JD pointed out to me that the Adafruit website is clunky and has no search engine. He couldn’t find the switches. I went back to my order and captured the link there. Odd that such a cool product and cool company has such a bad website.
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1476#tutorials]
I was a little scarce last week and the week before. The Seattle Times is doing a feature on the lunar lander dwelling. It had to get substantially finished for the photo shoot by last Thursday. Built like a boat with epoxy and vacuum bagging.
The usually away-team problems compounded by metal fabrication that didn’t fit made me run scared.
And a parent passed away so all kinds of cleaning up and organizing. Am back now and getting to everyone’s projects.
Is it still on? I h ave not heard one way or the other. Did a search and found nothing.
I heard Tampa was not hit as bad as it could have been, but don’t know.
On the lunar lander dwelling project one of my holy grails has been finding blow-your-mind glowing 12v switches. One company I saw at IBEX had some for what $30 each I think it was. An earlier one I bought online was only slightly cheaper and didn’t actually work.
These beauties look great. They glow in several colors. Sailors might want red to save the night vision. Buck 95 each. How cool is that. I have not used in marine environment yet. OK, I have not yet used at all, but they look right to me. I will soon.
www.adafruit.com
A woman owned company that quotes Bucky.
John Jacques, building a very modified 43′ trimaran showed us the tool he uses. I can’t wait to try it. He runs the rotary wire brush along the coves to smooth them out.
Stoneway Hardware, in Seattle. Back from a fastener run there. I bought both galvanized and stainless for the spaceship. They have everything; galvanized, stainless, bronze.
Fisheries Supply used to carry a lot of fasteners, but I see a lot fewer fasteners now at Fisheries. www.stonewayhardware.com for shopping online.
I always assume that everybody is fully up to speed on the different hull core materials. Then I come across some choices that I see being made. I ask “why would they do that?” Then I realize maybe a reminder is needed.
I saw where cedar was recently chosen for a 50′ catamaran. I assume western red or similar.
I don’t understand why someone would choose that over Core-Cell foam for example. True, cedar is a “live core” in that it does usually satisfy global loading of a hull, with the off axis glass fabric binding the strips together and protecting them.
I consider it to be far too heavy however. While it does have slightly more compression strength perpendicular to grain (240 psi in the Wood handbook) than Core-Cell (165 psi) it is far heavier at 22 lbs/cubic foot, compared to the 6# foam at, well 6 lbs. For a cat with two 1000 sqft hulls lets assume 3/4″ core. The cedar core will weigh 2750 lbs. compared to 750 lbs for the foam core. Actually the foam will be a bit less as 6# is only needed in high load areas. But dude, that a ton.
And the cedar is not stronger than the core in everything. The NFPA gives the cedar a horizontal shear strength of 70 psi. The 6# foam has a shear strength of 191 psi.
Cedar does have a bit more compression strength perpendicular to grain compared to 6# Core-Cell. 240 psi compared to 165 psi.
But, for me the biggest advantage of the Core-Cell is the hystereisis; it bounces back when impacted.
In panel bending tests to destruction for the USCG, the laminates would practically explode (and I recall that Al had some great numbers, like 70,000 psi bending strength) and the Core-Cell was intact. It could and would stretch up to about 30% as I recall, and bounce back. On impact the cedar does not bounce back. And since the cedar has less laminate covering it; remember the 0 degree laminate is not needed as the cedar takes care of the global loads. The cedar is thus less protected from impact but it needs the most protection.
Finally throw in the foam’s resistance to water damage, and up in the high lattitudes, insulation values. (Isn’t it snowing in south Australia this week?)
Why would someone build catamaran hulls out of cedar?
I just learned of the passing of Meade Gougeon today.
http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2017/08/meade_gougeon_michigan_sailing.html
As I noted a few years ago here at brother Jan’s passing, they basically invented modern boat building.
I did have the priviledge of speaking with him at several MACM marine composites conferences and also at IBEX conferences. The photo was 2009 IBEX I think. Miami.
About a year and a half ago I did this simple, flat panel dive cat. I don’t think I had time to post it back then. Or if I did, I have tightened up the design since then. It was designed for inboards with the hull melding into a skeg. The design brief changed to outboards. They may be in production now. Foam/glass flat panel. A variety of house cabins are possible.
Loa 42′-8″ 13m
Boa 18′-5″ 5.64m
Disp 15,070 lbs. 6835 kg.
Draft 1′-8″ 0.5m
100 hp per side for 20 knots at above displacement.
Nice little shot of John Jacques expanded 37 trimaran transom. Says he modeled it on my 72′-75′-79′ trimaran design transom. (customer took me through complete revisions to each length before skipping out) So I can finally see what the 79 might have looked like if I squint. Lots of nice detailing.
