MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Carbon Bits of Pole

Hi, has anyone got a broken spinnaker pole I could buy/beg/swap please?

I need 2 2' lengths to put tubes in my stern tank.

Thanks in advance

Jon


Posted: 09/11/2005 11:23:25
By: Jon
Shameless bid to bring this to the top of the list


Posted: 09/11/2005 21:54:21
By: Jon
Has to be said i think carbon is a little OTT for this.

Whats wrong with 1" plastic drainpipe?


Posted: 09/11/2005 23:41:22
By: Chris Martin
My thoughts exactly chris


Posted: 10/11/2005 00:04:55
By: Russ Hopkins
Because plastic drainpipes are made of polythene derivatives.

Polythene does not stick to anything particularly well.


Posted: 10/11/2005 08:20:42
By: Jon
They worked ok on 3405 (Hoare NSM IV) though. Polyfibres (Aston, Birmingham) Sell carbon tube in metre lengths and it's not all that expensive. (We thought about using them for merlin poles but they only do up to 2 metres in one go!)

I think they do glassfibre tube as well.


Posted: 10/11/2005 08:25:53
By: Chris
You could always see if you can find an old secondhand sea fishing rod. Most are now carbon and the first six foot of the rod is usually about 1 inch dia and parallel.


Posted: 10/11/2005 09:19:20
By: A fisherman
Try making them. Since they have no structural role, they should be ultra light. Just enough fibre and resin to be sure they're water tight.
Make a saw cut along one side of a plastic tube of the right diameter. Cover it all over with brown parcel tape easy release agent). Wax as well if you like to help it not to stick. Lay up whatever you want to make the tube from, glass, or carbon and polyesther or epoxy. Wrap tightly in peel ply to remove the excess resin and hold the fibres tightly in place. Cook at whatever temperature your resin asks for. When its gone off, unwrap and pull out the tube, (this is where the lengthwise split helps you to wriggle it out), cut to length.
I made all the tubes for the wings on my Moth like this. Front and rear are pear shaped, made with two PVC tubes of different diameters (one from plumbing, the other electrical) side by side. Plastic sheet wrapped around and then carbon. The little tube pulls out first and then the big one. Its really easy.
Look at the Cherub web site for much more information. They even have video clips of how to make things.
P.S. Grey plastic plumbing pipes are PVC, and resin does stick to it if you roughen and clean first.


Posted: 10/11/2005 11:49:59
By: David Balkwill
Im ex 3405 owner. 'Green team'

Just use the plastic pipe! Carbon well OTT and will hardly make an ounce of difference.


Posted: 10/11/2005 12:50:42
By: steve
Rugby Tackle sell carbon fibre carp landing poles for about 17quid and are plenty long enough for a your tubes and you may even get a tiller extension out of it as well.


Posted: 10/11/2005 13:24:32
By: Dave
If you are fitting two tubes remember that a fishing rod is tapered so you will get one length at a certain diameter and the next length will be smaller (unless you buy two!).  I would favour the drainpipe idea.  The white pipes bathroom plumbing glues together with solvent adhesive so it might be possible to arrange some type of flange to seal it.


Posted: 10/11/2005 13:30:36
By: Garry R
Jon

Son who sails an International Canoe has just paid £15 for a carbon fibre landing net pole (aproz 7ft long) as used by fisherman and is just about to convert into a new tiller extension.

Suggest you give him a bell as you could use this route although diameter is only around half an inch.

PS also ask him about the wasps hiberationg in his boom!


Posted: 12/11/2005 16:41:15
By: RichardT

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