Can This Be Repaired?

[Kenomac]

The new winch guide arrived today, and it’s now obvious that there really isn’t any strength built into the design; the guide is simply a guide. So I will be replacing it, then bending the other back to be used as a spare with no worries of it catastrophically breaking anytime in the future.

I also plan to modify the way I use the winches under load in order to minimize the possible occurance of this happening in the future. Again, these items are lightly constructed to be used only as a guide with no downward force to be applied.

[jakkum]

does it not work as it is?
Bendong back, just where ot os noe, with a big adj. spanner wpuld work. Not to damage thonge, put a bit pf lead plate in the adj.
I pnce "repaired" an expensove sextant with lead voce and an adj spanner. The arm that held the mirror eas bent so far that ot was out pg adjustability.
The shop that had to check it and could not do that, could not belive it. the thong eas nearly spot pn over the whole range.

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

The new winch guide arrived today, and it’s now obvious that there really isn’t any strength built into the design; the guide is simply a guide. So I will be replacing it, then bending the other back to be used as a spare with no worries of it catastrophically breaking anytime in the future.

I also plan to modify the way I use the winches under load in order to minimize the possible occurance of this happening in the future. Again, these items are lightly constructed to be used only as a guide with no downward force to be applied.

When you do bend it back I hope you'll post how that works out for you. I bet that with a vise and big enough moment arm so you can bend it in a controlled manner, you'll be able to make it look just like new, and I wouldn't worry much about having weakened it or work hardening either.

I usually use 4 wraps but after reading your explanation of how this happened I'm going to start using more on winches where there's room for more. I've occasionally used less than 4 wraps in light wind conditions, but no more! Thanks for sharing your experience and to all those who contributed to this thread!

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

When you do bend it back I hope you'll post how that works out for you. I bet that with a vise and big enough moment arm so you can bend it in a controlled manner, you'll be able to make it look just like new, and I wouldn't worry much about having weakened it or work hardening either.

I usually use 4 wraps but after reading your explanation of how this happened I'm going to start using more on winches where there's room for more. I've occasionally used less than 4 wraps in light wind conditions, but no more! Thanks for sharing your experience and to all those who contributed to this thread!

I believe that what is happening here is that the self-tailing mechanism was pulling the line in, not the friction of the turns on the drum. Usually the teeth in the self-tailer slip if there are not enough wraps to pull in the line. In this case they didn't and it put a point load on the winch guide. Yes, more wraps would help that.

[JC Reefer]

An Older winch will have a self tailing guide made rather chunky compared to what the manufacturers are sending out these days. It surprised me how thin the guide is on the new harken winch.