swages onto rod

[Robbie.g]

Went to check over a boat today, usual wire swages/fittings but all had rod inplace of wire, never seen it before today ... Rigging was 8-10 yrs old from the USA. Have i missed something?? [wire swages on rod]. Maybe my sphere of experience is smaller than i thought.
Just looking for your thoughts/2 cents worth... or please educate me. I've only ever seen the navtec style fittings (or very similar).

[Brian Duff]

I have done this before - while 'learning' the art of rigging at some of the shops I worked at early on. I have also, like you, seen boats with old gangs of rigging made this way and they are still sailing, so it clearly works. I can not speak for weather this was ever a system sold by a rod/ rigging fitting builder.... what do the 'old' guys know?

One real concern is that some riggers - the one who showed me this system of using wire swages on rod - cut grooves in the rod in three or four places, completely around the rod, to 'increase grip'. I suppose that this rather weakens the rod than strengthens the fitting. woah! Another concern is that the rigger that showed me mad no attempt to actually measure the rod diameter and consider how solid compresses differently than wire, etc... probably destroyed the calibration of the swage machine at the shop there when he did it too!!! Real scary is that I know that shop doesn't 'guage' their swages, nor has that machine had any service.... Woah! All kinda riggers out there....

I would not be involved in this system beyond recommend that, although it is a working system, no rod manufacturer makes fittings like this and so for complete security it ought to be changed to a conventional system. Or a bigger insurance policy bought if the boat is raced inshore only...

[knothead]

Originally Posted by Robbie.g

Went to check over a boat today, usual wire swages/fittings but all had rod inplace of wire, never seen it before today ... Rigging was 8-10 yrs old from the USA. Have i missed something?? [wire swages on rod]. Maybe my sphere of experience is smaller than i thought.
Just looking for your thoughts/2 cents worth... or please educate me. I've only ever seen the navtec style fittings (or very similar).

I first saw this done at Lars Bergstrum's shop. He used the same procedure that one uses when swaging dyform wire. That is using an adhesive like green lok-tite and diamond dust.
A boat I did this on over ten years ago is still going strong.

[Robbie.g]

thanks for the replys. i thought it a bit dodge, but as you say it does seem to stand up to the job. Of the boats i've been in contact with, one boat had sailed across the pacific 3 times and the other had been well raced over my years. That said you will not be seeing that kinda setup on my boat. As it goes both boats opted to re-rig in dyform, [as per the rigplans!]. Thanks for enlightening me.