Back to work on the A-Cat mast. In the first part I built the air pump system, and then tested it on the hull lay-up for the TMS-20, I did not want to just jump into the mast repair. In this post I am building the sleeves and showing how I bagged out the sleeves. I figure somebody may like to see a post on how to vacuum bag. On this project I had time to take some pics. One the TMS-20 lay-up we were too busy to grab the camera.
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I'll pull the peel ply tomorrow. Then I'll be ready to cut the slot area and fit the sleeves inside the mast.
More Later...............
Sorry for the hijack, but I am looking for a 5.4m long A-Cat section. So if anyone has broken an A-Cat mast section and doesn't want to go through the above or claimed a new one on insurance, let me know. Thanks.
I fitted the sleeves to each mast section 5mm and 2.5 mm. I made the 2.5mm sleeve a bit stiffer and leveled the diameter of the inside of the spar section with the sleeves. No more 2.5mm hard spot - drop in wall thickness, so the manufacturing defect has been corrected. I have a little work left on the sleeves now that I’ve fitted everything. Tomorrow, err later today after some sleep I will add reinforcement inside the inner sleeve where the mast sections join and a lay-up to the sleeve in the sail groove area.
I have it level on the sail groove area to make and eyeball straight. I will then throw the laser beam on the mast to make sure it is straight from foot to head. Then drill some alignment holes for screws and glue it together. Following are some pics of the work today.
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One last picture. One other thing I will do is to taper the sleeves at the ends as to not leeve a new hard spot.
Tomorrow I will make it one mast section again ready for everybody's favorite thing....grinding.
If time, weather, and the morning work sets-up in time start the glass work on the outside.
Later.....Mike
Nice shot of the moon in the last pic in the first page.
When I saw that I thought the same but knew it was not the moon. The picture was taken at Midnight or there about the object is 25 degrees from the horizon looking NNE out of the shop. The moon would be at least 90 degrees overhead.
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are you out there ………..
..--------- That is all I need now broke-butt spaceships in the shop I'll never get the TMS-20 done.
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are you out there ………..
..--------- That is all I need now broke-butt spaceships in the shop I'll never get the TMS-20 done.
Hilarious. Nuf said...