OKS! Which of yous Bozzo's fiddled with a furry mast? I have forgotten and need a little "Input" I have an oportunity to get a one peice Blue Glass Mast about 4.5mtr Long. It would appear to have a curved profile. That is it is axialy straight with a curved and tapered lay and about 3m wall thickness.. The mast looks to be in reasonable condition although very reminicent of a Plush Toy/Poo Bear. How to deal with it? Mayhap a little sand paper and over lay it with a layer of woven Glass??

WE heading back to Wynyard on Saturday so need a few pointers in the next day or three..------------------TP1. Keep it clean and nice Please..
Ron

Gizmo said...

Sounds like an original "windsurfer" brand mast that has been stored incorrectly perhaps with a weight on it (hence the curve) and stored where the UV light has got to it by breaking down the resin that's its made with.

As some of the strength would have gone by the fuzziness of the mast give the mast a spiral helical wrap with glass tape and resin and see how it goes....

Whats the worst that could happen? it snaps.... and you've been there done that before.

There, fixed it for ya.

my first mast was an old one piece furry mast I fixed up.
It was wiped down with acetone, then brushed a coat of resin on it, next day, a light sand to get rid of a few sticky outy bits and another coat of resin.
mast is still in use (as back up spare)
Paul and TP1 tell me its better to add a bit of talc as a filler to the resin.

stephen

OK,
Converting Cuddly Poo to a Blue Smurf.
I have taken a couple of pic's of that Mast after I bought it for $10.. It will be worth the money even if it is for further education...

I bought it home to Trav's and took to it with the back edge of an old knife as a scraper and half hr later had scraped all the Fur off so when I get back to Wynyard I will post my efforts..
Wish me luck or a broken leg..
Ron

"Wish me luck or a broken leg.." Same deal if you're a thespian, and I'm detecting a a bit of a thespian tendency

Cheers Col

no need to scrape off the fur , you want to reincorporate it in the mast, just add enogh talc make the resin a bit thicker so it will hang when brushed on. I wouls add 1.5-2% catalyst rather than the proper 1% , to get it to set quicker.
adding anew layer of glass will simply give you a whole lot of sanding to do later and if the mast is so far gone it needs extra glass its probably just a waste of glass/resin

jus the resin and talc, Ive no idea how strong it will be , but I wouldnt waste cloth on it

How long do we turn you 'til you go "off"

i just noticed the electric sander in the photo. I wouldnt have ven picked that mast up!!!!!
next tme make sure you do all the cleaning wet
have you thoroughly wetted down , vacumned and holed down you shed a second time?
I think i would start itching just walking past your driveway

Right-ho! Cuddly Mast. Today I shall give it a try. I finally settled for a Gell Coat that I had left over from the seat I built (Occum's Razor). I think when the mast was built it it may have been a little over engineered to ensure strength of construction. I have further strengthened the base with an 800mm Tassie Oak Shaft epoxied into it, I also have a section of Aggy Poly Pipe fitted over it to protect it from the metal Mast Step. The Gell Coat has now converted it from Smurf Blue to Sky Blue Dislike Smurfs as they ain't far from Muppet's and we all know where the operators have their Hand[}:)]
Ron

what are planning to use the mast on,
That is a rather flexy mast not really suited to big yachts or big pilots.
we use them on the little kids and small beginners Yachts