Rebeding fittings. Best practices?

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

As long as it doesn't take a millon hours, looks vaguely ok from 10 feet and isn't going to corrode away into a pile of aluminium oxide I'll be very happy.

Sanding wise thats pretty much my plan. But it will evolve as I go. The bottom panel can be a bit shinier than the upper ones.

However long it takes, it will still be way quicker than painting .

[Snowpetrel]

Especially this time of the year..

[pcmm]

I would get that large crack next to the tang looked at first (first picture). That could be a major issue.

[inlogo]

Oh this picture is very trust. It's so interesting

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by pcmm

I would get that large crack next to the tang looked at first (first picture). That could be a major issue.

Yep, its the hydraulic boom vang fitting. I guess its taken a pounding over the years. It should be easy enough to weld up and reinforce properly now its off the mast.

[Dsanduril]

In Oz the products Gord and I referred to are called "jointing compound" in the electrical trade. Appears that Alminox is the most common. It's a zinc paste in grease base as are the ones I've used but other than that no idea how same/different it is to what we get in the US.

At home you could get this at Home Depot (Bunnings) or any other big box store but Oz is a little more strict with the electrical and gas fitting rules, you might have to find an electrical trade outlet.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

^^ Thanks Gordmay, those brand names are going to be useful seaching for them here in aus. Looks like good stuff to have onboard anyway for electrical work.

Not really for marine electrical. It is specific for aluminum wiring, which you don't have. I've tested this in a spray chamber against many other products and it was unimpressive. In fact, if you look you will notice that "marine" anti-seize products never contain metals. They tend to cause dissimilar metals corrosion problems.


On the mast, as suggested, is different. No dissimilar metals. But I have tested Al-noox side-by-side withe Tefgel and Tefgel was much better.



No-Ox-Id, Lanoline, Tefgel, or a good marine grease are all better options for wiring.

[Dsanduril]

Agreed it is definitely an off-label use, and only useful for alumin(i)um connections (it doesn't do anything for copper-copper connections or anything other than connections to aluminum). Since it is off-label I can only report my own use - I put NoAlox on all my fasteners when I re-did the mast/boom on the last boat in 1997. Two years ago, the last time I worked on anything on that boat, I was able to pull the fasteners with a simple twist of the screwdriver/wrench/spanner. The threads cut in the Al were still perfect.

Contrast that with the current boat where the "professional" installation of some items using Duralac about five years ago only leaves me the option of cutting or drilling out the fasteners. YMMV.

[Snowpetrel]

Interesting Thinwater, I really haven't used Tefgel at all. Duralac is the goto stuff down here. I like it, and have used a fair bit over the years. And the results with this mast show it works. I've had a bit of difficulty getting a few Netal threads out, but the majority have been resonabky painless.

My guess is that the nore greaselike tefgel would be better for screwed in fastenings that you may want to undo, and the nore paintlike Duralac may be better for under fittings and around rivets, where the hard drying nature stops it migrating out?

At least it sounds like there is no 'new' way of doing it. At one point I heard of someone reccomending sealant under fittings to keep the water out. Not sure if that would be good or bad. I figure water always finds a way in. So maybe it's better to focus on how to let the water out, or evaporate out if it does get in. Maybe sealant on the top and sides and leave the bottom edge unsealed?