for which side fitted. Brilliant.

 

[alahol2]

I need a tension spring for a garden tool, one of those pruner on stick things.
I know where to buy bespoke springs in industrial quantities, haven't found what I want on the shelf. Haven't spent more than 5 minutes looking yet TBH.

Search 'piano wire' on ebay. Available by the metre, amazing variety of sizes, very easy to wind and fashion your own. Had to replace the springs in my cabin door locks, easy and successful.

 

[V1701]

I really hate servicing winches, particularly the genoa winches on the coaming, whilst afloat. Far too easy to have greasy hands or gloves and drop something that then bounces overboard. I thus try to do it every winter whilst ashore.

My Harken 40 self-tailing winches annoyingly need unbolting from the deck to fully service. You can do 80% whilst bolted down, but the last inner gears need the whole winch taken off. As for one coachroof mounted winch that means removing the heads compartment headlining, lights etc, that one only gets the full monty every 2-3 years.

The trials and tribulations of having posh winches...

 

[westhinder]

I really hate servicing winches, particularly the genoa winches on the coaming, whilst afloat. Far too easy to have greasy hands or gloves and drop something that then bounces overboard. I thus try to do it every winter whilst ashore.

My Harken 40 self-tailing winches annoyingly need unbolting from the deck to fully service. You can do 80% whilst bolted down, but the last inner gears need the whole winch taken off. As for one coachroof mounted winch that means removing the heads compartment headlining, lights etc, that one only gets the full monty every 2-3 years.

I normally do it before launching as well. Even then having to look for a pawl spring on the gravel of the boatyard is not my idea of fun. My solution against losing small items is a couple of old towels on the deck next to the winch, they prevent bouncing.

 

[Halo]

I have teak combings and am wondering how to stop the wood from getting stained/damaged by paraffin when washing down the casting. Don’t really want to remove them completely.

Dont wash the casting. Wipe it down with rag dampened in a little parafin and then paper roll. That will be clean enough if you give it a little time and effort

 

[yimkin]

When working in the cockpit servicing winches, or any device with multiple 'key' parts, the first thing I do is to temporarily seal the cockpit drain outlets. I use the universal type flanged rubber bath plugs. Also I find that a disposable absorbent changing mat (forbabies) placed under the washing tray catches drips and splashes.

 

[zoidberg]

I have huge respect for real injineers wot can make things - and make things to fix things - and a few other masters of their craft as well. Learned that the hard way.
But I wouldn't dream of telling them so. I get more out by gently bantering them - like how to calibrate my collection of Birmingham Screwdrivers, and the best way to put a metric nut on an imperial thread so that it won't come off.

 

[rotrax]

My old Sponsor Bill - the man who had a couple of useful patents to his name, including the first pub optics for measuring drink quantities - once told me :-

" An Engineer is a man who can make for a tanner what anyone can buy for a quid! "

He was experimenting with electric - note electric, not electronic - variable valve timing in the early 60's.

When I explained how the micro processor worked on Bosch K Jetronic EFI twenty years later, he got it all out again. He primed has Patent Agent to check and was dissapointed to find Honda and Porche had it Patented already.

 

[lw395]

I have huge respect for real injineers wot can make things - and make things to fix things - and a few other masters of their craft as well. Learned that the hard way.
But I wouldn't dream of telling them so. I get more out by gently bantering them - like how to calibrate my collection of Birmingham Screwdrivers, and the best way to put a metric nut on an imperial thread so that it won't come off.

I had a weekend job at an early DIY shed when I was a student.
We used to wind up the customers, telling them they'd need a metric hammer for those metric nails.
(sometimes it was more subtle, a 'customer' you knew could join in, to wind up the store manager, e.g. that's a fine piece of our premium softwood you've chosen Sir, making a propellor are we?)

If you do up the nut until it goes slack, that will be slightly too much, so just back it off a little from there....