Re-Packing A Stuffing Box (A New Photo DIY Blog)

[Maine Sail]

Hi All,OK, OK, I've been on here for a long time and finally had to do something and take matters into my own hands so to speak. I have seen this question, "how do I re-pack my stuffing box" posed literally hundreds of times and still no-one had a good photo based article on how to change the flax packing in an old school stuffing box. This afternoon it was ridiculously rainy, think Nor' Eastaah, and miserable, to go to the boat yard so I dug out my old stuffing box, cleaned it up and created a photo blog how-to article on re-packing a stuffing box. I hope this helps and when this question comes up again perhaps we can just copy and paste a link instead of going into a huge never ending diatribe. If I missed or forgot any important points please let me know and I'll make the changes. As usual I'm not claiming these are the be all end all instructions just the only ones I know of that are in-depth and picture based.There are two pages to this article so be sure and click page two when you get to the end of page one!Here's the link: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/stuffing_boxHappy Sailing,Maine Sail

 

[Ross]

Exceptional!! Very good. If only access were so

good on the boat. Is it valid to wrap one ring at a time and push the nut over it without turning until you get all three rings into the nut and then proceed to thread the nut onto the box?

 

[Maine Sail]

Good find Ross..

That's actually how I usually do it but I took the picture that way to show the staggering of the flax rings. I edited the article to reflect the "nut stuffing"!

 

[Andy]

Main Sail's "own" this old boat show

Maine Sail, this was excellent! But to get a truer picture of the situation, would you please come replace the packing on MY boat and take pictures? Ha Ha just kidding-you have gone well beyond the call or dirty/duty by providing this "dock-you-mentary". Hey Phil, maybe you should save a link to this in a knowledgebase by topics-S-Stuffing BoxesMaine, if you ever have the chance-please do the same for installing the PSS.

 

[Maine Sail]

The PSS article is....

The PSS article is already written and in the same gallery here: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/pss_shaft_sealHere's my general boat projects gallery: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projectsHere's my photo galleries home page: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/root-Maine Sail

 

[SEADANCE]

Nor' Eastaah

Maine Sail, very jealous of your Nor' Eastaah kind of weather. Haven't seen snow since we left Poconos, Pennsylvania in '96 and that year we had 36 inches of snow two days before our wedding day (okay I am tying this into the topic of sailing) and we had to leave our little Sidewinder sailboat behind because of the weather(ha!) Fowarded your work(link) to hubby~B/Seadance

 

[Tom S]

Andy, Maine Sail did do the same for the PSS

The link is right here.http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/pss_shaft_sealHe does such an incredible job with publishing these photo "How To's" . I wish I had the time he had for these things, but I still don't think I could do half as good a job.Maine Sail - I would like to say thank you for ALL us boaters out there that will benefit from the time you took to document these procedures. (There is a fair wind and follow sea awaiting you for all your good deeds - good karma and all that )

 

[Jared]

Thanks!

Thanks so much for putting that together - very good information. That is on my list of things to do this year and those instructions just made life a whole lot easier trying to figure out exactly what I am doing.

 

[Ken Palmer]

Great job

You have outdone yourself. *5

 

[Waffle]

Sail Maine

Very good job. To bad I didn't see it before I did the job. Looks like that goo stuff is a pain in the rear side.

 

[tcbro]

Excellent Job

You should submitt these articles to Good Old Boat magazine, They are always looking for this kind of stuff.Toms/v Orion's Child

 

[Dan]

Thanks Maine

Well done and thanks.

 

[Warren Milberg]

This is THE best article/pics

...on this subject that I've ever seen. I think you should send it to Phil and ask him to post it to the "Resources" section of the website. I also suggest that you give consideration to sending it to places like "DIY Boats" and "Boatworks" and see if they may be interested in publishing it. Great job!

 

[Ctskip]

A BIG THANK YOU

from this sailor. I know that you have helped me, along with many, with your words of wisdom. And now pictures, for those that cant read. And I for one would like to thank you. Thank you. I feel, that we have Maine Sail here on this forum and he is ours, and if we want to share him, that's Ok. But remember he's ours first. Maybe with his some of his knowledge and his willingness, he might consider doing a "special" for us, once every two months or so. For us all to use and learn. Making this site, one of the premier sites ( if not the best) for sailboat information. You get my vote! Thank you again for helping out the sailing community, for you are a definite asset for us all. Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[Rich]

Thanks Ross

Many thanks Ross, I wish I could print out all the pics and info that you provided but my computer isn't allowing it, anyone else having this trouble??

 

[Maine Sail]

My blogs do not print well

at least this is what I've been told. Unfortunately I don't know how to get around this other than printing doing a print select per photo and clicking "print selection" in the printer menu. If anyone figures out how to make it print better please let me know..Maine Sail

 

[Ross]

Rich, you give me credit that I don't deserve

This is Maine Sail's thread not mine.

 

[Jim Seamans]

Printed fine here

It stripped the colors out and since there are no page breaks in the document the printer page breaks where ever it needs. It readable.Jim

 

[Malcolm Young]

Super job Maine Sail! - a question

Your 'blog' - the pictures and text are excellent.Oddly enough I just got back from the obtaining a used dental pick to pull out the packing from my dentist (free - they apparently send them back to the company to recycle). Another co-incidence is that I am doing my Catalina 36 and the set-up is virtually identical.Some background prior to a quesiton - I have already purchased flax packing (NOT dripless) and Syntef lubricant which was recommended on the flax packing package (also made by Syntef). It is clear from your instructions that you do not like dripless packing as it hinders flow of water and subsequent cooling - I agree and actually came to that same conclusion before I saw your comments (that was why I didn't buy the dripless packing). The question - do you feel that the Syntef lubricant initially used to lubricate the flax packing is a bad idea? The reason I ask is I wonder if there is a need to initially provide extra lubricant to the packing until it wears in - I would adjust the packing as I have always done - so it drips 2 or 3 drops a minute. An alternative possibility -what do you think of initially just using Teflon grease?

 

[Maine Sail]

I think..

The Syntef lubricant is what caused the majority of problem. The green clay probably did not help on top of the fact that I used Teflon packing. I think that black goo was a combination of Teflon, Syntef and the clay. I would spend the $14.00 on Gore GFO as it requires no additional lube or "miracle packings". It's also not heavily cooated in Teflon that could squeeze into the male end of the stuffing box. If you really want my honest opinion see my PSS Shaft Seal installation, on that same web site, and install one of those...