Stanchion broken but cannot get it off gaurd rail without cutting the rail - ideas?

[frlrubett]

Stanchion was snapped during a lift have got a replacement stanchion and thought the job would be easy!

Alas not, the guard rail has "tackle" on each end which is bigger than the eye on the stanchion making it impossible to remove. Pictures of each end attached.

Is there a DIY solution to getting this off without having to repace the whole rail with new attachements?

 

[rotrax]

You are, I think, talking about the guard wire.

Unless you are in the Magic Circle I think you know the answer.

It must be removed and a new or shortened guard wire fitted.

 

[frlrubett]

Would cutting one of the guard rail ends off, and replacing the swage ends with one of these work?

force 4 Guardrail Set Extra End Fittings (Pair) | Force 4 Chandlery

 

[Ammonite]

If the ferrule will pass through the stanchion then you may be able to press out the thimble and do it this way. Alternatively you could use a sta-lok fitting which is very diyable. Or cut off the ferrule and have it remade after threading it through.
Yacht Guard Rails & Life Line Fittings - Sta-Lok Terminals

Edit: more precisely one along these lines
Stainless Steel Turnbuckle Fork & Sta-Lok - Sta Lok

 

[Laysula]

Cut the stainless fitting close to the eye, thread it through and then have it welded back together. It would probably mean removing all the stanchions and taking them to a fabrication shop.

 

[frlrubett]

I was thinking of grinding off the stainless end fitting so the stanchion can pass through and then re drilling a smaller hole into the reminaing metal and popping on a small shackle/pin fitting but not sure how stong that would be!

 

[john_morris_uk]

Assuming nothing unscrews from the eye end, it looks like it’s time for a new lifeline.

 

[dankilb]

Sounds like a bodge to me - for something that is supposed to be a safety feature.

How about speaking to the local rigger about getting a new one made up? They’re not that expensive.

Or get hold of sta lok fittings and DIY your own.

These things happen and whenever something seemingly simple breaks on the boat I know it’ll often cascade into replacing other bits at some expensive/time.

 

[frlrubett]

Sounds like a bodge to me - for something that is supposed to be a safety feature.

How about speaking to the local rigger about getting a new one made up? They’re not that expensive.

Or get hold of sta lok fittings and DIY your own.

These things happen and whenever something seemingly simple breaks on the boat I know it’ll often cascade into replacing other bits at some expensive/time.

I think the Sla lok option is probably the best long run, these seems the best value for performance.

Sta-Lok Swageless Eye Rigging Terminals | Wire Rope Shop

 

[Poignard]

If you are prepared to accept the wire ending up a few inches shorter you could cut it and then remake an eye using Bulldog clips.

But I wouldn't do it except as an emergency stop-gap.

 

[Ammonite]

I think the Sla lok option is probably the best long run, these seems the best value for performance.

Sta-Lok Swageless Eye Rigging Terminals | Wire Rope Shop

As long as you have some adjustment elsewhere (I can't tell from the photos) that will work but you want some adjustment

 

[Dipper]

Another vote for Sta-Lok. You can get long eyes which should allow you to maintain the same overall length.

Sta-Lok Long Eye - Quick and Easy To Install - Sta Lok

 

[davidmh]

I can see the guard wire is attached to the pushpit with a quick release toggle and likely attached at the other end with a shackle to the Pulpit. Why don't you lash the end of the guard wires to the pushpit with a multi turn rope lashing. It is easily adjustable and can be released in an emergency with a knife. So all you would need to do is cut off one eye and get another eye crimped on. Many boats use the lashing method as standard.

David MH

 

[garymalmgren]

Had the same problem.
I have 4 stanchions a side with 3 set screws per stanchion.
I had to remove one to have it welded so just took the other three off .
That was 9 extra set screws.
Delivered the whole bundle to the welder and had then all back on the next day with new sealant.
Not a hastle at all.

gary

 

[GHA]

Another vote for Sta-Lok. You can get long eyes which should allow you to maintain the same overall length.

Sta-Lok Long Eye - Quick and Easy To Install - Sta Lok

That's pretty good option. You can slice the copper ferrule carefully without damaging the wire inside, should leave plenty wire before it bends round the thimble. Get almost all the way through & bend it about with pliers to finish off, though carefully, that wire will go PING at the end. Really hurts for a little while if it gets you
Then fit a stalock.
Or even just get a rigger to crimp it again in situ, though hand crimped ferrules can look a bit ugly & is a bit of a struggle in (what looks like) 1 x 19 wire.
Or go dyneema! Nicer feel.

 

[Daydream believer]

Cut it off. Go & buy some dynema & put a dynema one in its place & do the splices yourself

 

[doug748]

I use the Sta Loc method. It means you can dismantle easily to replace the wires or (useful for me) to put polythene tube/sleeve over the wire forward to protect the genoa. The tube only lasts a few years before UV gets it.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I would carefully cut the copper ferrule and then get one of these fitted: Steel Rigging Screws Jaw and Wire Rope Swage Studs UK

Get a local rigger to swage/crimp it on and it will fit straight onto the quick release fitting. These can also be fitted using a good hydraulic crimping tool, such as used by your local marine electrician.

 

[LadyInBed]

I'm surprised that it's just two fixed swaged end fittings. I thought the norm was to have a fixed fitting one end and a swaged or swageless turnbuckle the other so it can be separated to pass through the stanchion and adjusted to correct length.
I would get rid of the ferrule and put on a swageless turnbuckle.

 

[GHA]

These can also be fitted using a good hydraulic crimping tool, such as used by your local marine electrician.

CAREFUL CAREFUL!!!
It's not unknown for people to use dies designed for electrical terminations to crimp steel wire rope swaged terminations. They look about right.
Very dangerous, I have destruction tested Klauke hydraulic hand press steel wire rope terminations done with dies for electrical connections and proper sized dies for din ferrule terminations.
Terminations done with the electrical dies were well below 50% of mbl even though they looked fine. Proper din dies were up in the high nineties percent of mbl.
Local electrical firm almost certainly won't have the proper din standard dies, expensive & not that easy to get. They can be different for each design of swr as well, 6 x 19, 7 x 19, Bigger than code 2.5 ferrules usually need more than one bite so can come out a bit ugly.

Be careful, when they go there's no warning.