pikeyrm
Well-Known Member
i would like to replace all the rigging screws on my pageant but after looking at tesion thread was wondering the best way about going at this.
rigging screws
- Thread starter pikeyrm
- Start date
lw395
Well-Known Member
They generally outlive the wires, so you replace the lot in one go.
Before disturbing your rig it is a good idea to check the tension as it is now, either using a loos guage or applying a known force say 5ft up the stay and noting how far it moves. This will give you some confidence that the tension is similar when you put it back together.
If you need to change rigging screws, take all the tension off progressivley, working around each stay a bit at a time, then use a halyard to hold the mast up while you remove the rigging screw. Re-tension progressively, you may want to finish off by sailing up wind and taking the slack out of the leeward stays, tacking a few times to keep it symetrical.
Have a look at the Selden website formore info on re-tensioning.
Before disturbing your rig it is a good idea to check the tension as it is now, either using a loos guage or applying a known force say 5ft up the stay and noting how far it moves. This will give you some confidence that the tension is similar when you put it back together.
If you need to change rigging screws, take all the tension off progressivley, working around each stay a bit at a time, then use a halyard to hold the mast up while you remove the rigging screw. Re-tension progressively, you may want to finish off by sailing up wind and taking the slack out of the leeward stays, tacking a few times to keep it symetrical.
Have a look at the Selden website formore info on re-tensioning.
graham
Well-Known Member
Be wary of very cheap rigging screws available at jumbles and ebay etc. Theres some real crap on offer.I bought some ,changed them again after one snapped.
William_H
Well-Known Member
Rigging screw structure is something like twice or more the cross sectional area of the wire. Hence are regarded by some as having a safe life of at least twice that of the wire. If you are like me where the top screw in part has been replaced as part of the rolled swage to the wire and the body is of bronze then only the bottom screw in part is of stainless steel.
The bronze will not be subject to that sudden failure that SS is. However if it is a SS body then it will perhaps be more suspect. Depending again on size. Of course if you will feel more relaxed with new rigging screws then a replacement will be worth having.
Certainly put plenty of grease on the threads. I undo mine completely each winter and regrease. They can seize up if left for many years without moving.
I am not of the opinion that you need a large static tension on the wires. I think that while technically this will minimise fatigue failure of the wires it does not take into account the hull etc which is quite flexible and in flexing will make it difficult to get the suggested tension.
I think tension should be fairly easy but what is important is the relative tension of the different stays which contribute to mast shape especially under sail load. olewill
The bronze will not be subject to that sudden failure that SS is. However if it is a SS body then it will perhaps be more suspect. Depending again on size. Of course if you will feel more relaxed with new rigging screws then a replacement will be worth having.
Certainly put plenty of grease on the threads. I undo mine completely each winter and regrease. They can seize up if left for many years without moving.
I am not of the opinion that you need a large static tension on the wires. I think that while technically this will minimise fatigue failure of the wires it does not take into account the hull etc which is quite flexible and in flexing will make it difficult to get the suggested tension.
I think tension should be fairly easy but what is important is the relative tension of the different stays which contribute to mast shape especially under sail load. olewill
spinny
Active Member
[ QUOTE ]
i would like to replace all the rigging screws on my pageant but after looking at tesion thread was wondering the best way about going at this.
[/ QUOTE ]
Your mast is small, so if you are just changing your rigging screws you could replace them one at a time by rigging one, or if you want to be doubley safe, two temporary shrouds or stays by using a halyard to substitute the wire you are de-tensioning.
Make sure the over all length of the new rigging screws are the same as the old ones, other wise the new ones may 'bottle out' before you get tension on the wires or the other extreme the studs may not reach the bodies (too short)
However if you can afford it, the normal procedure is when it's time to change one item on your standing rigging, then it's wise to change the lot (rigging screws, wires, terminals etc). The rule of thumb is 5 - 7 years if you race the boat regularly and 10 - 12 years if you cruise. If you keep the saying in mind, A CHAIN IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK, then if you only buy new rigging screws, the weakest part of the standing rigging will then be the wire and terminals because they are now the oldest part of the configuration and have undergone many years of cycle loading, shock loading(if they've been slack) and fatigue.
If money is an issue, and you are adamant you are only going to change the rigging screws, then I would go for bronze chrome covered open bodies as opposed to the stainless steel closed bodies. They are a bit more expensive but there are two good reasons to go for these.
1 Stainless steel studs into a stainless steel body have the potential to 'gall' if the threads are dirty and too much force (which generates heat) is applied. Once 'Galling' has happened, (which is AKA cold welding) you will never get it apart. You are more likely to sheer the stud off through trying. The chrome covered bronze body prevents the stainless steel studs from 'galling'.
Open body rigging screws are safer than closed body, because you can see how much of the thread is showing in the body, as opposed to the closed body where you can't see the thread.
Make sure the new rigging screws have an integral toggle at the bottom, not a fork. This toggle helps align the wire, getting the correct orientation to the mast.
i would like to replace all the rigging screws on my pageant but after looking at tesion thread was wondering the best way about going at this.
[/ QUOTE ]
Your mast is small, so if you are just changing your rigging screws you could replace them one at a time by rigging one, or if you want to be doubley safe, two temporary shrouds or stays by using a halyard to substitute the wire you are de-tensioning.
Make sure the over all length of the new rigging screws are the same as the old ones, other wise the new ones may 'bottle out' before you get tension on the wires or the other extreme the studs may not reach the bodies (too short)
However if you can afford it, the normal procedure is when it's time to change one item on your standing rigging, then it's wise to change the lot (rigging screws, wires, terminals etc). The rule of thumb is 5 - 7 years if you race the boat regularly and 10 - 12 years if you cruise. If you keep the saying in mind, A CHAIN IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK, then if you only buy new rigging screws, the weakest part of the standing rigging will then be the wire and terminals because they are now the oldest part of the configuration and have undergone many years of cycle loading, shock loading(if they've been slack) and fatigue.
If money is an issue, and you are adamant you are only going to change the rigging screws, then I would go for bronze chrome covered open bodies as opposed to the stainless steel closed bodies. They are a bit more expensive but there are two good reasons to go for these.
1 Stainless steel studs into a stainless steel body have the potential to 'gall' if the threads are dirty and too much force (which generates heat) is applied. Once 'Galling' has happened, (which is AKA cold welding) you will never get it apart. You are more likely to sheer the stud off through trying. The chrome covered bronze body prevents the stainless steel studs from 'galling'.
Open body rigging screws are safer than closed body, because you can see how much of the thread is showing in the body, as opposed to the closed body where you can't see the thread.
Make sure the new rigging screws have an integral toggle at the bottom, not a fork. This toggle helps align the wire, getting the correct orientation to the mast.
flyingscampi
Well-Known Member
If you're baffled by the terminology, this site is useful. Use a vernier caliper to accurately measure all your existing gear.