Do it yourself standing rigging?

I have three Hobie 16's and a Getaway. When I added up the rigging kits for all four boats I started wondering if I might just buy a spool of 1x19, 1/8 wire, a swage tool, thimbles and crimps. I'm not keen on roller swaging bc that's the only swage that's ever failed on me (by the roller furling on the Getaway) plus it's not really inspectable.

After doing some research I found a Kearney swage tool for a mere $5,479.00 hmmm. I noticed that in the Murray's catalogue there's a rigging dude with a hand swage- like tool on his work bench. Where can I find that? I replaced standing rigging on my 40' schooner myself. Any ideas?

Also wondering if anyone knows the lengths on the rigging, especially for the Getaway. Maybe I should ask that in the Getaway forum.


Han
Sail Safaris Cat Tours
St John, Virgin Islands

I used to do all my own rigging when I was sailing a Hobie 16. Once you get the hang of how to set a swage it is not all that bad. I used the hand held tool. Since then I have used the table mounted manual tool and prefer it. I would think that the tool would be about $100, maybe a bit more. West Marine may be able to get you one. I always used one in their store.

Later,
Dan

This fall i replaced the shrouds on one of my monohulls which is no longer in production. I went to west marine and they have a rigging bench right in the back of the store with almost anything you would want hanging right there, no trips back and fourth to the store and they pretty much leave you alone and let you do your own thing for liability, but it makes working allot easier too. I had a hard time finding a wire cutter already out to cut the cable i was using so one of the salesmen took a brand new $180 set of cutters off the shelf and told me to use them, after that i didnt have any trouble. unless you are plannning on going into the rigging business i would not invest in $200 or more worth of rigging equipment and no telling how many trips back and fourth to the store trying to get all the parts you need, and you will only pay for the cable you use.

_________________
The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realist adjusts the sails.

Im an x airplane mechanic and airplanes use swagged fittings all the time. Theres some simple tools that swag by tighting two bolts down that squeezes two bars. The good one are like large pliers. If your ever around an airport buy a copy of the magazing Trade-A-Plane its 3 dollars and they will have tool outlets that have said tool. You can also find the SS wire and the "Nicropress" fittings. May be cheaper than boat stuff but mabye not

www.ustool.com
hand swager # TP228....... $95
this is the one like a large pair of pliers
1/16 to 3/16 + the dealies that hook the main halyard in that foot
the company is in Gardena CA