Wherever different metal parts are joined together, the so-called"Galvanic corrosion". Behind this is a chemical process that repeatedly ensures that the foil screws on foils can no longer be loosened after a short time.
Especially those who like to leave the wings mounted on the fuselage to save time and only remove the foil mast after surfing run the risk that the screw connections from the wings to the fuselage will be corroded after a few weeks.
But this problem can be prevented by treating the contact surfaces - i.e. screws and threads - accordingly.
Normal lubricants such as the well-known WD-40 are less suitable for use with foil screws and are also harmful to the environment. Viscous Teflon gels, on the other hand, are ideal. Before fitting, simply dip the screws into the grease and then screw them into the thread. The contact surfaces of the steel screws to the thread are now moistened by the gel, which ensures theGalvanic corrosion is largely prevented. Some manufacturers supply an appropriate gel with their foils. If this is not the case with your foil, you can get e.g. at Tikal a suitable product. Another alternative that has proven itself for use in water sports is the Copper gel from Ballistol .
Another option is so-called Teflon tape. This wafer-thin tape can be wrapped around the thread of the screw before screwing it in.
Protected in this way, the foil screws should still be easy to loosen even after a long period of time. However, to be on the safe side, you should also try loosening greased screws every few weeks and apply new gel or Teflon tape from time to time.
