Yo! Dy,
I have never used a Styro Hot Wire Cutter but I have seen them. They are a simple thing and I would suspect that they could be made in just about any size.
One could make a good wooden Bow that can hold a fine wire between its ends, tight wire but not tight enough to stretch and break under heat. I should imagine a few different 6 to 12volt transformers could be tested in a circut with the Bow in it or for that matter a 12volt fairly high amperage Trany with a variable voltage regulater to test the max' amps required to heat the wire to good cutting temerature. One could use a metal Bow Frame. Insulators should be used to isolate Heat and electricity from the frame. Using a low voltage source combined with a fairly low amperage would be the way to go. It ain't the voltage that KILLS it is the force behind it (Amps). 2 Volts can and has killed a man but it had a very high Apm pushing it. Electric Welder across wet steel = dead in your tracks! Where as and I have experianced it (Most probably have). Thousands of volts and low amps = "Oh! Shiiite! that wasn't nice
" Push a metal wire into a Fly Zapper and you will definately know what it feels like
I have seen Styro Cutters, that in my oppinion were not at all good looking i.e. A loose piece if fencing wire strung between points and hooked directly to a 12 volt car battery. It did the job I suppose as it had Stryo remenents on it??
As in all things Electric a little Nouse/Comon Sence etc is required. I don't know what you YANKS are using in the way of domestic voltage, it used to be 110v and that was deffinately very dangerouse 240v is bad enough but there is some forgivness in it, again I have experianced it more than once but there again the foolish dare fate..
Gyro
Definitely need a good spring to tension the wire straight as it expands when hot. A variable low volt power supply (AC or DC) is ideal. If the wire is not dead tight it will give you a hollow section as you follow the profile curve. Good idea is to lift the waste Styrene material away as you go to make life easier for the wire - so another pair of hands needed. Why we were only given the original two hands is beyond me, very poor forward planning in my opinion, but then perhaps it is our fault for racing ahead of our intended function, whatever that is!!!
Ron..as an old electrician I've had my share of de-fib attempts, think I am lucky to have got this far. Nowadays they make us fit leakage breakers to our boards so you only get 20 Milliamps and they shut down...taken all the fun out of life!!
Vic..great job there, I'd love to come over and have a look some time.
..Wok
Thanks Paul.
Last meeting at the Sandgropers for this season
I think I will make two masks, one with foam and one strip built.(just for the hell of it)
Good info on how to build this stripper for an ice yacht
Making a mast mold from a strip built wing for an ice yacht (same as class3)
groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/IceBoating/photos/albums/1192607200/lightbox/432398777?picmode=medium&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=1&dir=asc
I picked up a sheet of blue” polystyrene foam today but it is only 2" thick is that thick enough for a 11" wide wing mask. The sheet length was 2.5mx600mmx50mm. Not sure if I will have to stick 2 sheets together?
Start stripping the bottom of the hull tomorrow.
Most of the successful wing masts have been in the 30 to 25 % thickness to chord length range. A thicker section will have more strength. A blunter leading edge will be easier to get and keep the flow attached. A trailing edge with a shallow angle will create an abrupt edge from the mast to sail transition. Some wing mast designers make that angle about 20 degrees to get a nice transition.
Think I will go with 28% cord on the wing mastso I will have to get another sheet of blue foam.
Just about finished stripping the bottom of the hull, then the fun begins,sand sand and more sanding,(I use a small hand plane to start with, it cuts the glue of and fairs the edges at the joins)
Bottom of hull nearly complete.
They a big yachts, I am not going to use the 6.10m mast. Going for the 5m wing mast version.(mainly a transport issue.
I go away for a couple of days and you get up to all sorts of mischief
by the way vic ,the word is MAST not MASK, at least 3 members ,apart from me were gnashing their teeth on that one
and its SHEET ROPE not sheath!!!!!!!!
people
sorry Vic, had to get that out,yachts looking amazing. what weight of glass are you using with your epoxy, and i assume you are glassing inside and out?
this is not a class room fellas, [}:)]
I will be using 6oz woven with epoxy resin,some extra layers on the inside to strengthen up some areas.
Cheers
Vic
Lay up the bottom of the hull fiberglass and applied resin, Used epoxy resin as it bonds to wood better that polyester resin.
Wet out the glass with a brush
Used a scraper to remove the excess resin.
Used a foam brush to smooth out resin.
Final coat of resin will be applied when the two sides are together.
Im not correcting you Aus, Im just watching your wonderful work carefully
So to take the pressurre off a bit see if you can find my hidden miostake
Joe
Covered the top half today, Had to get the fire going up the shed to get it warn enough for the epoxy to cure. Have to leave it a day or two now to make sure it has cured enough before sanding the inside.(and for it to stop raining)
Two sides together(not joined as all the inside work has to be done yet)
So far so good
Progress today, sanded inside of both sides of hull ready for fiber glassing and fitting internal parts. Set up form work for first mast(strip built)
Weather a bit cold for glassing at the moment.(picked up another sheet of blue foam for the next mast.)
Vic just a thought, how would you feel about making a fiberglass mold from your hull?
Just to big A job, huge amount of glass and resin. that is why I decided to strip build, another method is to stitch and glue which is a lot quicker.(and easier)
www.clcboats.com/modules/framework/page.php?section=default&page_alias=stitch-and-glue-boat-building
My shed is a mess, (clean up on next sunny day.
Stripped up and fiber glassed inside of first side if wing mast.
Sanded inside of hull and fiber glassed inside of the front of bottom haft so that I can install spring board retainer
Hi Vic. Looks like a standard ratchet jib sheet winch off a yacht but usually has a hole for a winch handle on top. The handle eliminates need to have pulleys to gain boom tension and only a short sheet needed. The sheet is wound around the winch drum one or two turns clockwise only. Looks like the sheet from the boom is the one thru the pulley on the right - direct 1:1 pull to the boom.
Don't know what the other rope left of the winch would be...could be a system of fine tensioning the other end of the sheet 5:1 to eliminate having to use a handle on the winch drum, that would be simple and easy to organise too. (You can then save the winch handle to threaten other sailors who get too close)
The drum has a ratchet to hold tension on the sheet and allows you to release rope quickly. They make plastic versions quite cheaply or a man of your calibre could easily make one. I have seen a home-made version where the maker used a ratchet gear sprocket from the rear wheel of a bike.
Actually I take my hat off to the builder for using the winch instead of a set of pullies and long sheet. As you tack or jybe the sheet comes in quick, final tension or trim with the handle, or preferably that other end of the rope, and no metres of rope all around your feet. Bloody good idea, why didn't I think of that??...W
Thanks Wok.I like the idea.
Here is another pic, The other rope is just the end that goes around the ratchet, There is another rope up front that controls the wing.
Select to expand quoteaus230 said..
Not sure what this part is and how does it work. (is it some type of winch.)
In the UK at least it would be referred to as a snubbing winch. There is a ratchet mechanism controlling the drum and it would be used to assist hand holding and controlled release of lines under load. It just performs the role of a ratchet block but will allow more subtle control and be kinder to the line. They are simpler and cheaper than regular winches (which take handles in the top) but obviously give no mechanical advantage for tensioning the line.
A full shot of that sheeting set up will show a set of pulleys at the back of the boom ,then leading forward to that vang system , then to the winch.
. do you plan to put any taper in the top of the mast Vic , that was the part i wanted to describe to you when you came to Kal
