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Re: letter from Forte on spars

To: WFS03@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: letter from Forte on spars
From: BDally6107@xxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:33:49 EDT
Cc: swiftsolo@xxxxxxxxxxxx
In a message dated 9/20/2006 8:12:40 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, WFS03  
writes:

Bram,
As usual, I  try to figure out something on my own and then learn from you 
the best, tried  and true solution....lol.  I spoke to Bill and Tony at Forte 
when I had  my mast track fixed and they recommended painting the mast with 
varnish or  2-part poly paint.  But I had decided to follow your suggestion for 
the  105/207 approach.  

I worked on the lower mast section to  experiment with sanding and 105/207 
epoxy.  I was concerned with sanding  the mylar wrap too far, so I sanded down 
until the dimples were small and  finished roughing up with the red Scotch 
Bright pads.  To sand, I used  100 grit 3M sticky back long board paper stuck 
to 
the inside of a one foot  section of 2-1/2" ID cardboard mailing tube, sliding 
it up and down the length  of the lower mast section.  Before the first coat 
of epoxy, I wiped the  surface with acetone and used gloves to handle the 
section.  It took four  thin coats applied with a brush, with sanding each 
inbetween, to fill the  remaining dimples, so now I wonder if I have added too 
much 
weight and  thickness to the mast.  For the upper mast section and the boom, 
I'll try  your rougher grit, orbital sander approach and one coat foam roller  
application.  I guess that I was too concerned with cutting thru the  mylar 
wrap.  
Bill,
I think you'll like the more aggressive approach and will find everything  
about it to be positive.  I can remember well when I started sanding the  first 
mast thinking it was fragile and that I needed to be careful.  I went  from 
120 grit to 80 to 60 and finally to 40.  I was thinking a jack hammer  would be 
next but the 40 grit worked fairly quickly.   I'm a real  weight fanatic when 
it comes to masts and I actually didn't think the thin coat  would last this 
long when I put it on.  Remember also that we've had no  mast failures to date. 
 Most of the mylar wrap is removed at the factory  except for a lot of small 
fragments that get stuck in the epoxy.



For the boom,  I have sanded down to small dimples in the mylar and started 
the hardware  holes and mainsheet platform installation.  I had to reinforce a 
couple  of areas with s-glass/423 graphite/peel ply where the mounting holes 
are close  to the end of the boom, such as the main sheet block at the forward 
end.   My plan is to finish the surface with one coat mix of 105/207, 406 
silica and  423 graphite powder and peel-ply, for the black textured surface 
that 
I saw on  your 002 boom.  How has that peel-ply finish held up for you on the 
002  boom?  Do you recommend that approach?  Let me know before I blunder  
down that path.
Bill, that peel ply finish has held up for several years but is now showing  
a little oxidation (not that much though).  I think either way is 3 times  as 
good as the original finish and after a few years you can always sand it down  
and go the other way if you want.  Appearance wise, I like to see the  actual 
carbon strands, but that's just my preference.  I do like the grip  that the 
peel ply affords when you grab the boom during a gybe.
 
Best regards,
 
Bram



Bill  Scheumann
USA020 and USA040

 
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