Stainless in aluminum

[romantic comedy]

I just took off my halyard winches from the mast. They are just the simple barient 10 single speed.

I was amazed how easily they came off. The 1/4 inch bolts just unscrewed with minimal force. They had a gray grease on them, and showed no corrosion.

I have had this boat for 18 years and never took them off, or greased them. I sprayed them with WD 40 occasionally.

The stuff that was on the bolts looks just like the gray Permatex anti seize that I have. It may be part number 371, but I am not sure. (no memory) The plastic bottle is at least 20 years old, and may have come from a construction job. (nuclear plant)

I really have no experience with tef-gel or never seize. So I dont know what they look like. I am wondering what anyone might recommend for the bolts into the mast. I was just thinking of using the gray Permatex.

I will be replacing them soon. What do you guys recommend

Also how much grease should I use on the winch. I know to only oil the pawls.

[ndutton]

NOALOX made by Ideal (Gardner has a similar product), an electrical anti-oxidant compound required by the National Electrical Code for aluminum wire terminations. Both Home Depot and Lowe's carry it.

[romantic comedy]

Neil, I have some of that in the garage.
Do you think it is better then the permatex anti seize?

[ndutton]

I can't compare the two having never used the Permatex product. A side benefit of my trade is I always have NOALOX around. It has never failed me.

[edwardc]

When I tore my mast down to a bare pole and rebuilt it, I used TefGel on every single screw. It looks a bit pricy as it comes in a small tube, but a little goes a long way.

[TomG]

Like Neil, I use the electrical anti-oxidant paste. I have Gardner-Bender on the boat and use it on anything that is screwed or bolted. Not only does it provide anti-oxidant protection, it also mitigates galling.

[hanleyclifford]

Like Neil, I use the electrical anti-oxidant paste. I have Gardner-Bender on the boat and use it on anything that is screwed or bolted. Not only does it provide anti-oxidant protection, it also mitigates galling.

Would it be beneficial for sealing Norseman rigging terminals?

[TomG]

Would it be beneficial for sealing Norseman rigging terminals?

Good question. My primary concern is galvanic corrosion (SS screw into an aluminum mast, e.g.) and the second issue it can help with is galling on SS on SS threads. Since the Norseman fittings are essentially friction devices, I wonder if this would be advised or not. Perhaps an email to Norseman might answer the question? I think most Norseman fittings have anti-seize pre-applied to the threaded part of the terminal connection, so adding anti-ox to cone makes sense.

[ndutton]

More specific to the ability to seal, no. Anti-oxidant compound is much like a thin grease rather than a sealant. I imagine you snow belt guys have concerns over water in rigging swages.

[67c&ccorv]

Stainless steel is only "stainless" when it has access to O2 - deprive it of O2 and it will rust just as surely as iron.

[zellerj]

Stainless steel is only "stainless" when it has access to O2 - deprive it of O2 and it will rust just as surely as iron.

OK I will bite. Do you have any references to back this up? Rusting is oxidation, and without oxygen iron will not rust. Salt speeds oxidation up, but even iron exposed to salt needs oxygen to rust. Chlorine gas will degrade iron to ferric or ferrous chloride, even without oxygen, but how often are we in a chlorine environment? Other oxidants like bromine or iodine will do the same. I have never heard of stainless rusting in an anaerobic atmosphere, but cheaper grades of SS will rust eventually in air. Without air, I think SS would stay shiny forever.

Jim

[romantic comedy]

Jim just google around a little bit.

[marthur]

Do you have any references to back this up?

“The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice – Tools and Techniques for Modern and Traditional Rigging” (International Marine; Camden, Maine 1998).

Here is a quote:

"Stainless steel, the dominant material in rigging today, is susceptible to its own special form of decay: crevice corrosion, also known as oxygen starvation. Stainless steel contains significant amounts of chromium. When exposed to the atmosphere the surface oxidizes slightly and a thin film of chromium oxide forms, preventing any further oxidation. If exposed to water, salt or fresh, without the presence of air, this film will not form and the metal will corrode.

If you recall your chemistry, oxidation does not refer to the reaction with oxygen. It refers to a chemical reaction in which a reactant loses electrons. It can happen in the absence of oxygen, but combining with oxygen is just the most common example of this type of reaction and that is why it has that name.

By the way, a neat trick to clean light tarnish off your silver is to combine saltwater, baking soda and the silver on top of a piece of aluminum foil. The foil is oxidized--but the silver is reduced. Reduction is the opposite of oxidation. The tarnish turns back into silver!

[67c&ccorv]

As RC and Marthur have answered.

[BunnyPlanet169]

“The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice – Tools and Techniques for Modern and Traditional Rigging” (International Marine; Camden, Maine 1998).

Great book, well written with more than a touch of humor. To bring this nearly full circle, the author also describes how he uses lanolin (sheep grease) on all his threaded items.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanolin