carbon tubes

[john_hamilton]

i think im going with buying from andy patterson who will do them for around 100quid each

[ross_burkin]

Rob, you're buying spreaders from NZ?! Make them!

[Banshee Ambulance]

I think masts and spreaders are best made in pre preg!

[john_hamilton]

i think masts are

[Phil Alderson]

Rob, you're buying spreaders from NZ?! Make them!

The C-Tech spreaders are incredibly stiff and light, buiding to the same standard at home would be difficult, and time consuming

[Banshee Ambulance]

My plan is: Take RS600 mast (Angel), belt sand the sail track and outer layer of cabon back (the sail track is damaged), possibly removing some material at the same time to make it lighter/floppier, add new outer layer of weave, add C-Tech speaders. Good starter mast for not much money. Any thoughts? 

[john_hamilton]

rob do you want a whole RS600 mast? So ill have 1 1/2??? cool

[Will_Lee]

The best part of the C tech spreaders is the sleeve which gives them a good fit on a c tech mast.

For a home bru mast, homebru spreaders are fine, much cheaper, and v easy to make. You can make them from the offcuts of foam and carbon from the rest of your build. Further, you can attach them with fibres which go under the track, so they will be better attached.

[Phil Alderson]

Sanding off the track is quite tricky, there is a slightly flexible filler between the carbon tube of the track and the top layer of woven cloth, it tends  to gum up the sand paper, and generates a huge amount of dust.

How much of the track is damaged?  when I rehabilitated an Angel RS600 mast I built a section of track from glass tube and filler.

I do not think that the masts are that stiff, the hounds placement makes a  big difference. with the length of topmast used with most 05 rigs I do not think you will have too many problems.

i would worry a bit about reducing the robustness of the mast if you did sand all the outer layer off

A good option for a cheap mast if you can get it for close to frre though

[john_hamilton]

iv just discovered how hard that is to sand off, any hints and tips on getting it off a rudder that it was accidently spilt on?

[Banshee Ambulance]

Sanding off the track is quite tricky, there is a slightly flexible filler between the carbon tube of the track and the top layer of woven cloth, it tends  to gum up the sand paper, and generates a huge amount of dust.

How much of the track is damaged?  when I rehabilitated an Angel RS600 mast I built a section of track from glass tube and filler.

I do not think that the masts are that stiff, the hounds placement makes a  big difference. with the length of topmast used with most 05 rigs I do not think you will have too many problems.

i would worry a bit about reducing the robustness of the mast if you did sand all the outer layer off

A good option for a cheap mast if you can get it for close to frre though

Intersesting, I will have to have a think on this now! I have two 5m long RS600 masts with one good top section. My feeling was that a lot of the weight and a bit of fore/aft stiffness was in the track and filler so getting rid of that would not be a bad thing. I have also got hold of two winsurf mast bottom sections for rack tubes, they are light and stiff enough for the job. Any advice you have on 600 masts would be appreciated. I am still thinking of rounding off the section and going with the rather nice c-tech spreaders, but open to listening to others experiences.

[Tim Noyce]

Iain C did an excellent write up on converting a 600 mast for Suicide Blonde. That mast is still alive and kicking, and looks the part.

[john_hamilton]

so far the only way iv found of getting that tacky sail-track stuff off is with a very sharp blade! very time consuming

[Banshee Ambulance]

you got hold of a mast then?