Harken 2 speed winch

[Alterboy 65]

Good Morning ,
The drum on my Harken 44 2-speed winch has worn smooth and does not grip the lines and self tail like it should . I am wondering if anyone knows how you can rough up the surface again ? File , Sandpaper,
or does i just have to be replaced ...Thanks for any help
Alterboy

[GordMay]

I've never heard of anyone successfully reconditioning a worn (smooth) winch drum, so I'll be following this thread, hoping I'm just unaware/ignorant.

[a64pilot]

A Machinist could knurl it, but at a cost likely to exceed a new one.
Maybe it could be sand blasted prior to plating? Have to be some pretty course media though.

[SailRedemption]

Do a search on Google with Sailing Anarchy as part of the title. There's a guy in the US that reconditions winch drums. Supposedly he's so good and his pattern is so top notch that some of the posters do after they sent newer drums to him for a the new pattern. If I have time I'll try to look for the thread.

[OhLuckyMan]

Here is an "outside the box" idea , for those desparate for any last ditch idea:

Use an exacto knife with a fresh blade to score vertical grooves. Each groove creates a tiny burr. With enough grooves you may get enough grip to get some more use out of an old winch.
Cheers

[svHyLyte]

Look for a machine shop in your area that does glass bead blasting. Hitting the surface of the drum with course grit will leave a non-slip surface although one doesn't want it too course our you will have difficulty easing the line. The area to be blasted can be defined with heavy tape, which will protect the covered drum surfaces.

BTDT...

[seasick]

I have had good results in resurrecting smooth winch drums by using a sharp metal
punch and a tack hammer and lightly and systematically tapping around and around the middle of the drum covering only the width that your sheets would normally cover.

[billknny]

On chrome plated, bronze drum winches, you can have them re-chromed, and as part of that process they can be shot blasted which leaves them with a proper texture.

Not at all sure if this can be done with aluminum drum winches. But you local anodizing shop ought to be able to tell you since you'd have to have it re-anodized after anything like this...

You have to be a bit more careful with this than some people here are advising. Remember, your lines SLIDE up along the drum under load as they are cranked. If the drum is full of sharp edges, your lines WILL be torn up in very short order.

[Jim Cate]

Our chromed bronze winches were re-chromed by the PO as part of a major refit just before we bought our boat. The buggers did a Harley job, leaving the drums with a beautiful mirror finish... which was slipperyer than greased owl poop. I have made them usable by wrapping 60 grit sandpaper around a 1x1, leaning on it pretty hard an running it up itand down the drum surface, leaving tiny shallow grooves behind. This surface lasts a year or so of pretty heavy use, and is a good improvement over the mirror finish. Looks ok, too.

I do not know how it would work on an Aluminium drum. If the anodized surface is really all gone, the soft metal below will likely take on a useful surface quite easily, but it may not last very long. If there is still anodizing left, it may be harder than the grit on the paper and not get the grooves that provide the grip to the line.

Makes one really admire the Andersen winches which rely upon vertical ribs to provide grip rather than a rough surface. Wish I could think of a way to emulate that on my Barients!

Jim

[Robert Tilbury]

I have a Milling machine with a rotor table ,,o dont see a drama in cutting virtical groves in a winch drum , then just get it plates after ,

Blue chrome in condel park (nsw Australia ) does a rough chrome finish sort of pickled finish thats hard as heck ,

Blu-Chrome Pty Ltd
137 Eldridge Road
Bankstown NSW 2200


I have nothing to do with this company but have had many boat / Harley parts chromed by them ,
They do great work and have never lost a part yet <

[Smokeys Kitchen]

Have you contacted Harken yet? I believe that they refinish their drums for a reasonable price - don't know about doing a different brand. And to boot, you'd have the original manufacturer doing the job.

[SailRedemption]

Found it, the guy's name is Bam Miller. As of 2015 he was still operating.

The SA thread: http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/ind...surfacing-who/

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, OhLuckyMan.