On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 01:31:01 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote:

Would make a little pad from duct tape, place it against the cotter pin
points, then wrap more duct tape around say a turnbuckle body to hold it
secure.

At layup time, simply cut the tape away.

Good advice, but I do the same with cotter rings. I use the pins on
the spreaders, the boom and places I am unlikely to walk past with
loose clothing.

I found rings to be a total waste of time.

YMMV

I use SS cotter rings on the turnbuckles because they are reusable and
easily inspected. I can also get them on and off with no tools save a
reasonably healthy thumbnail, and can delegate the job. I think each
securing method has its own place, and am not particularly dogmatic
about it. Your advice about keeping them shorter and just bending them
outwards slightly (I've seen super-long ones with their ends twirled
into "mustaches") is correct.

R.