A Simple Trick to Get Fasteners Tight on Your Rigger

Many fasteners on rowing shells only need to be gently tightened. For example hard-torque is not required to tighten the nuts that hold a rigger to a hull, or to keep a footstretcher from moving. Snug yes, hard no!

Yet there are a few rigger bolt/nut combinations that need to be very securley tightened due to the nature of the forces on them. If they aren’t hard tightened—they will come lose. One example is the fastener that secures the pin to a rigger, or a bracket that locks an insert inside of a rigger tube.

There is a simple trick to get these fasteners tight. It is called a “two-hand squeeze.”

The image below shows how most folks would tighten a bracket. Using two wrenches they would push their two hands together—trying to torque down the fastener. This method works fine if you have the hand strength of the Incredible Hulk. But most of us mere-mortal rower types do not, and that is where the “two-hand squeeze” comes in.

By interlocking the fingers of the both hands, as shown in the next image, and then squeezing the hands together (instead of pushing them together) you can generate significantly more torque and get that fastener tight. Besides generating more torque this method also can save some valuable knuckle skin if a wrench were to slip off of the fastener.

You can generate even more torque by sliding the hands to the ends of the wrenches. This system also works well, very well, when loosening fasteners.

Like the tip? Let me know with a rating below. And if you have others to share pop them in the comment box.

Product Review: Flip Mino Camcorder

One of the tools that I’ve been using for the past year is a camcorder made by Pure Digital. The specific model is the Flip Mino Camcorder.

I really enjoy the camera and have recently bought two more to use with our coaching staff. The following 5 minute video will give an indepth review, along with actually footage taken with the camera.

Below are links to the camcorder, tripod, and the Pelican box I showed in the video. A disclaimer, these are affiliate links, and we receive a small amount for each purchase made through these links. If you are thinking of buying any of these items we would greatly appreciate you purchasing through these links—the funds help support us to continue providing quality information. Thank you.

1. Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black)
2. Flip Tripod for Flip Ultra and Mino Camcorders
3. Pelican Micro Dry Case (1030) (Yellow)

Does Rowing Equipment Go Wrong At The Big Races?

A post yesterday on Row2k got me thinking about this. Rowing equipment can go wrong at any race, and it certainly can at the BIG races, such as the World Championships or the Olympics.

Sometimes the results of those equipment failures can be small, such as a short equipment delay or a restart of a race.

Other times they can be devastating, such as this example. A high-tech, wonderful shell can certainly be stopped dead by a 49 cent fastener.

If you have a chance, check out a rowing coach while her race is coming down the course. It might look like she is holding her breath.

Now you know one reason why.

Get the “tight” right

The fasteners (nuts and bolts) on my rowing shells used to worry me a lot. In fact, they kept me up at night.

Why?

Because I was never sure that they were tight enough.

Why should that bother me?

Well, two reasons. First, not tight enough and something comes apart—like a rigger at the 500-meter mark. It has happened, and races—some BIG races—have been lost because of it.

Second, too tight and something gets broken (like the boat).

In an attempt to sleep better, I observed coaches to see what they did.

I found that most just guessed. They put a wrench on, turned it a few times, and that was that. That system didn’t help my sleeplessness.

Read more