Posted by Tug Boat Lonnie on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 11:55PM :
In Reply to: Thanks Lonnie! posted by Judd on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 9:58PM :
Judd,
You are right. The tallow was there to protect and preserve the nut and tailshaft. The hot tallow was very good at seeping into the threads, nooks, and cranies. As soon as it cooled, it was like encasing everything in wax. It smelled terrible, but other than that it wasn't bad to work with. It protected the nut very well. A rosebud torch would quickly melt off anything that wasn't easily knocked of with a hammer and scraper. As an added protection, most ships will have extra zinc plates mounted near the stern as sacraficial metal for electrolisys.
Best Wishes
Lonnie