Aluminum Welder in Orange County CA

[ThunderFog]

I need some work done to my spreaders. It appears if you tape the end of your spreaders and leave them, only to add more tape, the ends corrode right off! I need to find someone that can weld (fabricate) new ends. I would like to find someone local so I could carry them down to the shop and get them repaired as quickly as possible.

[knothead]

Any good machine shop should be able to weld aluminum.
I can't tell you how often I have cut layer upon layer of tape off spreader ends, turnbuckles and sometimes even just the wire. It's not a good idea. what's worse is when someone wraps a few yards of spinnaker cloth around the end of the spreader in an attempt to fabricate a boot of some sort (I guess). Usually when I remove that I just end up with a handful of white powder. (no jokes please)
Another thing while I'm on the subject, please, if you must use those silly little shroud covers. You know the ones I mean. They are made of white pvc and are slit so that you can slip them over the shrouds to ostensibly protect the jib sheets. Please use over-sized ones and lift them up and rinse and dry underneath them once in a while.
Better yet, toss them in the nearest dumpster and replace the sheets when they need it.
Let your metal breath. Let the moisture dry. Rinse the salt out. Don't do or buy crap just because most of the boats in the marina do.
But then again I love selling people new rigging. So what the hell am I saying. Use that tape and lots of it.

[pigslo]

So Knothead, what do you recomend for spreader ends that the genoa will not hang up on?

[ThunderFog]

Thanks for the advice on welding. I do know of someone but was hoping to find someone that was recommended.

As for you other advice.... I just love those white turnbuckle covers and how they make that the boat look so .... so... I just can't do it. I can't say anything nice about them. They are nothing but corrosion collectors. As for taping the spreader tips, sometimes it is a nessarary evil. The shrouds on this new to me boat are held in place by seizing wire. I would hate to see that grab a hold of my jib on some tack or spin take down. I just untape them and spray them with T9 twice a year and that seems to keep them in good shape. I try to use as little tape as possible leaving some breathing room at the top and bottom. I do live in SO Cal so we don't get the rain the rest of the country gets and that helps.

[knothead]

Originally Posted by pigslo

So Knothead, what do you recomend for spreader ends that the genoa will not hang up on?

Spreader boots.