Rigging screws - open vs closed

[marie galante]

Some replacements are in order. The size is 10mm. But what's to choose between open-bodied and closed-bodied.... besides significant price differences?

 

[VicS]

Some replacements are in order. The size is 10mm. But what's to choose between open-bodied and closed-bodied.... besides significant price differences?

Different locking systems maybe.

Closed will have nuts and are not so easy to wire up.
Open may have nuts and be easy to wire or may have cotter pins.

 

[prv]

Kindred Spirit came with closed screws, and I always wondered about seawater getting inside the body and sitting on top of the lower screw.

When we accidentally bent one while raising the mast, I replaced it with an open-body screw which also looked better-quality to me.

Pete

 

[Yngmar]

Open ones. Water runs out, you can rinse the salt and dirt out, you can see how far they've been tightened and you can put in split pins or monel wire to secure them. Sta-Lok makes nice bronze ones with a chrome finish, so they look like stainless but won't gall: http://www.stalok.com/c-84-bronze-turnbuckles.aspx

Leave the closed body types for building sites and fencing

 

[sarabande]

barrel ones can accumulate dust and grit which is difficult to remove - this leads to galling potential. The only prob with open ones is making sure the split pins / R-clips / rings are well taped up to prevent snagging on sheets and sails and feet. Also easier to inspect and calibrate for length / equality of rigging.


Barrel ones need a spike to adjust, and you can't get as much leverage as with a spanner across the frame of the open type.

 

[lw395]

I'd be more concerend about brand or quality than style.
A lot of barrel type about very cheap, popular for 'architectural' nonsense, probably don't need to be that strong....

 

[Fantasie 19]

Open ones. Water runs out, you can rinse the salt and dirt out, you can see how far they've been tightened and you can put in split pins or monel wire to secure them.

+10... especially the "you can see how far they've been tightened" bit...

 

[Ceirwan]

I've never managed to seize or gall a stainless one, despite nearly all my boats coming with them. But if going for new, bronze open barrel type all the way.
Apart from the advantages of being easy to keep the threads clean, you can see how far you have left before you run out of thread.

 

[merlin3688]

Open body, bronze body is all we use on standing rigging although guard wires when fitted are closed body. Follow this link, most boats have metric wire but imperial studs, B20-14 have a 1/4 thread, B20-516 has 5/16 and so on, wire size 4mm is 5/16, 5mm is 3/8 amd 6mm 7/16.
http://www.stalok.com/p-480-toggle-blank.aspx

 

[nemodreams]

S3i - used to do nice chromed bronze open screws - at a very good price.

However - going to their site now they only stock Staylock bronze/chromed ( and you pay double for the brand name - thats life ! )

S3i fittings and wire are very high quailty - had it all on for ten years, all good.