I have a birthday coming up a week or so away - Im putting a big tube of Tef Gel way up there on my list !!
I have a few foils and the main 2 are the aluminium type - and the blurb says disasemble the fuse from the mast every 2 weeks etc - got to say Ive been a bit slack !!
I wanted to change mast lengths for my speedy and wave foils tonight - a simple job but was a bit concerned about the small amount of white powder I found on some mast bolts - holy crap I need to be more vigilant !!
So Tef Gel is the way to go - but the small tubes that come with the foil only last so long ?
Where is the best place to get Tef gel

I can get you a 42g tub for $48
and that tube you get with your Zeeko is about 2 seasons worth if used correctly.

geeze, Tef Gel will last years and years...For what it's worth I only pull my SP apart once or twice a year and clean the screws and reapply the gel. Never had an issue getting a screw loose. I bought a syringe like tube when I first learned about it and that will last me a lifetime of foiling. My foil fits nicely in the back of my car with all my gear so there is no assembly. The only wear I am getting is on the wings as I don't have and can't find any covers for it

There is a neoprene material with a insulated layer that is used for insulation and cushioning under floating floor.
that and some double sided tape.
whalah.

I use white bike grease and has worked well for bit over 2 year's now. I take it apart every 3-4 months. Just stops sand n salt getting in the threads.

I use some sort of anti-sieze. Its a silver paste I got from a nuts and bolts store.

I never wash or take apart my naish foil after use, but when I initially put it together about a year ago i have all bolts a generous coating of the anti sieze.

I periodically (every 2 months) loosen the bolts to make sure that it hasn't corroded together and never had any issues.

Not sure how much tefgel costs, but this stuff was $30 for a small tub which I have barely used any of. Highly recommend. Only thing is the MSDS on the side of can says dont get on skin which can be a bit difficult when fiddline with the M8 bolts, dont think its too harmful though..

Do screws corrode from just using your foil in salt water or can it also corrode from the two dissimilar metals in contact with each other. Ie titanium bolts touching aluminum fuseledge. Has anyone using there foil in fresh water had this problem? Most bolts sold are titanium plated Stainless Steel bolts... if that makes a difference?

Seems Google says so;

"When dissimilar metals contact, the anode corrodes, the cathode survives. Study of the Galvanic Series suggests that steel and aluminum are reasonably compatible; but, if titaniumand aluminum contact, the aluminum, as the anode, will corrode"

Yes the problem exists just from having two dissimilar metals electrically connected.
salt water accelerates the corrosion

the key phrase is "electrically connected "
the tefgel is formulated to provide an electrically insulating layer as well as anti seize.

I buy my Tef-Gel from Jaycar. Its about $25.00 for a 10ml syringe

I bought my last syringe tube of Tef-Gel from a marine store about 3 years ago, still have more than half left. Works wonders for dissimilar metals, I use it on my twin tip foot strap bolts and fin bolts too.

I've tried a few different solutions, by far Tefgel has been the best, every few weeks I check the bolts by loosening just half a turn, always fine, this way your also checking they are tight enough.

The other important factor in all of this is rinsing the salt water off the foil after each use.

Just out of interest, Had a demo foil for the last few days with just the standard lock tight on the screws, even after just a day or so the bolts were starting to bind.

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horace01 said..
I buy my Tef-Gel from Jaycar. Its about $25.00 for a 10ml syringe

Boating stores seem to have it fairly cheap.
E.g. www.whitworths.com.au/search?q=tef+gel

$15 for 10g tube.

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Smithy said..
I've tried a few different solutions, by far Tefgel has been the best, every few weeks I check the bolts by loosening just half a turn, always fine, this way your also checking they are tight enough.

The other important factor in all of this is rinsing the salt water off the foil after each use.

Just out of interest, Had a demo foil for the last few days with just the standard lock tight on the screws, even after just a day or so the bolts were starting to bind.

okay what is the theory behind washing the foil down after each use?

The bolts are sealed within the thread via the tefgel.

So why rinse it? What are you actually achieving here.

This is a thought I have every time I wash down the foil just out of habit.

Thoughts?

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RAL INN said..
There is a neoprene material with a insulated layer that is used for insulation and cushioning under floating floor.
that and some double sided tape.
whalah.

What is this material and does it work as well as Tefgel?

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eppo said..

Smithy said..
I've tried a few different solutions, by far Tefgel has been the best, every few weeks I check the bolts by loosening just half a turn, always fine, this way your also checking they are tight enough.

The other important factor in all of this is rinsing the salt water off the foil after each use.

Just out of interest, Had a demo foil for the last few days with just the standard lock tight on the screws, even after just a day or so the bolts were starting to bind.

okay what is the theory behind washing the foil down after each use?

The bolts are sealed within the thread via the tefgel.

So why rinse it? What are you actually achieving here.

This is a thought I have every time I wash down the foil just out of habit.

Thoughts?

Don't know. Been using my Spitfire for two seasons now and have only pulled it apart three times, once for traveling overseas. I pack up my gear on the beach, put it in my car and it either says in my car or straight into the garage. Never had any issues. Screws come out easy every time using Tefgel. Perhaps the carbon stuff is more of an issue.

Yeh I've been over doing it I think. Pulled it apart several times with Tefgel reapplication within the first 6 months!! Not necessary hey!

Yeah, once a thorough application of TefGel is in there it should stay in almost indefinitely, you'd think. Undoing and redoing screws would just be a chance for more grit and salt to get in there that would otherwise be excluded.

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eppo said..
Yeh I've been over doing it I think. Pulled it apart several times with Tefgel reapplication within the first 6 months!! Not necessary hey!

Yeah but the second you stop, and its snapped bolts and tricky extractions!

Darren washing it down a waste of time and water ??

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eppo said..

RAL INN said..
There is a neoprene material with a insulated layer that is used for insulation and cushioning under floating floor.
that and some double sided tape.
whalah.

What is this material and does it work as well as Tefgel?

Ha ha it's to make covers with.
i need to remember to make my posts Eppo friendly.

for those who like to bathe in tefgel I can get 40g tubs for $48 plus postage

but just think of the volume volume or space between your thread contact area of bolt and thread then only use enough to fill that area.
it only disappears during undoing and maybe the outer edges can be an issue and for bolts not regularly removed, the only reason for a routine maintenance.
rinsing with fresh water is an extra level of care for those that care.

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eppo said..

Smithy said..
I've tried a few different solutions, by far Tefgel has been the best, every few weeks I check the bolts by loosening just half a turn, always fine, this way your also checking they are tight enough.

The other important factor in all of this is rinsing the salt water off the foil after each use.

Just out of interest, Had a demo foil for the last few days with just the standard lock tight on the screws, even after just a day or so the bolts were starting to bind.

okay what is the theory behind washing the foil down after each use?

The bolts are sealed within the thread via the tefgel.

So why rinse it? What are you actually achieving here.

This is a thought I have every time I wash down the foil just out of habit.

Thoughts?

So from my understanding the corrosion occurs due to the dissimilar metals and is accelerated when you add salt water, the Tefgel is on the threads but the end of the bolts are not coated and exposed to salt water as the threads run all the way through the fuselage, a squirt of fresh water to remove the salt water just in case.

May not make any difference but what the heck.

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Smithy said..

eppo said..

Smithy said..
I've tried a few different solutions, by far Tefgel has been the best, every few weeks I check the bolts by loosening just half a turn, always fine, this way your also checking they are tight enough.

The other important factor in all of this is rinsing the salt water off the foil after each use.

Just out of interest, Had a demo foil for the last few days with just the standard lock tight on the screws, even after just a day or so the bolts were starting to bind.

okay what is the theory behind washing the foil down after each use?

The bolts are sealed within the thread via the tefgel.

So why rinse it? What are you actually achieving here.

This is a thought I have every time I wash down the foil just out of habit.

Thoughts?

So from my understanding the corrosion occurs due to the dissimilar metals and is accelerated when you add salt water, the Tefgel is on the threads but the end of the bolts are not coated and exposed to salt water as the threads run all the way through the fuselage, a squirt of fresh water to remove the salt water just in case.

May not make any difference but what the heck.

Yeh that kind of makes sense actually although it's the threads and potential bolt seizure that is the real enemy. But yeh what the heck true.

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eppo said..

Smithy said..

eppo said..

Smithy said..
I've tried a few different solutions, by far Tefgel has been the best, every few weeks I check the bolts by loosening just half a turn, always fine, this way your also checking they are tight enough.

The other important factor in all of this is rinsing the salt water off the foil after each use.

Just out of interest, Had a demo foil for the last few days with just the standard lock tight on the screws, even after just a day or so the bolts were starting to bind.

okay what is the theory behind washing the foil down after each use?

The bolts are sealed within the thread via the tefgel.

So why rinse it? What are you actually achieving here.

This is a thought I have every time I wash down the foil just out of habit.

Thoughts?

So from my understanding the corrosion occurs due to the dissimilar metals and is accelerated when you add salt water, the Tefgel is on the threads but the end of the bolts are not coated and exposed to salt water as the threads run all the way through the fuselage, a squirt of fresh water to remove the salt water just in case.

May not make any difference but what the heck.

Yeh that kind of makes sense actually although it's the threads and potential bolt seizure that is the real enemy. But yeh what the heck true.

It's the corrosion that leads to the seizure.
At least that's what my analyst tells me

Paw Paw cream works just as well.

other options are - use aluminium bolts in aluminium..... or get a titanium setup with carbon.... or put an anode on the aluminium like the alpinefoil anode.