nylon washers - HELP - URGENT!

[woody001]

Hi all,

My furling gear is in a bit of a state, i need some nylon washers, about 10-15mm thick, diameter of say 15-20mm (roughly as i can file them down)
Does anyone know where I can get these from? Iam taking the day of work tommrow, and could really do with a few hinters.
I have searched port solent, have yet to try rigging places but they are all closed. - I can't use the furling gear, hint no sailing :-(

Kind Regards - thanks really appriciated.

Woody.

 

[StellaGirl]

cant you just take the drum off and sail without a furler?

 

[woody001]

I would love to, but no hanks on my self-tacker.

 

[flaming]

but if you left the foil on you could just use the bolt rope as normal?

Otherwise try a hardware store, they should have them.

 

[StellaGirl]

do you have a foil?

 

[woody001]

no hardware stores dont sell em, tried b&q, homebase etc. - they do very thin washers, idealy i need nylon "spacers"
I need to get the furling working.

please please somebody help!

 

[PeteCooper]

Why not buy a plastic chopping board and make washers from that? These are often something like 6-8 mm thick so by making double would fulfil your requirements.

 

[StellaGirl]

screwfix or whatever they are called....

 

[woody001]

nope, nothing in screwfix :-(
COud try the chopping board, but the problem is the furling tube (what ever u call it?, u know, where u insert the sails.) needs to spin on these washers, hint the need for nylon as it's a self lubricating plastic and very hard.

 

[dmayes]

If you can get thin washers of the correct diameter, laminate them between stainless washers of the same diameter until you get the correct thickness. You will then have stainless to nylon bearing surfaces for your spinning tube.

 

[smeaks]

try your nearest maplins or RS components

 

[fdmarsden]

I have some 15mm thick nylon? sheet and a hole saw, but am 100 miles away.

Sending you a pm with telephoe number

 

[JamesS]

I would go for the chopping board option.

Use a hole cutter to do the outer diameter an a drill for the inner.

I did this on my Hood furling gear when the top bearings failed about 4 years ago - still going strong!

Cheers,

 

[woody001]

cool, thanks all, is this normal for the foil to rest on a piece of plastic?
It's a zspars furling gear.

 

[Graham_Wright]

There must be umpty ump posts advising against nylon in the marine environment. IT SWELLS!

If you are still stuck, I'll make you some (out of HDPE or acetal which don't absorb water).

PM me if you want.

 

[PCUK]

Seawater resistant nylon is needed. Odinary nylon swells on contact.

 

[aidancoughlan]

Have you tried the ZSpars supplier?

 

[TheBoatman]

You could buy nylon rod and ask your local engineer to knock the spacers up - it would only take a few minutes in a lathe or capstan.

these people offer 24 hr delivery

http://www.altecweb.com/home.asp?cat=category3400&kw="nylon+rod"

Peter.