Category Archives: New Designs

No IBEX for Me this Year

I am pleased that IBEX is back in sunny Florida again, but I cannot make it to this one. Its not because they ask for, then ignore, my suggestions about needing papers there on e-commerce pitfalls and DIY boat building.  As noted in previous post, I will be out of country.

Anybody who attends and sees something cool, forward to me and I will post.

Out S12 Through O4

It turns out that I will be out of country September 12 through October 4. I will have laptop with me and a chance to catch up on design, drafting and modeling. With no phones and no email.
I will try to get everyone caught up before I go, or take it with me.

I did get a week behind last one.  A tiny job took all week as Microstation i now fails to do any trims and tech does not know why.  The workarounds to customer ended up taking all week.  Microstation seems to have no sense of urgency at all.

More Magical Aft Beams

Another new example of the aft beam that disappeared. The Mcconaghy 49.  There is a kind of fence there, but between the fact that there appears to be no shear transfer between it and the hulls, and its complex shape, I’m sure it has no structural use. The aft connective has to be tucked into the bridgedeck. Again, when you reduce beam height, the strength and stiffness goes away exponentially. Magical must mean much heavier.  With enough carbon and enough money, you can do almost anything magical.  I prefer efficient engineering to magical.  Will also be tough to drag a crashed board up with a halyard at that angle.

magical iso view c blackgold no strip

More Impact

These two samples were subjected to the same ASTM impact test. I forgot to ask the test number.  Chippy organized the test.

The Vectran clearly outperformed the Kevlar.  Did I mention that Chippy sells Vectran?  Odd twist, he doesn’t believe in websites nor email.  Have to use a phone to contact him.  425-747-8712.  And I have rarely met anyone who could be creating better topics for how-to videos than Chippy.

vectrang

 

Visit From Chippy

I had a great meeting Friday with my crazed composites inventor friend Chippy(Robert Chilipala). Earlier he came up with basalt fiberglass. Then powdered holograms to add to laminates. Recently epoxy made from apple juice and fiberglass from cellulose. And what looks like a cookie that you add water to and it will cook your meal. I will have data sheets soon. He now has 87 companies. He keeps innovating. Seated on the left.

On right, a high end fiberglass weaver from Las Vegas, Steve Nagamoto.  His company CH Composites weaves a product similar to the Rovelock product but at a better price.  http://www.chcomposites.com/

chippy

Airex in the Sun

I forget now what the heat distortion temperature of Airex core is. I used to know off top of my head. I did always know it was lower than a cross linked pvc and slightly lower than SEN core. So when I set about heat bending some Airex window stops on the lander, I was surprised that this was all I could get to bend. It was a 100F day and I set the pieces in dark sand that was reading 155F. I thought just a little extra boost from a hair dryer was all I needed. No way. And this was with using weight.

airexinsun