New Wire and Norsemans DIY!

[Butler]

A year ago I couldn't have imagined doing this but I just finished what for me with zero mechanical aptitude was a really intimdating job. Replaced the fore and aft stays and port and starboard uppers.
The first of 8 Norsemans took the better part of a frustrating day with plenty of swearing but by the last 4 I was putting them together easily.
The hardest parts being getting the wire re-laid around the cone properly... not just nailing the correct length of exposed core but keeping the damn inner cone in place for the process: Brion Toss was a big help showing the upper portion of the body being slid up as the wire was re-laid around the cone and the other help was a small clip that kept the cone from creeping up the core or flying off in the initial part of the process.
Next, it was the seemingly simple idea of not tightening the fitting "too much". I didn't get that one until (what the hell is "not too much" that the instructions talk about?!) one of my dockmates happened by and told me that it should be "snugly" tightened then I got it.
Anyway...Oceansize is now free of the slip... two shakedowns, all is well and after 4 mos stuck in the slip I couldn't be happier.
Onward!

[Laidback]

A super feeling ! self actualization!
Brian Toss's 'Rigger's Apprentice' should be on every cruiser's shelf !

Tip:- to cut standing rig wire use an angle grinder with a steel cutting wheel and then round off the top a little with a light touch of the grinding wheel. Makes insertion into swageless terminals much easier.

[Butler]

Yep a good feeling indeed! I ended up using a big dremel with a carbide wheel (went through 4 of them I think). I bet the angle grinder would make much shorter work of it.

[roverhi]

I did the entire rig on my Westsail 32 many years ago. A lot of terminals with the staysail stay, bow sprit, boomkin, and insulators on backstay. Did the whole thing in a day. Used a Felco cutter and then squared off the end with an angle grinder. My math major wife calculated the lengths of the wire and all went together without a hitch. Took me a 1/2 hour to do the first one 'cause I was so nervous. After that one, cut the time down to about 15 minutes a terminal.

Just did the head and backstay on my current boat. Started off poorly as the 2nd terminal galled and froze up. Had to cut off the terminal but fortunately had enough length in the turnbuckle so I didn't have to scap the wire. Used a TefGel product for similar metal fastenings which stopped the galling. Really weird as I'd done 30 or more of these terminals in my life without a problem. Anyway, the terminals went together fine after that. Unfortunately, had to go to the masthead 7 times with the TopClimber to fit the furler on the headstay because of the shortened the stay.

Anyhow, mechanical terminals are a piece of cake once you get the hang of it. Think they are also cheaper than swages if you buy the wire in bulk and do it yourself.