Recycling piston hanks

[stav]

I hope this is OK to share. I made a little video showing how to anneal old piston hanks, I hope it is useful to someone.

Hope that is ok and not against the rules: Not after anyone to buy me a boat just want to share what I have done in case it is useful!

 

[William_H]

Interesting video well done. I have always stuck with seperate hank on jibs and shun furlers. I have these kind fitted and find they are easy to attach no cloth doubler needed and also easy to remove. But having a brass pin and tube they do seize up occasionally. Still well done to you. ol'will

 

[Gary Fox]

Are you sure you are 'annealing' brass? I wasn't aware it was possible.

 

[DownWest]

Are you sure you are 'annealing' brass? I wasn't aware it was possible.

Thort hanks were bronze?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Thort hanks were bronze?

Bainbridge say brass...

Bainbridge International > Swedish Brass Piston Hanks – Forged Brass

 

[rotrax]

Although the effects of annealing are not so strong as with copper, heating and quenching brass will soften it and make it more ductile.

Old brass can become very brittle with age. After 55 years fixing old motorbikes this fact is beyond dispute.......................

I am currently restoring a pre war fishing rod with brass fittings. I am fortunate the reel fitting tapered bands are not cracked, which can easily happen with age and stress.

 

[Gary Fox]

Thort hanks were bronze?

Ok can you anneal bronze
I'm totally familiar with annealing copper, but not its alloys.

 

[Gary Fox]

Pardon me, I'm not arguing with the OP, but want to get this right, (I have lots of used piston hanks) .

Wiki says copper is softened (to remove work hardening) by heating red hot. Cooling can be by quenching or natural cooling, it makes no difference.

There seems to be lots of conflicting internet advice on brass (copper alloyed with zinc) and bronze (copper alloyed with tin and anything else).

 

[stav]

Think the real problem is knowing exactly what metal or alloy you are dealing with. The quenching seemed to make a difference, those that broke on me were either not hot enough or allowed to cool slightly before quenching. I also annealed them again after opening them. Guess I need to look at my notes about the micro structure of copper and it's alloys.... they might have been lost ten of years ago though! Glad it has gotten the discussion going!

 

[rotrax]

Direct experience - I annealed brass by the seat of my pants - I had the guts of a handlebar mounted dual petrol/air lever from a 1913 AJS motorcycle to get working. All the internal sliding plates were hand made from brass sheet. The file marks were still visible. One plate was bent and I dare not straighten it as it flexed so much I feared it would crack.

An old Brooklands Mechanic told me to heat it up and quench it.

I did and it straightened easily.

Solid Copper head gaskets - I must have annealed hundreds - are heated untill cherry red and quenched. I did not heat the brass to cherry, but it worked fine.

It might knacker internal springs................................