Aries Self Steering Windvane Help

[Jetexas]

I just acquired most of what I think is an Aries Standard Windvane.


Aries self steering wind vane by ffacker, on Flickr

I'm missing the servo rudder and hardware that connects it. I've contacted Helen at Aries to see if there are new ones available and at what cost, but I'm wondering if anyone has fabricated one. If so, do you have the specs for the size?

[roverhi]

The basic breakaway coupling was just a sleeve of aluminum tubing with a relief cut to create the breakaway feature. The rudder itself was a foam filled FRP affair with an aluminum shaft. If you can source the right sized tubing and and get the dimensions, like how deep to make the relief cut on the coupling needs to be, and overall size of the rudder, should be easy to fabricate the whole affair. Would be a lot easier to see if you can find one that's been laying around in someones garage, though.

Sorry, don't have any dimensions as my Aries has long since sailed off into the sunset on my old boat. The Aries is a great vane with the best windvane adjusting system. Probably would be a good idea to disassemble the gear and reassemble with lanolin. The insulating properties of lanolin will make it easy to service in the future should the need arise.

[Dulls]

Originally Posted by roverhi

The basic breakaway coupling was just a sleeve of aluminum tubing with a relief cut to create the breakaway feature. The rudder itself was a foam filled FRP affair with an aluminum shaft. If you can source the right sized tubing and and get the dimensions, like how deep to make the relief cut on the coupling needs to be, and overall size of the rudder, should be easy to fabricate the whole affair. Would be a lot easier to see if you can find one that's been laying around in someones garage, though.

Sorry, don't have any dimensions as my Aries has long since sailed off into the sunset on my old boat. The Aries is a great vane with the best windvane adjusting system. Probably would be a good idea to disassemble the gear and reassemble with lanolin. The insulating properties of lanolin will make it easy to service in the future should the need arise.

We have an aries and found lanolin blocked it up we have gone back to using what the original inventor intended which is engine oil sowing machine oil and abit of car wash(doesnt contain salt) its now functioning 100% but our experience is entirely subjective.

[roverhi]

Use lanolin where there is dissimilar metal and/or two pieces are joined together. The lanolin will largely stop any corrosion from freezing the parts together. Don't use the lanolin on bearing surfaces or axles where parts will be moving. Take the center axle that the pendulum servo swings on. Use Lanolin where the SS rod passes through the aluminum body casting to keep the SS from corroding itself into the aluminum. Don't use Lanolin, or grease for that matter, where the pendulum swings on the axle, however. Grease, especially, turns into a viscous sticky goo when mixed with salt water that inhibits movement. Lanolin is not a lubricant, it's an insulator/sealant that is extremely water resistant. Use light oil or good ole WD 40 on moving parts to keep them moving freely.