Is the main reason the instruction manual on foil assembly says "laninol grease and then teflon tape before each session on the water"... just to minimise/avoid metal corrosion on bolts/screws/foil components?

if so, then no real need for all that time consuming fiddling with this, if just assembled for the day or a few days of fun on the water, when disassembling again shortly after? Its not like taking the components apart is difficult after just a few days assembled. And what components is it that corrodes the most? (Cost to replace, versus all the trouble and funtime on the water lost as result)...

or does aka the teflon tape also function as like keeping the bolts from rattling loose/off when out windfoiling on the water? If so, then there is maybe a valid case to also use the teflon tape even for shorter durations between assembly. Just the teflon tape without the grease at the same time is also so much easier to apply...

what is your routines these days after longer experience with the windfoils?
are the bolts rattling loose easily?
have you changed your assembly routine over time and does it really make a difference if just assembled for short periods of time?

Generous Tefgel on all threads and under screw/bolt heads, leave assembled and then back off all bolts by one turn and retighten every few weeks.

Sorry, this forum does not work for writing/editing posts via an iPad.
the "??" in previous post was supposed to show a thumbs up instead...

Pacey said..
Generous Tefgel on all threads and under screw/bolt heads, leave assembled and then back off all bolts by one turn and retighten every few weeks.

Excellent Pacey, that is definitely doable!

I have the standard Slingshot foil. I followed the manual and lubed all bolts with lanolin oil (purchased from
Amazon) when I first got it. I have noticed that the bolts connecting the fuse to the strut tend to loosen during a session if they not tightened really well. At the end of my first season I forgot to disassemble so it sat in my garage for months until I remembered. No binding or corrosion. All fresh water sailing.

Cyber said..

tonyk said..
I like the full dismantle at the end of each sailing day, because I don't like any moisture left between surfaces in storage

Just a little bit of marine grease on bolts

I have never had a bolt come loose not sure what you are talking about with that
If they are coming loose something is wrong with the foil engineering or the bolt length

Sounds great tonyk,
just a bit of grease on the bolts is easy enough! ??

I don't understand either why the bolts should come loose, but have found plenty of references here on this site that windfoilers have lost their foilfin out at sea. So howcome they do so then???

that is why i asked if the grease and teflon tape is just to avoid corrosion, or if its also to avoid the bolts coming loose during the windfoiling? Never had one myself either, but wondered if that really was all due to that tedious work of greasing and then teflon tape coating the bolts every time???

i would be very pleased if not so, as just a dip into the marine grease when assembling is super easy! ??

Cyber there are few of us foiling in my area
No one has ever had issues with loose bolts
So i reckon i would not worry too much about that unless there are others quoting they have the issue with the same brand you have

Tried the tefgel, it works great but it's too sticky for my liking
I prefer the routine of full dismantle and washing of each component
I enjoy doing this but i know a lot prefer to throw the whole thing assembled in the boot till the next sailing day, for this method drown it all in tefgel

Generally all the foils are pretty bullet proof and don't have any issues as long as they get a bit of TLC

Both, for tightness retention AND long term corrosion resistance.
However, I'm lazy and tefgel once every 30 odd sessions so the alloy got bigger with loosening and tightening after 90 sessions. Bolts now wobble after 6 threads are screwed on....but there are 15 more to tighten.

Worth reading these, basically Tefgel will prevent an electrolyte (seawater) entering between the dissimilar metals and prevent galvanic corrosion, except for where the metals are in direct contact. In this case Tefgel will not prevent corrosion as it is conductive, not an insulator. However corrosion should be low if the relative area of the anode (aluminium) is large relative to that of the cathode (SS).

Im in fresh water. The only parts I lube up are the parts I leave connected, which are where the tuttle connects to mast and rear stab connects to switch fuse. I loosen and tighten those bolts once a month. All the rest, I don't lube, as I disassemble the other parts after every session. Never have had a bolt unscrew. I have the SS foil and I tighten all bolts pretty darn snug to where I can barely turn them any more. That's what Wyatt says for SS foils for tightening bolts.

Hello, with my aluminum rrd2 I have used lanolin and teflon, this summer on vacation at the beach as the recommendations say! and I have disassembled every 3 or 4 days and cleaned with fresh water! result: I have loaded the threads of the fuselage, with lanolin it is more difficult to wash since it is waterproof and any grain of sand that remains stuck breaks the threads! in fact, by falsifying the threads, I have lost the front wing! From now on I don't put anything greasy on the threads anymore, I just wash and arm! my experience!!!

foilarg said..
Hello, with my aluminum rrd2 I have used lanolin and teflon, this summer on vacation at the beach as the recommendations say! and I have disassembled every 3 or 4 days and cleaned with fresh water! result: I have loaded the threads of the fuselage, with lanolin it is more difficult to wash since it is waterproof and any grain of sand that remains stuck breaks the threads! in fact, by falsifying the threads, I have lost the front wing! From now on I don't put anything greasy on the threads anymore, I just wash and arm! my experience!!!

spot on foilarg

LeeD said..
Dry, stainless screws will wear out aluminum receptors.
Anyone knows that.....except for me last year.
I skipped the lube except for every 10-15 days because I thought I was gonna buy a longer mast.
Well, got the 90 but like the 70 better so the alu is getting worn....

Are you saying that the aluminum will get worn out due to assembly/disassembly if dry? When screwing/unscrewing there should be no tension or friction (only in the last quarter turn). Do you think the parts will wear out in any appreciable way?

LeeD said..
Anytime 2 different metals are rubbed together, the softer get's worn out.
Of course there IS friction.

That's one of the reasons you use Tefgel or lanolin. What you are talking about is called galling, and you don't want it. Don't put Stainless Steel bolts into Aluminium without lubrication

A well engineered foil with quality surface coatings doesn't need anything other than to be rinsed weekly and left unassembled.
But any design where you thread into aluminum will need some lubrication.

Break down every 3 months and clean/reapply marine grease. All you need to do, DONT worry about the tape. Keep it simple.

dc

LeeD said..
Dry, stainless screws will wear out aluminum receptors.
Anyone knows that.....except for me last year.
I skipped the lube except for every 10-15 days because I thought I was gonna buy a longer mast.
Well, got the 90 but like the 70 better so the alu is getting worn....

The Aluminium receptors should have Stainless Steel inserts (helicoils)
Most of the good brands do.