Source For Bronze Thimbles

[John Stone]

Hello All,
I continue to practice the Liverpool splice with a modicum of success. Right now I am splicing SS 7x7 5/16." Each splice is a little better than the one before. Another half dozen splices and I should be able to produce a respectable splice. I have learned much and I have found the work very enjoyable.

My question: I have had little luck finding a source for 5/16" (8mm) bronze thimbles. The ones at Port Townsend Foundry are huge. Nearly 4" long--do they really need to be that big--and heavy? I am looking for something smaller. I found some at White Water Marine in NZ but they seem too small--1 3/4" long and not oval shaped (I have spliced around these but they just seem too small . . . it has to be hard on the wire. I need some that are "just right." How big they really need to be I don't know but somewhere between the two would seem about right . . . then again maybe I am mistaken and they really need to be 4" long.

I have a few SS 304 closed thimbles that I have practiced on and they seem like a good size to me. The wire bends around them fine. They are about 2 1/4" long and kind of oval shaped so they are wider than the normal open thimble of the same length.

Thanks.

[Joe Henderson]

Dear John,

I have never had any success finding good quality, correctly shaped bronze thimbles.

They are either the wrong shape, the wrong material or just plain wrong-looking.

The Townsend foundry ones are amongst the best of the bunch bit all look a bit cartoony to me.

I have had great success with L.W Riley HD series stainless thimbles available here in Aus or via the Riley website. ww.rileyfittings.com

They understand about loads, sizes etc.

Do not be tempted to weld the throat/points of the thimble together in a vain quest to "improve" the distortion resistance of the thimble. (A bar across the eye is far better)

All you will do is make it more difficult to pass the frapping turns of the throat seizing that you will be applying after forming a larger than needed eye and then capturing the thimble with aforementioned seizing.



This allows you to replace the thimble when it wears or cracks as will inevitably happen with non-crescent section thimble material.

There are some investment cast 316 and 304 thimbles available from West Marine, I think, but they are Chinese and as such highly suspect.

I also have a problem (personal, from experience and on wire and fibre rope) with cast ss thimbles fatigueing and cracking in the crown and cutting the rope.

Regards,

Joe Henderson.

[SV Papillon]

Originally Posted by John Stone

My question: I have had little luck finding a source for 5/16" (8mm) bronze thimbles. The ones at Port Townsend Foundry are huge. Nearly 4" long--do they really need to be that big--and heavy? .

Give Pete Langley a call and ask him. He has extensive rigging expiriance usually if he makes something a certain way there is a reason IE it is engineered . He is also one of the rare people who will tell you if there is a cheaper alternative.

Good luck

Jake

[John Stone]

Joe and Jake,
Thanks for the response. Lots of good advice. Very helpful.

For Jake: I have nothing but the greatest respect for Pete Langley and his gang at PTF. In fact, PTF cast my kranze iron, whisker stay tangs, dinghy chalks, and bowsprit heel socket--all works of art. Additionally, Pete spent a lot of time talking me through how to build a pattern for my gammon iron, which I did, and it came out great . . . and as you mentioned he saved me a bunch of money in the process. I don't know many folks that would do that. We have in fact discussed rigging and it is obvious to me that Pete knows what he is talking about. But we also discussed there is seldom only one way to solve a problem.

My concern is that my medium aspect rig was originally supported by tangs, swaged fittings, and 1x19 wire. Making the conversion to 7x7 spliced wire has required me to bump up a size to maintain adequate strength. Those PTF thimbles are big and I keep adding weight aloft. So, I am looking to see if they really "must" be that big for my application. I have seen smaller ones used with great success but I don't know what the source was. Brion mentioned to me that I could splice 1x19 to keep the weight down, etc, but there comes a time when you feel like you are starting to swim up stream. I keep looking at that dynex dux! My willingness to incorporated spliced wire, for all it's many benefits and despite my investment in time and effort, is beginning to be severely tested.

I still have some time to explore the options.

[SV Papillon]

Aloft is another animal. Is there any way you can do a leathered served eye with a cleat? It is the simpler and most sound solution. The thimbles come into play when you need to get a turnbuckle on it, if at all possible the large eyes aloft are the way to go.

That said, if your rig was designed for 1x19 then that is probably where it should be. If you use Hayn or some other re-usable terminal you are in the same, repairable sceneriao it would seem you are shooting for. I used Hayn on my boat and only can say Wow they are super simple. I had big plans about doing trad rig etc and maybe dynex, I can get it direct from Hampijan from work, but the cost doesn't add up. It is the same or more money and no better service factor. The one thing from PT foundry I really wanted to do but couldn't justify due to cost, I get Hayn at good prices, was there poured socket fittings. I really think they are the ultimate fitting, work on any wire and are rated at 100% of breaking strength of the wire, all you need is fire and a old zinc to re-due.

Jake