DaySailer.org Forum

I have a need to put a few swage fittings in for my vang and maybe a few other jobs. Is it worth owning a hand swage tool? I've seen them priced from $30 for one that you use wrenches and bolts to crimp on the fittings to $200+ for one with handles that crimps. IF the $30 one is good enough, I was thinking it might be nice to have. http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--hand-swaging-tools--P002_065_001_502

I have the bigger one and I've used it a couple of times. I can't speak to whether the swages will hold under strain because I haven't tested them.

It's pretty easy to use, but it's a three-handed job. I recommend a big bench vise to hold the tool handle while you're making the swages.

It's a useful tool to have, 'tho the one place where swages are commonly used on most Daysailers is the 1/8" CB uphaul. Some models use swaged cable on the downhaul as well.

In seems like the use of swaged cable is declining in favor of materials like Spectra and Dyneema (e.g., Amsteel Blue or similar products). I can't recall the last time I saw a steel-cable vang. I have a spare boom that some PO had rigged for steel, but by the time I got it 8 years ago, it had already been converted to rope.

I have one of those Nico-Press tools for swaging that uses the 2 bolts. I purchased it initially t do the standing rigging on a small trimaran back in 1987. I have since used it several times to rebuild the up cable for my DS II CB. I've had cables break near the swage, but the swage itself has never let go.

I made an interesting mod to my CB up haul cable one time, wish I could have done same this last time, I replaced the nico-press swaged loop where the cable attaches to the tang with a standard fork terminal (had to be professionally swaged, but I was working in a marine hardware store at the time and my co-worker offered to do it for me (no charge!). That made it easy to connect to the tang without removing the tang from the CB and it lasted over 7 seasons without trouble, actually it would have lasted longer but the other end of the cable broke last year where I made a nico-press loop to attach the block. My original (1979) CB up cable had a thimble where the cable attached to the tang, when the sheave on the block broke in 2003, Rudy at D&R replaced the whole cable assembly but couldn't get a thimble to fit in the hole of the tang. So, the new cable didn't have any protection from the edge of the tang hole. It lasted until 2007 though. That was when I ended up making my own replacement using the swaged fork. I'm back to the original style swaged loop now (new cable from S&R last year) but since that new cable came with the tang, I saved the old tang and have built a spare CB cable (no block yet, will use one presently on boat if present cable breaks), I was able to force a thimble in there this time.

Yeah, what's with the lack of thimbles on D&R CB cable kits? I've done a couple of rebuilds, and it's definitely possible to get a thimble in there. I can't recall how I did it last time; maybe went with a 3/32 thimble instead of 1/8. But it eliminates worry of cutting the cable on the tang.

BTW, I tried using the thinnest shackle I could find to make the cables removable without cutting. The shackle jammed and scratched up in inside of the trunk. I went back to the standard D&R rebuild. (Sigh)

The hole in the tangs that Rudy has are just slightly smaller than the original one I had. Still it did take a little wiggling and forcing to get a thimble in there, but I finally got one in. I feel that the thimble is needed, and obviously O'DAY thought so too, since my original cable from 1979 had one and lasted over 23 years!

We got off subject, but being we're at the CB......how do you guys lift the boat to get to the CB?

You can find many descriptions of this in older posts. Perhaps search for "careen" or "careening" for a start.

I just took my vang up to West Marine and used their swage tool. It just sits out on the counter on the sailboat stuff Isle. It's is free to use

DigitalMechanic wrote:I just took my vang up to West Marine and used their swage tool. It just sits out on the counter on the sailboat stuff Isle. It's is free to use

, that's a good alternative. Thanks

No problem... And it's economical

I did not want to redesign the attachment point on the boom for my vang. My buddy helped me out with that, and he is the one that told me about the swage tool on the counter, lol. I just clipped away the wire with the metal ball on it, and turned it into a ring using a swage fitting. Attach a block and go...

Here is how I swaged my vang...