Mast construction
In the past few year I've built a couple of masts.
I've used a mast and a clam shell mold made from that mast laying the glass then pressing the mast into the shell.
This year I have some other guys intersted in building a few masts. We just completed the first 2 halves. We now just have to trim up and start with loft tube placement. The few masts that I've made have not broken but also don't bend like I want them too. The lay up this time was about 6 layers of biaxle glass. The halves bend well, but the halves have always bent well at this stage. Once glued the bend changes.
I was thinking for my mast to try: placing uni-directional carbon from the tip of the mast to 2 feet past the hound to make it stiffer and force the bottom to pop.
Any info or experiences that anyone else, has please feel free to share or you can e-mail me directly(baymacks@comcast.net).
Bill DN5187
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Comments
Mast stiffness
We have built 24 masts using blow molding like Sherry Masts. Our typical layup is a bout 7 layers of Triaxle glass 20 oz, Sounds like your masts might be on the soft side since they dont have the 6 or 7 straight uni layers we get with the triaxle cloth.Additional layers of uni will take about 1/8 or bend out per layer. A old standard for deflections was 1 5/8 to 1 3/4 for lighter skipper or softer mast. This is measured with 100lbs between the base and the hound. I have all types of deflection data if interested drop me a email at Rastbob@aol.com.You might talk to Kiekafer or Meyer they have been building masts also.
Mast Building
It is great to hear that people are building there own parts and thinking of new construction. The Triaxle glass, I assume is S glass with two layers of uni on a 45 degree and one layer running full length. Is the total weight 20 oz?
Keep building,
Matt