I am currently restoring a '75 Catalina 27 and am having difficulty removing rust from the winches for the jib and the sheets. There is pitted rust embedded in the winches. I have tried Brasso, steel wool, and various other rust removers. Of course, I don't want to damage the metal. Please help if you can. Many thanks.
Rust on Winches
- Thread starter rose20532
- Start date
- Status
- Jan 22, 2008
- 519
"Rust" on winches
The winch barrel is probably chrome plated bronze and the corrosion you see is not rust but (mostly) copper compounds made by the corrosion of the bronze. The best thing to do is to have the winches cleaned and re-plated. Lewmar will replate them for you but who knows how much they'll charge (I've e-mailed them but I haven't had it done yet). The chrome is commonly ground off the halyard winches on boats with wire-to-rope halyards. The wire works lika a file on the chrome plating. Another good reason for all rope halyards. Don't use steel wool unless you want real rust stains caused by little steel wire fragments imbedded in the bronze. Use bronze wool and/or a bronze or stainless steel brush. The 3M Scotchguard pads are good too.
The winch barrel is probably chrome plated bronze and the corrosion you see is not rust but (mostly) copper compounds made by the corrosion of the bronze. The best thing to do is to have the winches cleaned and re-plated. Lewmar will replate them for you but who knows how much they'll charge (I've e-mailed them but I haven't had it done yet). The chrome is commonly ground off the halyard winches on boats with wire-to-rope halyards. The wire works lika a file on the chrome plating. Another good reason for all rope halyards. Don't use steel wool unless you want real rust stains caused by little steel wire fragments imbedded in the bronze. Use bronze wool and/or a bronze or stainless steel brush. The 3M Scotchguard pads are good too.
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