DIY Rigging.

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Jim@sea

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Although I have not read every single PBO, I wondered if they have ever covered DIY Rigging.
Surely it cant be that difficult.
Perhaps a "Swaging Tool" etc.
Has anyone done it.
 
Quite possible to do small sizes with Talurit splices yourself with the right tools. Larger sizes use StaLok or Norseman terminals and again quite possible to do yourself. Swaged terminals more difficult as tool needed and experience in making the swages properly, so for one off better to get a rigger to do it. Common to use swaged terminals at top end and StaLok or Norseman at bottom end so you can cut to length on site.
 
Tranona said:
....Common to use swaged terminals at top end and StaLok or Norseman at bottom end so you can cut to length on site.
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Good point. Several years ago I had some stays made up. The top fittings were swaged on when I bought the wire. The bottom fittings I fitted on site. This way you can easily measure up and get all the bits in advance ready for a maintenance day.
 
sLIGHTLY OFF SUBJECT i HAVE NEVER PARTICULARLY LIKED THE 'MODERN' TYPE OF BOTTLE SCREWS APPLIED TO ABOUT 99% OF MODERN CRAFT . i HAVE A VERY LIGHT SMALL(17') CRUISER AND AM THINKING TO RENEW THE STANDING RIGGING OVER THE COMING WINTER. i'LL PROBABLY ORDER THE REQUISITE STAINLESS STEEL STAYS READY MADE UP ( BUT WHY NOT GALVANISED?) BUT i QUITE FANCY THE RATHER LESS 'COMPACT ' TYPE OF BOTTLE SCREW AS YOU MAY SEE IN USE ON FARMS AND AVAILABLE IN AGRICULTURAL SUPPLIERS. dOES ANYONE HAVE ANY VIEWS ON THIS SUBJECT. pERHAPS GALVANISED BOTTLE(BUT NOT BOTTLE) SCREWS WOULD REQUIRE GALVANISED WIRE SYTAYS?
 
I suspect that the wire required on a 17 footer will be fine usinng talurit eye splices, if using galvanized wire, this will require aluminium sleeves rather than the copper used on stainless. It is possibly this chosing mixed materials that has led to the almost universal use of swaged stainless rigging, so as to avoid corrosion. Unfortunately swaged fittings have been known to promote crevice corrosion and must be mounted on swivels to prevent the compressed end from flexing and work hardening.

If you chose open galvanised bottle screws and galvanised wire rigging, please don't buy from an agricultural store - the thread is only fit for straining fence wires and would soon fail in marine conditions. Should you go the more common stainless route, then you should not use galvanised components in the mix or they will corrode fast.

Rob.

P.S. swaging tools to close a talurit splice in up to 5mm wire are available and relatively cheap. Presses to produce a rolled swage, as seen on larger rigging items with direct swaged ends, are very expensive!
 
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Talulah said:
Good point. Several years ago I had some stays made up. The top fittings were swaged on when I bought the wire. The bottom fittings I fitted on site. This way you can easily measure up and get all the bits in advance ready for a maintenance day.
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+1. Dead easy.
 
Talulah said:
Good point. Several years ago I had some stays made up. The top fittings were swaged on when I bought the wire. The bottom fittings I fitted on site. This way you can easily measure up and get all the bits in advance ready for a maintenance day.
Click to expand...

As long as you don't expect it to be a "cheaper option"!
 
andrewbartlett said:
sLIGHTLY OFF SUBJECT i HAVE NEVER PARTICULARLY LIKED THE 'MODERN' TYPE OF BOTTLE SCREWS APPLIED TO ABOUT 99% OF MODERN CRAFT . i HAVE A VERY LIGHT SMALL(17') CRUISER AND AM THINKING TO RENEW THE STANDING RIGGING OVER THE COMING WINTER. i'LL PROBABLY ORDER THE REQUISITE STAINLESS STEEL STAYS READY MADE UP ( BUT WHY NOT GALVANISED?) BUT i QUITE FANCY THE RATHER LESS 'COMPACT ' TYPE OF BOTTLE SCREW AS YOU MAY SEE IN USE ON FARMS AND AVAILABLE IN AGRICULTURAL SUPPLIERS. dOES ANYONE HAVE ANY VIEWS ON THIS SUBJECT. pERHAPS GALVANISED BOTTLE(BUT NOT BOTTLE) SCREWS WOULD REQUIRE GALVANISED WIRE SYTAYS?
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Think your caps lock key is on! On a 17 ft boat bottlescrews are more trouble than they are worth - in small sizes they are very easily bent. Use talurit eyes on the bottom of the stays with a polyester or lanyard. New bits of string every year.
 
Talulah said:
Good point. Several years ago I had some stays made up. The top fittings were swaged on when I bought the wire. The bottom fittings I fitted on site. This way you can easily measure up and get all the bits in advance ready for a maintenance day.
Click to expand...
A useful tip is to tightly wrap wire end in electric insulation tape before cutting with a junior hacksaw whils holding wire in a pair of mole grips.
 
ffiill said:
A useful tip is to tightly wrap wire end in electric insulation tape before cutting with a junior hacksaw whils holding wire in a pair of mole grips.
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Yes, but use a thin disc in a small angle grinder. And masking tape is good too.
My first paying job was making the rigging for my father's boat kits. 3p an end + the splicing of the halyard rope tails. In the late 50s, so a bit out of date. I still use a simple frame with a bottle jack to swage splices. For a 17ft boat, .. 3.5 mm 7x7 SS wire would be fine.
 
I always make up my own rigging on boats up to 26 ft. I usually use a heavy talurit splicer, but if the length is;; uncertain I use Norseman or Stalock to get it right' cuttingthe wire with a thin grinder disc, which leaves a nice clean cut. Much easier now you can get battery powered grinders.

Cutting stainless wire with a hacksaw is a miserable business, and needs a very fine tooth blade, around 30 tpi,otherwise it can snag the individual wires, bending them and making it very difficult to get an neat finish. A better method is to use a sharp cold chisel metal on a solid metal surface which is well supported.

MakingTalurits in anything over 5 mm stainless needs a strong wrist to get the wire snug round the eye. The main difference between galvanised and stainless is that galvanised is about half the strehgth of a similar size stainless wire. On a small boat this is irrelevant. Galvanised has the advantage that it gives advanced warning of failure:
 
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oldharry, when I did mine in Greece I had little choice, so took a junior hacksaw and a large number of fine blades. Quick and easy it was not, but I remember that I learned a lot about saws and metallurgy empirically. It was quickly obvious that the pressure and speed made a huge difference. All in all it wasn't a long job, or particularly tedious.

Seventeen years on, I'm hazy about what I found! Pretty sure it was 'cut stainless like you mean it' - firm pressure slowly. Nowadays I cool it with water, can't remember if I did then.
 
oldsaltoz said:
Just wondering how you would get on with the insurance provider after a DIY rig failed?

Good luck and fair winds. :)
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Properly fitted Staloks are as reliable or more reliable than swaged terminals.They are no more likely to fail than professionaly done swages.
 
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