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mrybas · 07-06-2017, 13:47

I'm interested in buying someone's broken carbon fiber mast. I need to get at least 2 10' sections from it.

UNCIVILIZED · 07-06-2017, 13:53

It's worth trying over at Sailing Anarchy, carbon's more popular over there. Try BoatDesign.net/forums too.

mrybas · 07-06-2017, 14:00

Will do. Thanks

UNCIVILIZED · 07-06-2017, 14:18

Dare I ask what you're building? And some other places to try are some of the one design fleets, custom boatbuilders, spar makers, etc. You may even get lucky & snag a tube which isn't quite up to spec for use as a rig, but that would work fine for what you're doing.

Also, there's no shortage of companies online who sell carbon fiber tubing, & pipe. They'll even custom build it to your spec's. For example the firms which build deck mounted sprit kits.

mrybas · 07-06-2017, 14:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Dare I ask what you're building? And some other places to try are some of the one design fleets, custom boatbuilders, spar makers, etc. You may even get lucky & snag a tube which isn't quite up to spec for use as a rig, but that would work fine for what you're doing.

Also, there's no shortage of companies online who sell carbon fiber tubing, & pipe. They'll even custom build it to your spec's. For example the firms which build deck mounted sprit kits.

A sex swing for the misses

A radar mount and matching wind gen pole. One for each transom. I thought I'd see if I could get lucky and find something on the cheap.

UNCIVILIZED · 07-06-2017, 14:44

Don't you mean a sex swing for the mistress?

For the radar, you might be able to use a repurposed windsurfer mast, if it's stayed & or braced on a couple of axis. Particularly if the staying induces some tension, much in the way that using shrouds to induce bend into a mast greatly stabilizes it. Heck, you could even add spreaders, needs be. Diamonds on 3 sides would add a lot of stability!

Bruce Schwab had a pretty trick one on Ocean Planet, & it's easy enough to find pics of it online. It was airfoil shaped, made of composite, & stayed.

The other option, of course, is a DIY tower. Say strip plank & carbon. But for a wind gen I'd be more skittish about carbon fiber, given that you'll be bolting a fair bit of hardware to the tube. And that wind gen's generate a lot of load, between their being generators, & their mass whipping around with each wave you encounter. Not that such would hold me back from doing it. Just require a bit more thought is all.

Island Time O25 · 07-06-2017, 16:03

Where on East Coast are you? I can ask a carbon mast builder a few miles away from me if he has some inexpensive sections among his left overs and misc. pieces he keeps I guess for such requests. What is the diameter you're looking for?

Don't know how your "cheap" will compare to his "cheap".

mrybas · 07-06-2017, 16:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

Where on East Coast are you? I can ask a carbon mast builder a few miles away from me if he has some inexpensive sections among his left overs and misc. pieces he keeps I guess for such requests. What is the diameter you're looking for?

Don't know how your "cheap" will compare to his "cheap".

Thanks Island Time! Where are you? I'm currently in Charleston, SC but will be sailing as far N. as Newport, RI over the summer.
I'm not sure of the diameter, strong enough to supports a wind generator or radar. I plan on using a light weight wind gen not a monster.

Island Time O25 · 07-06-2017, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrybas

Thanks Island Time! Where are you? I'm currently in Charleston, SC but will be sailing as far N. as Newport, RI over the summer.
I'm not sure of the diameter, strong enough to supports a wind generator or radar. I plan on using a light weight wind gen not a monster.

I'm in MA. I'll call the guy and ask him. May be he can recommend min/max diameter based on his experience with this stuff.

Also there is a place in Newport, RI, forget their name, that basically does the same work as this guy. If you google carbon mast/rig producers in RI or some such they should come up. I think all carbon manufactures save their unused pieces exactly for such occasions.

As an aside. A friend's son built a bicycle frame out of carbon tubes he made himself. Apparently not a difficult task if one already worked with epoxy and regular fiberglass cloth. One can make a makeshift vacuum bag out of plastic sheet or 5-7mil grade garbage bags and use a regular dry/wet vacuum for suction. I think he used lightly vaselined PVC pipes as a backing while wrapping the wet cloth. If you find enough cheap remnants and cut outs of carbon cloth it may be a great project to get under your belt.

PS Was a great bike (and ultra light to boot) until it became "lost baggage" during a flight from one coast to another.

mrybas · 07-06-2017, 17:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

I'm in MA. I'll call the guy and ask him. May be he can recommend min/max diameter based on his experience with this stuff.

Also there is a place in Newport, RI, forget their name, that basically does the same work as this guy. If you google carbon mast/rig producers in RI or some such they should come up. I think all carbon manufactures save their unused pieces exactly for such occasions.

As an aside. A friend's son built a bicycle frame out of carbon tubes he made himself. Apparently not a difficult task if one already worked with epoxy and regular fiberglass cloth. One can make a makeshift vacuum bag out of plastic sheet or 5-7mil grade garbage bags and use a regular dry/wet vacuum for suction. I think he used lightly vaselined PVC pipes as a backing while wrapping the wet cloth. If you find enough cheap remnants and cut outs of carbon cloth it may be a great project to get under your belt.

PS Was a great bike (and ultra light to boot) until it became "lost baggage" during a flight from one coast to another.

Interesting. I have done a fair amount o surfboard and boat repair with epoxy/cloth, but have yet to work with carbon or vac bag.
I like your buddies DIY attitude. That's a damn shame about the bike.

Island Time O25 · 07-06-2017, 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrybas

Interesting. I have done a fair amount o surfboard and boat repair with epoxy/cloth, but have yet to work with carbon or vac bag.
I like your buddies DIY attitude. That's a damn shame about the bike.

If you've done reg. f/g you should have no problems with carbon. Just use a different hardener if you do not autoclave it.

Yeah, the kid still sobs about it. Their family have been living on the boats and traveling for 25 years now so they pretty much DIY everything which they physically can DIY. The father even explained to me with a drawing how he transported a 50' mast on top of a van with a rented Home Depot trailer at the tow and a bunch of 2X4s. He paints his bottom every season before leaving for warmer climes by waiting out the tide roped up to a granite wall. Manufactures his own rope cutters too. Quite easy actually, saw him do it once - cut out 2 pieces of ss saw and 2 pieces of marine starboard, drill 2 holes through all the 4 pieces and attach to the shaft the way your zincs are attached.

mrybas · 07-06-2017, 17:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

If you've done reg. f/g you should have no problems with carbon. Just use a different hardener if you do not autoclave it.

Yeah, the kid still sobs about it. Their family have been living on the boats and traveling for 25 years now so they pretty much DIY everything which they physically can DIY. The father even explained to me with a drawing how he transported a 50' mast on top of a van with a rented Home Depot trailer at the tow and a bunch of 2X4s. He paints his bottom every season before leaving for warmer climes by waiting out the tide roped up to a granite wall. Manufactures his own rope cutters too. Quite easy actually, saw him do it once - cut out 2 pieces of ss saw and 2 pieces of marine starboard, drill 2 holes through all the 4 pieces and attach to the shaft the way your zincs are attached.

They sound like Legends! I hope bump into them in an anchorage somewhere.