Sta-Loc former removal

[Manateeman]

Greetings all. Anyone experienced with removing the former from Sta-Loc fittings? In the larger sizes, the cones take a bit of effort to remove but some formers seem truly stuck in place. The company recommends new cones but nothing on the subject of new formers.
Any suggestions how to polish them in place?
Are they designed to rotate? When forming, surely there is a point when the pressure prevents this. If the cones are not damaged and one cannot remove the formers why replace just the cones ?
I know they are not terribly expensive, but is there any data to support this need to carry more spares? If you are not changing the wire, just inspecting, cleaning and renewing the seals... new cones but not new formers?
Kind regards, Mark the manatee.

[GRIT]

Busy thread...

I had not heard to replace anything inside the sta-lock, if simply doing an inspection. I had heard replace if using new wire...

Did you hear to replace for inspection, from sta-lock?

I'm installing my mast tomorrow, and using Sta-lock on all the cable bottoms.
I'll be using some dielectric grease inside, to help protect from moisture, though Sta-lock doesn't seem to care one way or the other, and their instructions show installing "dry". They do say, if you're wanting to use a sealant, not to use an acid curing silicone...

I hope you managed to get the former out.

PS. We "owner built" our boat too.

Cheers.
Paul.

[Jim Cate]

I too have never heard of replacing cones when disassembling a Sta Lok (or any other mechanical terminal) for inspection. Why would you? You have done nothing to diminish the cone's grip on the wire.

As to the formers, the same is true: no need to replace unless visibly damaged. After all, most other mechanical terminals don't even use a separate bit in that place, just the inside of the fitting itself, so replacement is not possible!

And FWIW, when I first used Sta loks, back in the late 70's, the instructions that came in the package DID say to put a "grape sized" blob of silicone sealant in the cavity before final assembly... and said nothing about the acetic acid. 316 stainless is quite resistant to acetic and it should have little effect on that material. I used it a few times with no visible degradaton (not that that proves much!). Nowadays I assemble them dry... much less messy!

They are remarkably reliable items in general, even with lots of amateur riggers using them. Good kit!

Jim

[Manateeman]

Thank you for the replies. I should have stated my question was only about new wire not just inspection...whatever that means. I called the factory. They responded with ‘use your best judgement ‘ with regard to replacement of wedges and formers and no sealants needed in England.
I’ve called a number of professional riggers. Some use sealants, some use loc tite and sealants. Seems a personal choice.
I just don’t like leaving the former inside the fitting when the wedge looks pitted. I made a little tool to get the former out. I’m following the recommendation of a rigger in south Florida who has a lot of experience with larger vessels. He uses Tef-Gel inside. I like Tef-Gel and I’ll try his method.
One engineer I know dismissed my “inspecting” the fitting entirely. He worked in the elevator industry.
I main question I asked in the original post for ideas on how to remove formers. I’ve solved that issue. I did not want to open a can of worms.
Build your boat your way...I do not wish to seem unappreciative and do thank everyone for taking the time to respond.
Regards, manatee

[GRIT]

I'm glad you've sorted it out. Beyond that, other folks will chime in and give their opinions, and perhaps help someone in the future, who reads this thread.

I opted for dielectric grease, which is purposely designed to protect metal from moisture.

I also used loctite.

I'm happy with the results. The mast
Is still standing, with no signs of corrosion, after one hour of use.🤣🤣

Cheers.
Paul.

[Boatguy30]

A neutral cure, no vinegar smell silicone or a polysulfide sealant is that you want. And red locktite on the threads on the initial forming assembly also.

[Orion Jim]

I used polysulfide in the cavity because my boat spends winters in an area of hard freezes. A bit of blue loctite on the threads finished the job. Sta Loc fittings are great....

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by GRIT

I'm glad you've sorted it out. Beyond that, other folks will chime in and give their opinions, and perhaps help someone in the future, who reads this thread.

I opted for dielectric grease, which is purposely designed to protect metal from moisture.

I also used loctite.

I'm happy with the results. The mast
Is still standing, with no signs of corrosion, after one hour of use.[emoji1787][emoji1787]

Cheers.
Paul.

Mines been up about a week after replacing all the wire and using Sta-loks. I had the headstay replaced last fall by Torreson Marine here in Muskegon, and it ended up being about $10 more than I could have done it myself with parts from Rigging Only. So I went ahead and ordered the rest of it. Only took about ten minutes per fitting, I had more time than that in just measuring the wire.

[thereefgeek]

I rigged my wire with Hayn Hi-Mod fittings and the technical support guy told me on the phone that Hayn absolutely recommends NOT using sealant. Only red LocTite on the threads as an assembly lube and thread locker. I'm personally not a huge fan of the way Sta-Loc fittings mangle the ends of the wire strands,