Next message: (no email): "lv-ab: Hydronic heat"
In a message dated 10/21/2005 1:13:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
He purchased a 5/16" HT gypsy, and discovered too late that he had 5/16" BBB
chain. Unfortunately, even though the chain is 5/16", the shape of the link is
different. Using 5/16" BBB chain in a 5/16" HT gypsy would cause the chain to
jump out of the gypsy, setting up a dangerous situation. So, it's always a
good idea to know the correct size of your chain, or the correct size of your
gypsy. The size is stamped directly on most windlass gypsies, and all BBB and HT
(G4) chain has the letters stamped directly on the link. The other 2 chain
types are not as easy to identify - take a small piece of your chain to your
local hardware store and match the links up.
Not always this easy. It is better to simply measure the links and match up
the dimensions with a chain spec sheet.
Even then, it is iffy. Seems there may be two standards. When I bought my
chain from Campbell, a long-established American company, I thought I had
reason to believe it was constructed to a standard spec, like fasteners, either
metric or inch.
And then the dimensions of my chain exactly matched the chart in the ABI
catalog I was ordering from. When I got the windlass my chain did not fit the
wildcat. I sent the wildcat and a foot of chain to ABI and they sent me another
wildcat that was closer to chain but still didn't fit. I took the wildcat to
a propellor shop and had them add bronze to the fingers. Back on the windlass
I wrapped small stuff around in the chain groove in the wildcat until I
brought the chain out far enough to fit the link pockets. I then used a Dremel to
grind off excess bronze from the fingers to get them to release the chain into
the chain locker. This took multiple sessions to finally get sorta right.
The chain still sticks sometimes.
Take a sample of your chain and try it (or perhaps send it to the seller to
try it for fit) on the wildcat before buying.
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying Oyster Bay NY
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