How to Build New Winch Pads

[John Stone]

I decided to start a new thread on the winch pads after I got dragged down a rabbit hole on resorcinol as the adhesive. For my purposes it's a better adhesive and I use it when I can. Use whatever you want.

The old pads built during the 2009-2015 rebuild were fine. They worked perfectly. But varnish on horizontal surfaces always gets the most abuse from the overhead sun especially in the tropics. When I installed new primary winches in 2018 I topped the winch base with 3/16" silicon bronze to eliminate the horizontal varnish. I mounted the Lewmar 46s on top. I thought it turned out great. When the bronze turned blue-green juxtaposed the varnish teak pad and bare teak cap rail I knew I wanted to do the same for the stsys'l winches at some point.

I milled the secondary (stays'l) winch pads down about 1/4" to remove the radiused top. Then laminated two 5/4 teak boards together with resorcinol. Then, when the glue cured I cut it in half and glued a section to each original pad making the new pad about 5.75" tall. I cut the excess off on a band saw. They looked a little bulky to my eye because they were so tall (they are mounted on the forward part of the coaming which is taller than where the primaries are located) and cylindrical. Anyway, I decided to taper the pads about 4° to give them a refined more elegant profile.

Today, I clamped and drilled the holes in the bronze plates for the winch using the old holes in the pads as a guide. Scribed the profile on the plates with a scratch awl then I cut the plates to fit the winch pad top with a jig saw (bronze is so much easier to work than SS). I used a high speed 4.5" Mikita grinder to smooth the edges. Then I removed the machine marks with a couple mill files. I want the bronze plate to be proud of the edge 1/16" so I have a clear cut line for varnishing.

I am thinking about slotting the pads on the bottom corner (where it fits up to the coaming) to allow water to drain aft when it gets trapped against the coamings between the winch pads sailing up-wind off-shore. I'll set them aside for now as I turn my focus back to the coamings.

[Jim Walsh]

Nice work. Given the choice I think I’d go with the limber hole option if it was in the style of a quarter round. I think a miter cut would stand out given the curves of the winch pad it serves. The grain on that teak looks great.

[John Stone]

Thanks Jim. Limber hole...exactly. I could pull that word down. The trick is be able to bed the pad without the caulking being forced into the limber hole. The limber hole has to be small or the varnish on the coaming will get worn and develop breaks with no way to apply new varnish. Mahogany has to be protected.

I am thinking about cutting that liber hole quarter-round and laying down a small copper tube (1/4" -5/16" OD) the width of the winch pad and bedding it in the limber hole for the water to pass through. The caulking would fully encase the copper tube. But not sure how it would work...or how it would look. So, I'll just think about it for a while as I work in the coaming. Any ideas about it?

[Jim Walsh]

I like the idea of lining the limber hole, sounds like a nice custom touch. Tubing can easily be bent to follow the contour of the deck and/or the coaming. Unless you already have a scrap of copper tubing on hand I’d go with brass (the cost is nearly identical to copper tubing) as it will have a surface patina nearly indistinguishable from bronze in one season. I would be inclined to go with 3/8” or even 1/2”. It would be far less likely to be blocked with leaves, pollen, flying fish scales…take your pick. Keep a .45 cal. cleaning brush aboard and try to convince the customs inspectors you only use it for clearing winch block limber holes.

[Frenchy]

Beautiful work as always, John. The only question I have relates to the height of the winches off the deck. The
through bolts are going to be long and the side force that high up could create problems. Perhaps if an oversize
backing plate was mounted it could spread the force over a wider area of the deck.
Then again, maybe that's nothing to worry about- Jean

[John Stone]

I like the idea of lining the limber hole, sounds like a nice custom touch. Tubing can easily be bent to follow the contour of the deck and/or the coaming. Unless you already have a scrap of copper tubing on hand I’d go with brass (the cost is nearly identical to copper tubing) as it will have a surface patina nearly indistinguishable from bronze in one season. I would be inclined to go with 3/8” or even 1/2”. It would be far less likely to be blocked with leaves, pollen, flying fish scales…take your pick. Keep a .45 cal. cleaning brush aboard and try to convince the customs inspectors you only use it for clearing winch block limber holes.

All good points. They find a barrel cleaning brush they may try to take my boat apart looking for a weapon. LOL.

[John Stone]

Beautiful work as always, John. The only question I have relates to the height of the winches off the deck. The
through bolts are going to be long and the side force that high up could create problems. Perhaps if an oversize
backing plate was mounted it could spread the force over a wider area of the deck.
Then again, maybe that's nothing to worry about- Jean

Thanks Jean. I'm reusing the same bolts as before. The winch is the same height. Also there is a G10 backing plate. And the winch pad is bolted through the coaming.

Here is a picture of the original set up. Essentially I'm replacing the bare round teak pad with the glued on riser pad. Everything else stays the same.

[John Stone]

As the coaming rebuild continues I went back to work on the secondary winch pads. I felt the top of the pad was a little closer than desired to the bare teak cap rail, fastened to the top of the coaming. I wanted to take 1/4 inch off the top of the pads. But, how to do it? The pads are angled on all sides. I decided to build a simple jig from scrap wood to hold the pads tightly in place (isn't that why we never throw bits and pieces out of our shops to the exasperation of our wives.

I bracketed the pads with blocks screwed to a plywood platform. Then screwed the pads to the plywood platform from underneath so they would remain secure and dead flat during the planing. I made the 2x4 side rails a little taller than the pads so the planer would start cutting them down first. Once they were even with the top of the pads the king side rails prevented snipe I would other wise have gotten when the cutting head rolled off the top of the teak pad.

After planing I sanded the winch pads. Probably lay on the first coat of varnish tomorrow.

Onward.

[John Stone]

The secondary winch pad project is essentially complete.

I applied four coats of varnish. I'll install the coamings, then the winch pads, then complete the varnishing. Probably a total of 8 coats. Then as before we varnish about three times a year, two coats each time, if we are actively sailing.

Over time with exposure to UV I think the teak will darken a bit and look a little more homogeneous....
The silicon bronze plates will go green and match plates on the primaries.

It's a rainy day here. Might be able to install the coamings tomorrow. Next project is disassembly and greasing of the sheet winches.

Keep moving.....

[John Stone]

Here is the link to building and installing new cockpit coamings. The winch pad install is continued there.

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=38769

[John Stone]

Below is the link for winch base build. I forgot I had a thread on the winch pad build so I will delete the other thread and keep this one.

https://youtu.be/LO38vFekKhE?si=WOWbgCe2iThFRjQe

[keneasley]

Great video !

I've shared it to some sailing friends.

[tvangilder]

They look great! I am in the process of welding up new winch bases to hold my "new to me" murray two speeds. I am trying to find a pair of used MW-4 for secondaries.... which is holding up the process.

[John Stone]

Great video !

I've shared it to some sailing friends.

Thanks Ken.

[John Stone]

They look great! I am in the process of welding up new winch bases to hold my "new to me" murray two speeds. I am trying to find a pair of used MW-4 for secondaries.... which is holding up the process.

Thanks tvanglider. I have coveted those Murray's for decades. I'll be interested to see how you mount them. Please post pictures when you do.