Seizing wire as a fuse

[Grigory]

Originally Posted by phorvati

if you can get away with larger amperage fuse, like 125a or 150a. ...

or smaller amperage, for eхample 2*50А, if will possible install it in parallel.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Haddock1

Hi
After some advice please. My anchor windlass fuse has blown which is a 100 amp fuse. I do not have a spare fuse on board. I have removed the fuse and used some seizing wire across the terminals. Tested it and windlass operated. I do not know what the amp rating is for seizing wire and will this do as a temporary fix until I can get a replacement?
Thanks
Mike

I positively would not use the windlass until a suitable fuse could be acquired. When you do get a new one, get a couple of spares, too. A piece of wire is not a fuse. It is not reliable as a fuse for an electrical circuit. Don't do that, please. It would most likely work just fine, unless some time it doesn't, and then it can end badly.

if you have a smaller fuse, say 50A, you could try that. If it blows, it blows.

Spare fuses, hoses, belts, impellers, alternator, starter, lamps, all those things are important to have aboard.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

@Haddock1:

Yes, don't operate it with what you did. But, have you ever raised anchor without the windlass? If not, here's how to do it. First, take in as much chain by hand as you are comfortable with (wear gloves if you have soft hands). Take a long rope, and put it to the chain using a rolling hitch as far down the chain as you can reach, and lead the line back to a primary winch. Pull the chain clear back to the cockpit. Take a short line and secure chain to forward cleat, take off long line from the chain and lay it on deck, and shove as much as is convenient of the chain down the hawse hole. Repeat. Keep on doing this till the anchor is up and secured and all the chain is below in the chain locker. We did this from Papeete to New Caledonia one year after a Frenchman who had anchored over our anchor would not slack his rode, and pulling all up broke our manual windlass. (He said, "You anchored under my anchor! You can get it out!") If there are two of you, one to feed chain and the other to crank the winch, it will be somewhat faster, but it is basically anciently slow.

Ann

Well that’s a neat trick to get their anchor over yours to help hold it down

[P3sailor]

Your fix is really not advisable. Something caused the fuse to blow, what you are doing could result in serious equipment damage and/or fire. Time to use the old "armstrong" windlass until you can get your issue addressed properly.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

I positively would not use the windlass until a suitable fuse could be acquired. When you do get a new one, get a couple of spares, too. A piece of wire is not a fuse. It is not reliable as a fuse for an electrical circuit. Don't do that, please. It would most likely work just fine, unless some time it doesn't, and then it can end badly.

A fuse is generally just a piece of wire. The important thing is that the material the wire is made from has a low melting point and the correct cross sectional area to allow the resistance of the wire at the required "blowing" current to generate enough heat to melt the material.

Aluminium is a good choice which is why some folks use rolled up kitchen foil, thin strands of copper wire will do the job in a pinch. Strands of stainless were not a good choice because the material they are made from has a very high melting point.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Haddock1

Hi
After some advice please. My anchor windlass fuse has blown which is a 100 amp fuse. I do not have a spare fuse on board. I have removed the fuse and used some seizing wire across the terminals. Tested it and windlass operated. I do not know what the amp rating is for seizing wire and will this do as a temporary fix until I can get a replacement?
Thanks
Mike

Honestly its much safer to get a chain hook and a length of line and use a sheet winch to pull the chain onboard that way until you can order a pair of new fuses (one to use and one as a spare) or swap it with a suitable circuit breaker!

Don't jury rig a fuse

[dfelsent]

Posters keep saying a fuse is just wire that melts. That’s wrong.
A fuse IS wire that melts.
It’s ALSO a structure around that wire to stop the melted wire from starting a fire.
It’s ALSO a structure around that wire that quenches the arc that can form with the metal plasma.
Think of stick welding as a failed fuse. Do you want that in your fuse holder?
Fuses and breakers blow at a certain current and time. And they can interrupt a certain current.
If the power source, ie battery, can provide more current than the interrupting capacity you get a welding arc inside your fuse holder. Ugly at best.
Use a correctly rated fuse or breaker please.
And yes stick welding is rough at 12 volts but it can be done.

And for entertainment search for “oil quenched fuse”