Right and Left Handed Rigging Wire.

[DJE]

Just laid out the new stay next to the old one and it looks like they are wound in opposite directions. Never thought about this before is there a choice when ordering new wire? The old one is over 20 years old and probably came from Sweden.

 

[newtothis]

Just laid out the new stay next to the old one and it looks like they are wound in opposite directions. Never thought about this before is there a choice when ordering new wire? The old one is over 20 years old and probably came from Sweden.

The new one is obviously from the Southern Hemisphere.

 

[pvb]

Just laid out the new stay next to the old one and it looks like they are wound in opposite directions. Never thought about this before is there a choice when ordering new wire?

Yes, if ordering enough of it, you can usually choose between right or left lay. Right lay is more common.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Is the new one Dyform? S3i show their Dyform laid the same as yours.

1x19 Dyform Stainless Steel Wire Rope

 

[DJE]

No I don't think it's Dyform - close up they look like round strands.

 

[Bilgediver]

It usually makes no difference however there is one instance it can make a difference and that is the forestay where certain types of furler are fitted. The friction of some furlers induce twist at the upper fitting which can be quite severe if trying to furl with a wind load on the sail and if the lay of the forestay is not correct then this action will untwist the lay. Over time this twisting and untwisting can cause the forestay to fail. If you see the evidence of this happening where the stay appears to have an open lay at the upper furling fitting then changing to a stay of the opposite lay should cure the problem.

Where this is happening the stay will form an open basket where it enters the top of the foil.

 

[Bilgediver]

Just laid out the new stay next to the old one and it looks like they are wound in opposite directions. Never thought about this before is there a choice when ordering new wire? The old one is over 20 years old and probably came from Sweden.

The upper stay is dyform.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

The upper stay is dyform.

That's what I thunk too.

 

[DJE]

The upper stay is dyform.

Need to check the ratio for the folding rule method for tensioning the stay then. But according to Selden stretch of Dyform is 95% or that for ordinary wire.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I have just checked, and the existing rigging on my boat is laid in the opposite direction from the nice new wire I have just received from S3i. The old stuff is LH, like the bottom picture, while the new stuff is RH.

 

[GHA]

Is the new one Dyform? S3i show their Dyform laid the same as yours.

1x19 Dyform Stainless Steel Wire Rope

My dyform is actually left hand lay, only time if seen it in decades working with steel wire rope, 6 or 7 x 19 is usually RHOL, right hand ordinary lay. One difference is when tensioned it will try to twist clockwise so do up the turnbuckles, right hand lay will twist anticlock.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

My dyform is actually left hand lay, only time if seen it in decades working with steel wire rope, 6 or 7 x 19 is usually RHOL, right hand ordinary lay. One difference is when tensioned it will try to twist clockwise so do up the turnbuckles, right hand lay will twist anticlock.

Nice idea, but it all hangs on which of the two threads is the easier to turn.... (Or you forgot to lock!).

 

[GHA]

Nice idea, but it all hangs on which of the two threads is the easier to turn.... (Or you forgot to lock!).

Didn't say it was good or bad, just is

 

[Quandary]

Is it laid differently or is it just upside down ?

 

[mjcoon]

Is it laid differently or is it just upside down ?

Do you mean viewed in a mirror?

 

[Bilgediver]

Is it laid differently or is it just upside down ?

Its left hand regardless of whether the right way up or upside down. Just like a screw.

 

[Bilgediver]

My dyform is actually left hand lay, only time if seen it in decades working with steel wire rope, 6 or 7 x 19 is usually RHOL, right hand ordinary lay. One difference is when tensioned it will try to twist clockwise so do up the turnbuckles, right hand lay will twist anticlock.

I hope you are not using 6 or 7 X 19 for your rigging. That is what I use for my wheel steering Rigging wire is usually something like 1 X 19 and regardless of whether it is standard 1 X 19 or Dyform 1 X 19 it is available in both right and left hand lay.

Dyform has a few advantages over standard lay some of which can be an advantage when used ifor yacht rigging .

1. Due to the way Dyform is compacted during manufacture it has a higher strength compared with a standard wire the same size.

2. The Dyform Lay creates a wire that imparts less twist under load.

3, The Dyform Lay creates a wire withe less stretch than a standard lay.

4. The Dyform Lay process creates a smoother OD which creates less wear to sheaves.

You will see from the above that Dyform is ideal for single line hoists on cranes and mining hoists where all these points give distinct advantages however when used for rigging we are only taking advantage of the lower stretch and the advantage of the smoother Dyform when used inside roller furling systems where there may be less friction on the forestay and less chaffing of sheets and sails when used on mast stays.

This is what a Dyform crane wire looks like. Neither RHOL or RHLL . It is a balanced construction of left and right hand lay to further equalise the twist with lots of wire and little air space and if the crane driver unloads it too quickly there is a lot of bad language. If you see an oil rig apparently fishing with the crane hoist, all he is doing is equalising the twist over the full length of the wire. This can reduce the frequency of outbursts of bad language,

Steel Wire rope Dyform 34LR-PI, crane hoist rope - Certex UK