Cotter pins, rings or split rings

[rjbaren]

I have just changed my turnbuckles and wonder what is best to pin them with. Cotter pins, rings, or split pins. They are 5/8" and what size rings do you recommend if in fact you recommend rings.

[Ian McColgin]

Brion recommends a bit of welding rod bent to cover the holes in each stud. For open body turnbuckles the right sized split rings can be nice if large enough to go around one side of the body and through the hole in the stud.

I like regular cotter pins exactly sized so that the loupe part is what stops the screw from turning, the shorter leg just gets out of the hole and left straight does not clear the turnbuckle body, and the longer leg can be cleanly bent out of the way. That will be undoable when needed and won't need boots or tape or such.

G'luck

[Robbie.g]

Or you could just use locknuts top n bottom.... No snagging issues, re-useable, smooth.
And also NO TAPE!

[Douglas]

Nice Idea , Robbie ,,,, maybe even better than Brion's brazing rod , but where do we find the opposit thread nuts , for the other end , turnbuckle studs ?

Also looking for other solutions , here .


Douglas

[Robbie.g]

We just get ours from our swage suppliers, (for their closed body rigging screws). But i guess any fastening wholesaler should have the same.
cheers

[Ian McColgin]

Most all SS screws have locking nuts, especially in smaller sizes. It's not bad but also not so wonderful to use an SS nut over a bronze stud. Even if you have bronze on bronze, stressing the threads like that is progressivly less secure and less durable as the size of the turnbuckle increases. So, as the size goes up, so does my personal prejudice against locking nuts.

However, that's not science, just gut.