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I have seen this question, "how do I re-pack my stuffing box" posed literally hundreds of times, on different forums, and still no-one had a good photo based article on how to change the flax packing in an old school stuffing box. This afternoon it was ridiculously rainy, hahvin' a Noh' Eastaah, and too miserable to go to the boat yard so I dug out my old stuffing box, cleaned it up and created a photo based how-to article on re-packing a stuffing box. I hope this helps someone and when this question comes up again perhaps we can just copy and paste a link !
If I missed or forgot any important points please let me know and I'll make the changes. As usual I'm not claiming these are the be all end all instructions just the only ones I know of that are in-depth and picture based.
There are two pages to this article so be sure and click page two when you get to the end of page one!
Bob Dugan - Assistant Webmaster
Pacific Seacraft 34: Emerald || CD 25D: Cricket (former owner)
Jubilee Yacht Club Beverly, MA in the Spring/Fall and Bustins Island, ME in the Summer
This is just about the clearest explanation of how to repack a stuffing box that I've ever seen. Both the illustrations and the prose are what they should be.
As editor of a boating magazine, I'm kind of embarrassed. We ran an article of repacking a couple of years ago, but it was nothing like your work.
Of course, it's the clear photos of every phase of the operation that make it so useful. Even a klutz like myself can understand what you're doing.
And FWIW, I second BobC's suggestion that we create a sticky of these photographic how-to articles.
Thanks again from all of us!
--Joe
Former Commodore, CDSOA
Former Captain, Northeast Fleet
S/V Crème Brûlée, CD 25D, Hull # 80
"What a greate matter it is to saile a shyppe or goe to sea."
--Capt. John Smith, 1627
I re-read your article and now I'm thinking about trying to re-pack my stuffing box this spring. I have the flax and a pick... but I've been afraid to take on the project. Your article is giving me a lot more confidence.
I have some questions about the last step in the process, however.
1) Can you wrap the flax rings further up the shaft than in your picture? That seems to me to be the only way you'd actually be able to push the female nut over the flax ring one ring at a time if you were going to wrap one ring at a time on the shaft. Once you have all the rings in the nut, you could slide the nut down the shaft (with the rings in it) and tigthen down the nut.
2) I don't understand the purpose of Sharpie marking the nut... is that just to remind myself where the flax ring joints are as I wrap new flax rings on the shaft?
3) What do you use for the"blunt-ended" tool?
4) Why do you need to use this tool? If the nut went over each ring OK, couldn't you just tighten down the nut?
Thanks again for your great DIY article!
Bob
Bob Dugan - Assistant Webmaster
Pacific Seacraft 34: Emerald || CD 25D: Cricket (former owner)
Jubilee Yacht Club Beverly, MA in the Spring/Fall and Bustins Island, ME in the Summer
bobdugan wrote:I re-read your article and now I'm thinking about trying to re-pack my stuffing box this spring. I have the flax and a pick... but I've been afraid to take on the project. Your article is giving me a lot more confidence.
I have some questions about the last step in the process, however.
1) Can you wrap the flax rings further up the shaft than in your picture? That seems to me to be the only way you'd actually be able to push the female nut over the flax ring one ring at a time if you were going to wrap one ring at a time on the shaft. Once you have all the rings in the nut, you could slide the nut down the shaft (with the rings in it) and tigthen down the nut.
Answer: If you have the room you can slide the nut where ever you want it. The rings usually fit quite snug and need to be tamped into place with a blunt tool.
2) I don't understand the purpose of Sharpie marking the nut... is that just to remind myself where the flax ring joints are as I wrap new flax rings on the shaft?
Answer: You mark the nut where the first joint is then mark where the second joint is and then the third. You do this so you know where the joints are inside the nut and you can stagger them. If you don't mark the nut it is easy to forget where the joints are and you could possibly get two joints in a row not staggered..
3) What do you use for the"blunt-ended" tool?
Answer: I actually use a piece of PVC pipe that I cut in half and I'll try and remember to take a picture of it and add it to the article.
4) Why do you need to use this tool? If the nut went over each ring OK, couldn't you just tighten down the nut?
Answer: You need to seat the rings all the way into the nut before tightening or twisting. This will ensure the joints stay where you put them. If you just stuff the rings in, and then spin the nut, there is no telling what your joints will look like or where they will wind up...
I had a bunch of folks ask what I use to insert the flax. I totally overlooked my custom made tool and have added three pictures of it and a description of how to make this tool to my "Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box" article.
The link takes you directly to the enlarged first picture of the tool. To read the article and see more pictures click once in the picture and it should shrink it back to normal size so you can see the rest of the article.
