Treating galvanized standing rigging - linseed oil?

[Orchidius]

Hi there,

So I finally got my hands on the brand spankin' new galvanized stays for the mast. In order to further protect it from the elements, I would like to treat the stays before they go up. The oldtimers would probably call for a proper "worm, parcel and serve", but this is too much hassle.

An alternative I read about is regular varnish (not too sure about that...) or (boiled) linseed oil. I just learned though that boiled linseed oil is not really a boiled version of raw linseed oil, but rather raw linseed oil with curing additives mixed into it.

What process would you guys suggest? What have you used yourself?

Cheers!

[Orchidius]

Nobody...?


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[Wotname]

See http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-100810-2.html

Use boiled linseed oil or fish oil or Stockholm tar or a mix of these.

[Orchidius]

Thanks!

[a64pilot]

Not so sure how relevant this is, but boiled linseed oil has been what is pumped into and then drained from tubular steel structures for at least 50 yrs in the aircraft industry as a corrosion preventative.

[Orchidius]

Kewl! Didn't know that.

I also posted this question to "spartalk", the forum on yacht rigging that was started and is still managed by mr Brion Toss himself. He replied that he had tried pretty much everything to treat galv rigging in the past, from linseed oil (raw and boiled), to fish oil, tar,... Given the choice, he'd use the recipe described in "the rigger's apprentice" (I have the book but can't quite find the recipe), or go for one of the modern day alternatives like "sheen-free". If I could find it, something like sheen-free does sound good. But boiled linseed oil is relatively cheap and easy to apply. Might just go with that.

[Scout 30]

If you need more info you might try the WoodenBoat forum.

[southpaw]

Old guy here in Bay of Islands NZ used to soak rigging in fish oil, in a tyre cut in half.

[bmz]

Isn't stainless steel the standard for all modern standing rigging?

[Orchidius]

Originally Posted by bmz

Isn't stainless steel the standard for all modern standing rigging?

Yes, but that's off-topic here. There are topics filled with the pro's and con's of both options.

[Sam Plan B]

Best to do this like the professonals do it. Comply with specification ASTM D6386. This calls for a two part application. Apply a zink primer and then a coat of your color of choice. See link below.

Preparing HDG for Paint | American Galvanizers Association

[billgewater]

In the dark ages some wire rigging had a hemp core to "store" or retain some of the oil and presumably reduce internal corrosion. Probably not available now. Fishermen often had large drums to immerse their rigging in heated oil which improved penetration. The car tyre trick seems to be a partly acceptable compromise.

On my ketch the thirty year old galvanized rigging was tested where some had surface rusting (lower, closer to the sea). The inside was perfect... as new. The load testing was as per new wire. I have never used any oil or paint on my rigging. The wires are all good, but the eyes at the ends were of a poorer quality and I paint them with zinc paint. It works for a few years.
I met some old codgers in Fremantle (Western Australia) who had a very old wooden boat that they used for old blokes days out fishing and whisky consumption. The boat was antifouled using a heated coal tar mixed with some probably unmentionable poisons, and the rigging was original wire from about 1920. The wires were repainted regularly with hot coal tar as well. No wire was visible!
The advantages with galvanized rigging is that it (and the rigging screws) are very much cheaper, and if a shroud or stay is beginning to give up the ghost, it will be obvious as the outer strands usually part with the other wires. Not so with stainless. Also near invisible fatigue stress cracking and thread galling is less likely with most galvanized wires and galvanized rigging screws. These can lead to catastrophic failure.
But it is not as shiny!

[Emmalina]

We have a fishing boat here and all the wire gets a coat of Lanolin once a season. Seems to do the trick !

[SqPeg]

I have a Hunter Vision. Bwahahahah!

[roland stockham]

Lanolin products work well and there are some interesting option used for greasing tools for storage and transport. Basically the aim is to get a non-setting water repelling agent into the lay of the wire to prevent rusting on the inside. Serving is a very effective way of keeping salt water out of the wire and may not be as difficult as you imagion if you get a serving hammer. This is basically a device that allows you to spin a role of cord around the shroud. Might be worth thinking about just doing the lower 10ft or so where spray is more of a problem