Is there a way to restore the abrasive part on a winch drum? I am starting to find that even with four or five wraps on my non self tailing drum, the sheets still slide unless I keep a tension on the loose end.
WINCH DRUM
- Thread starter twodzusfittings
- Start date
That's called "tailing" which you must do MANUALLY on a NON-SELF tailing winch.
4 wraps should be enough so that you only need to hold with a relatively small amount of force. But if you let go completely the line will run.
Do you understand that no matter how many wraps on a non-self tailing winch you have, you must still pull hard on the line, right?
You can also try Samson Trophy Braid for your next set of sheets. Its fuzzy cover helps the rope's "grip'" power. Some types of line have covers that seem more slippery than others. But............you ALWAYS have to tail a standard winch. That's why they're called non-self tailing!
I get the OP's question, it's true that with age the non-slip texture on the drum becomes more slick, less non-slip, and he'd like it the way it was. With a few wraps on a new drum it can very little tailing tension to keep the line in place, but for a more slick drum more tension is rquired.
That said, I've never heard of someone "freshening up" the drum surface. What kind of drums are they? Bronze with chrome on them?
That said, I've never heard of someone "freshening up" the drum surface. What kind of drums are they? Bronze with chrome on them?
I disagree! This is not a binary, tail or not tail. Sometimes the friction on the drum is useful, and with a few wraps in place holds the line in place, as for the lazy sheet. And a rougher surface can make the tension required in the hand less for lighter loads. A mirror-finish drum would not work well at all. There's a gradient here, not a yes or no.
Tailing required.
or get self tailing winch.
rough surface not required.
Uh.... no. Don't do that. You have to tail the winch, or convert to self tailing. There are times when you want the sheet to come off quickly and cleanly... as in every time your turn. The last thing you want is some weird friction tape snagging the rope and doing strange things... especially if there's hardly any pressure on the drum. The winch will never work other than the way it was designed to work. So work on your technique instead of trying to find something magical. But......... I was very serious before about changing to a less slippery rope.
@jviss is on the right track to your question. I have heard of people re-chroming the drum.
Tape will not hold. FIrst time a sheet is eased, it will crumple and create a potentially serious issue.
Tape will not hold. FIrst time a sheet is eased, it will crumple and create a potentially serious issue.
I wouldn't. Too sticky, and will put a lot of wear on the lines. I know that new winches or even new drums are probably out of the question, due to expense. I really don't know how one would resolve this, other than resurfacing and refinishing the drums. What make and type of winches are they?
Ah, so those are halyard winches, no? In your original post you said the sheets slip. For halyard winches you will certainly have to tail, but you should get enough "grip" on the drum that even with the slightest tailing tension they won't slip on the drums.
"Both Barient and Barlow have been out of business for decades." So says RigRite.
I recommend searching on eBay for identical winches, and if you can get them, or just the drums, find a machinist who's willing to restore the roughness of the surface, and then have them re-chromed. This is going to cost a lot of money. Might be cheaper to just buy new winches.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,159
When I rerigged my mast in 2017, I replaced the winches with self tailing ones. Makes managing the sails so much easier. I can jump the sails to the top of the mast, then quick wrap the halyard on the winch and finish tensioning the sail. The self tailing winches are terrific for this task.
You could see if the Barton Wincher will work for your winch - its an add on for non-self-tailing winches that converts them. I used them on some old Barlow winches on a 1975 Catalina 27 years ago:
Barton Marine - Products - Winches and winchers
One other thread I came across - its a little old, but you may be able to still contact someone out of it who resurfaces old winch drums with a proprietary process:
winch resurfacing - who? | Page 2 | Sailing Anarchy Forums
Barton Marine - Products - Winches and winchers
One other thread I came across - its a little old, but you may be able to still contact someone out of it who resurfaces old winch drums with a proprietary process:
winch resurfacing - who? | Page 2 | Sailing Anarchy Forums
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It is possible to have the drum resurfaced. You might try a local machine shop, if they can't do it they may know someone who can.
A good machinist should be able to knurl the drum. Knurling was a skill that was part of the test that we gave machinists before hiring.
Minney's is having a 25% off sale on flat tops.
FLAT TOP SHEET WINCHES ADDITIONAL 25% DISCOUNT ALL OF APRIL '23. ALL POPULAR BRANDS-STAINLESS-ALUMINUM-BRASS & BRONZE-1-2-3 SPDS. WE'LL TEST BEFORE WE SHIP. THESE ARE NOT SELF TAILERS..
FLAT TOP SHEET WINCHES ADDITIONAL 25% DISCOUNT ALL OF APRIL '23. ALL POPULAR BRANDS-STAINLESS-ALUMINUM-BRASS & BRONZE-1-2-3 SPDS. WE'LL TEST BEFORE WE SHIP. THESE ARE NOT SELF TAILERS..
Thanks everyone for your valuable input. I'm going to leave well enough alone and become a real sailor and hold the tail! I made the big mistake of calling the two halliards "sheets". I bet that must have been confusing. Thanks again to all.