How to look after tufnol?

[ltcom]

I have a Haslar windvane. Some parts are made of tufnol. It is stored outside. It did have a tarpaulin over it. Blew away. The cogs with teeth are made of tufnol. Is there anything I should do to protect the tufnol - apart from covering it with tarpaulin. Any wax? Lubricants? My last boat came with a tufnol bow roller and it was degraded and chipped. I dont want the Haslar to degrade. TIA.

 

[sarabande]

I believe that Tufnol absorbs oils like WD40 and expands.

Need to check whether that is fake news promulgated by whoever makes nylon and Delrin.

 

[duncan99210]

I’ve got Tufnol blocks and jamming cleats on the boat. They’re 52 years old and do well on benign neglect.

 

[DinghyMan]

I believe that Tufnol absorbs oils like WD40 and expands.
Need to check whether that is fake news promulgated by whoever makes nylon and Delrin.

I think you will find thats fake: Tufnol (there are a good few types) can be lubricated with oils or greases and absorption and resistance to chemicals is very good - which is why it has been used for outdoor parts for a very long time. Way better than nylon for anything marine.

As Duncan says above - it lasts a long time but as Itcom says using it anywhere there is impact like bow rollers and its the wrong material as it doesn't like impact.

 

[ltcom]

Thanks. Will let it dry and cover it again and forget about it until ready to use. Cheers.

 

[Blueboatman]

The very first wind vane I installed was a Haslar MP.. Beautifully fabricated , M S Gibb and co?

Worth considering lashing the lower bits so they don’t continue to gently oscillate back and forth as the boat rolls or the wind whistles for unattended months on end, year after year .. it is this incessant tiny movement which can , in my experience, oh so gently wear the bearings to oval.
Tufnol is ( was) pretty amazing stuff -phenolic resin impregnated fibres, was it? Very stable stuff, long lasting . Not so sure about possible UV degradation after , what, half a century ??

A SMALL amount of free play in the linkages is not always a bad thing by the way .it sort of encourages sending the message through the links to the paddle , each bit builds up momentum of movement before passing this kinetic along to the next link .. I think . Maybe . Could be completely false intuiting ?