Leathering Turnbuckles

[glynn]

I have just bought six beautuful bronze Staylock turnbuckles for the same price as a small car in India, so my worry is how should I look after them?

Do I leather them and hide all that shiny stuff, or leave them exposed to the weather and watch them go green?

Many thanks,
Glynn.

P.S. Please do not tell me of any cheaper alternative or I might just weep.

[Brian Duff]

leave them completely exposed. no tape, no leather, nada. They will go sort of bronze-green color. fresh water rinse is good.

maybe spray them with T9 once an a while.

when adjusting rig tune , initially or later on, apply fresh grease to the threads so the part buried in the turnbuckle is sealed from moisture by a packing of grease. wipe clean afterwords.

some folks take the time to wash turnbuckles, and the whole boat, with fresh water after any upwind sail, or whenever salt spray covers the boat. You could also polish the turnbuckles regularly, when the rest of the metalwork is done. This would ensure they maintain a similar tone and gloss to when new.

: )

[glynn]

Thanks Brian,

That saves me a lot of cutting,shaping etc, and I can concentrate on leathering other things!

Glynn

[Ian McColgin]

Properly sized pins help eliminate the need for taping to prevent lines or flesh from snagging. Fortunatly you'll usually have the right sizes in new gear. The pins should all fit exactly, especially not too long, so that the cotter pin lies nice and flush with the jaw. The cotter pin itself should fit closely in its hole and be short enough that when you bend the long leg just a bit, neither sharp point sticks out. Finally, the screws are most nicely held if you use Brion's dodge of welding rod.

G'luck