Making Sta-lok Terminals - DIY Stainless Steel Rigging Hardware For Sailboats

This concise tutorial shows how to make a Sta-lok mechanical terminals.
Come learn to sail with us: morsealpha.com
Making Sta-loks for your rigging is really quite simple. Follow these few steps and you'll have no trouble. Not shown in this video is cutting the wire to length. But that's just common "measure twice, cut once" sense. We sized up the old Stalok with the wire to get precise measurements. We redid our rig 6 months after we bought our Norseman 447. We also replaced all the chainplates. We did however reuse the Sta-lok turnbuckles and externals. This vital component of a safe sailing vessel should be done about every 10 years.
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We bought our new wire & Sta-lok parts from: riggingonly.com
Special thanks to the Lewis R French for the use of their barn. schoonerfrench.com
Music by my college friends: The Big Little

[@toddtavares7386]

I read all of the comments first. I know this video is a few years old. Great video guys! But as a lifelong mechanic, I must remark that there is a right way and a wrong way to use wrenches. You were using them wrong 3 times out of 4. You swing the wrench handle toward the movable jaw.

[@bawrytr]

It's better to get two pieces of softwood, and then drill a hole slightly smaller than the rope between them. Then you tape them to the vise jaws to hold the rope solidly. The serrated plates on the jaws of the vise can nick up the relatively soft stainless quite easily, and cause the strands to break down the road.

[@ironfront9573]

Fantastic educational video. I am not from a marine background and allergic to being on the water, but I am just learning about marine hardware for use in alternative applications. I wasn't even expecting to come across a method of mounting hardware onto a steel cable. Thanks for uploading.

[@martyspargur5281]

Boatlife Lifecaulk is by far my favorite choice for stalok or similar compression terminals. It has excellent adhesion, and dries very slowly. Sika is fine but not 291 because it dries too fast. When I don't have life caulk available I use 4200. 3M made a caulk like lifecaulk (101) but it seems to be discontinued. Sudbury Elastomeric is an excellent choice. I always use black whenever possible because it is much more UV tolerant. I would never use silicone or acrylic silicone mix caulk, it's better to leave them dry than it is to use RTV types. Thank You, great tutorial especially since you did not overtighten them.

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

Good to know on the black being more UV tolerant. Also doesn’t show the rust as much 🤓

[@martyspargur5281]

@@MorseAlphaExpeditions it took me awhile to realize that teak decks are caulked with black for a very good reason

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

@@martyspargur5281 yes that is a great observation!

[@BethBrowne]

You make it look so easy!!

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

It is easy!

[@SALVATl0N]

It would be great to see more videos.

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

Working on a few ...

[@crunchycrispybacon]

It’s known that water isn’t what corroded stainless steel, it’s being in anaerobic conditions; lack of oxygen keeps the protective oxide layer from forming leaking to rust. exactly what adding caulk does.

[@qatarsailor7727]

Good job 👍

[@wilsoncalhoun]

Dude, you don't even necessarily need a big wrench as long as you've got a cheater bar (a longish pipe with an opening wide enough to fit over your tool end and walls thick enough to withstand the pressures involved). Of course nothing beats having the right tool for the job, but if you're by yourself and need to bring more force to bear than you've physically got, don't forget the simple lever.

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

Absolutely 👍👍 we always have a cheater bar aboard.

[@Staalkabelstunter]

Impressive!

[@SoloSailer]

Will you do a video of the complete tool kit that you carry on board

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

Interesting idea.

[@shanep5121]

Nice video but you were struggling with two wrenches while standing in front of a vice. Also, flip that adjustable, please.

[@sitipie7955]

good video and very helpful and easy in work, please info which tool (swageless) do you use what size mm ..? and can you help me if I want to have or buy the tool.. greetings friends from Indonesia 🙏👍👍🇮🇩

[@RiggingDoctor]

Very informative! Are you guys in Maryland? We flew home to visit family for Christmas.

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

We are. Still in Annapolis.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Morse Alpha Expeditions Greg said you guys are marina neighbors. We are in Maryland until the end of January. We should meet up :)

[@BubbathePirate]

How did you compensate from measuring stretched old wire to cutting new? Is there a resource you would recommend for more detail?

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

We may have compensated by about 2mm. However, it wasn’t a big deal as you have PLENTY of room for error in the turnbuckles. I say maybe, because we did this a few years ago and I honestly don’t recall. It was negligible. As far as other resources, I just read the Stalok instructions. I had done the rig on our previous boat, Elizabeth, as well. Project Atticus has a decent video on the subject. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KnmHxrm96Kqs0

[@RichardPhillips10]

Question: do you cut the new wire to *exactly* the same length as the old - or is there some stretch that you need to take account of?

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

I accounted for a little stretch. But it’s really negligible. The biggest consideration was how many threads were left on the turnbuckles for adjustment. If there weren’t many threads left, I shortened the wire. If there were plenty of threads left I cut the wire to same size.

[@RichardPhillips10]

@@MorseAlphaExpeditions Great, huge thanks...

[@JuanEnrique-lm5zf]

Adónde puedo comprar esa producto como terminales mecanico

[@PDZ1122]

Why would younnot clean up and re use the Stalok fittings? There is nothing wrong with them, they don't wear out in any way.

[@gerrys6265]

Does the threadlocker do anything after the lifecalk covers the threads?

[@MorseAlphaExpeditions]

Probably not. Hard to say. What do you think?

[@fatkorn]

You should see this guy make balloon animals

[@Cpt_Jimmy_Jams]

You didn't throw away the old staloks!?!?

[@teresacarey2215]

Staylock has said that they can be reused. We decided we would reuse them just once and (even if they pass a rigger's inspection) we will replace them next time - along with other structural SS like chainplates (which we already replaced) etc.

[@Cpt_Jimmy_Jams]

@@teresacarey2215 good, couldn't tell. I've met ppl reusing them 3 times

[@teresacarey2215]

@@Cpt_Jimmy_Jams Yea. I think, according to Staylock, if they were inspected that could be ok. But it all depends on the conditions. We don't plan to keep them for another round anyeay. But we tend to be conservative when it comes to safety equipment. Still, I've met people who have 30 year old boats and have never replaced their chain plates! And I've met people who don't even know to inspect their chain plats. SS isn't perfect. So it all needs to be checked often - every year at least.

[@bawrytr]

You're supposed to buy a new cone and former if you reuse the old terminals.