Galvanised Wire

[D_H_Grainger]

Last winter I replaced my topmast forestay with new galvanised 3/4" circ. 7x7 wire as the original had been kinked. I coated it (as is my wont) with blacking consisting of equal parts of Stockholm Tar, Bitumastic and White Spirit. Halfway through the season the lower 6' was given another coat of blacking.

At the end of the season the stay was red rusty from top to bottom and in far worse condition than my shrouds (1" circ. 7x7, similarly coated each year) which had seen 11 season's use. I showed the stay to the chandlers from whom the wire had been obtained. Their comment was "it's all like that now-a-days" and offered to replace it with stainless steel.

I will be replacing my shrouds soon and I am reluctant to use stainless as (apart from the price) it does not splice as neatly and I believe Insurance Companies insist on its being scrapped after 10 years. Is decent galvanised wire no longer available?

 

[DoubleEnder]

Where did you buy the wire?

 

[Victorious]

Victorious standing rigging came from T.S rigging in Maldon
In the rush to get everything finished for her launch (june2006), some of the wire went up with only the ends/servings etc coated
I inspected the rigging over crimbo.
I can find NO sign of ANY rust on Any of the wire.

 

[Peterduck]

Could I recommend that you go to a company supplying the lifting [i.e., cranes] industry? You'll probably get a better price as well as getting a better quality. Industrial suppliers usually cannot afford to get a reputation for shoddy goods, as they know the word will get around quickly, and the customers have the resources to take legal action. There are also industrial safety regulations to observe. I used 9mm 3/8"] diam 7x7 for all my standing rigging, purchased on a drum from an industrial supplier. Like you, I slushed it before fitting it. It is certainly much easier to splice galvanised wire, except if you get the very flexible stainless. That's not too bad to work with. But, like the insurance companies, I don't trust the stuff, especially when it is combined with Talurit splices. The wire invariably breaks where it leaves the support of the Talurit sleeve, and a concentration of flexing occurs.
Peter.

 

[Mirelle]

I was chatting to TS Rigging before Christmas.

They say that they and one other UK rigging concern (you don't need to be a genius to work out that this means Spencers) still buy British-made galvanised wire rope, and that this wire is made only for these two concerns. Certainly Mirelle's 10mm wire which came from Spencers 20 years ago is still good; no rust at all.

 

[Gordonmc]

I acquired a quantity of 8mm galv from a fishing net maker. They have miles of the stuff which is mostly unused as its too light for trawls.
Its been up two years now with no sign of rust. The dressing was waxoyl applied hot with lanolin on the galv bottlescrews.

 

[D_H_Grainger]

gdallas - The chandler who obtained the wire for me got it from a company called AP Lifting.

 

[DRW]

[ QUOTE ]
I showed the stay to the chandlers from whom the wire had been obtained. Their comment was "it's all like that now-a-days" and offered to replace it with stainless steel.


[/ QUOTE ]

It sounds like you have a fair argument to say that the goods are of unsatisfactory quality and are unfit for the purpose they were sold for, and that the supplier accepts that and was aware that the goods were shoddy before you complained. So you don't have to accept a replacement, you can have a refund instead. The full legal aspect is detailed in the here

But that doesn't take into account the stockholm tar, labour, hassle and so on, so I would be inclined to tot up the whole cost to you and then ask the supplier what he intends to do to redress your loss and inconvenience. I wonder if you bought the tar/bitumen/spirit/thimbles and so on from him aswell, as they will all need to be replaced as well.

Just a suggestion for the money side of your problem, sounds like TS rigging and Spencers are the way to go?

 

[neilw]

In the past I've bought direct from Ormiston
http://www.ormiston-wire.co.uk/

 

[trouville]

When i used galvanised wire on my old boat i first soaked it in hot linseed oil,Alternativly you can dunk the wire in a barrel of almost boiling old engine oil as the fishermen did!

Weather you use linseed or engine oil leave it to soat overnight then in the sun to dry and oxadise for a day or so.

Haveing done that not only did the string core stop rust from the inside but the oxadised oil skin stopped it rusting at all in fact all the strands will be coated with a fexalbe tough coat-at least thats how it seemed

 

[D_H_Grainger]

To All,

Many thanks for your help - I think I am sorted now with some decent British wire