Gaffer in the Garage II

[Jeff Robinson]

Not much point without photos I know, but the Gaffer in the Garage is about to Come Out. We are now varnishing spars and thanks to a fine weekend we managed to get a couple of coats on. She is now largely complete. She needs more paint inside and out, and the samson post and bitts installed once her foredeck is out from under the garage door … Next Sunday should be the day – there will be Photos.

I plan to do the rigging myself. I can get a swaging tool (one that works like a boltcutter) and swages and stainless wire from a local chandlery. Will shrouds built in this way be secure and reliable? Or is this not a job for an amateur?

Thanks,

JR

[Konrad in Lincoln]

I can't speak for others, but I'm on my third season with my own rigging. I did it with the cheap 20 dollar tool. Definately more time consuming, but WAY cheaper than the 250 dollar bolt cutter type.

If you take care to select the correct size swage (for the size wire) and aperture on the swage tool, it's pretty much a no-brainer.

[Meerkat]

Jeff, that is a Golant Gaffer isn't it?

How long has it taken you to get to this point?

[paladin]

Jeff...use two Nicopress sleeves on 1 x 19 wire.....at each end.....

[Jeff Robinson]

Thanks for the comments, chaps. Meerkat it is a Golant Gaffer, and it will be three years next March. Subtract time for family issues and defective body parts (hernia operation last year), and it is closer to 2 years of weekend work.

The next boat I build will be in a bigger shed and with a proper work bench, instead of a door on a couple of folding workbenches.

JR

[CharlieZ]

I had a swage go and the rig went over the side on the 2nd outing. Bummer. Set us back a couple weeks. A first-timer at the boatshop didn't get it right. I switched over to the Norseman with the new rig, mostly because I didn't need to buy any special tools for this field work.

That said, swaging works, just do it right.

Regards,

Charlie

[Ian McColgin]

The heavy swaged fittings that are applied with a hydrolic or other heavey press are a pro job but the nicro press fittings are indeed easy to do yourself. Use two per eye. Squeeze the outer one first and give a little pull on the wire as you settle the inner nicro against the thimble, if any, so that both nicros take an even strain in the end.

I'd recommend 7x7 wire rather than 1x19 since the former can be bent around a thimble (lower end and maybe upper) and a soft eye can be made to go right around the mast at the upper ends.

Worm and leather the soft eye to keep the wire from sawing through the mast.

Actually, you may find it more aesthetic and easy enough to splice your eyes. The 'molly hogan' splice is easy to do, can be done on an eye, and can be finished off rolling the strands into the standing part of the wire so it's secure and easy to finish with a nice service.

Some rigging manuals recommend against nicro press on standing rigging, but in the low stress of a gaff rig, I can see no problem.

'Telegraph clips' - those U bolt and saddle thingies - also work but are clunkey.

G'luck