Dinghy popularity

The "glue" used to stick the fibers together can be Polyester, epoxy or a vinylester.
This is the same for carbon, kevlar, glass, diolen, twaron and alufiber amongst others.

Dan

Once upon a time I was as you probably know, quite handy at fiddling with boards to make them go faster, it was me that introduced the mast track, the first one fashioned from a bit of dinghy track and fitted to a board I got built by Parkers, I also cut the first fully retracting centre board into an old TC39 so you didn't have to reach down and pull the centreboard in windy races. Back then if you wanted anything you had to tap into the upper levels of dinghy technology, which, in the late seventies was still quite edgy, it only seemed to lose it's way in the latter part of the eighties I guess.
I/we tried lots of things, boom vangs, topping lifts, cyt, mylar scrims, aluminium honeycomb from a place on the isle of white, foam filled boards, hollow boards, jibing centreboards, flip back fins, even going as far as to eject racing waterski's off the front of a board once it came up to speed.
As to the carbon epoxy thinking, that comes about because for the most part they use epoxy in pre preg which gets delivered in vans that look like that scene out of 'back to the future' when the delorean comes out of the smoke filled truck.
In the Columbia Gorge where a lot of sailboard development went on they have the benefit of Boeing just up the road and lots of the windsurfers were ex Boeing types, even today, they are making great developments in resin technology only this time not letting their intellectual property go out to china in the name of increased profits and job exporting. It seems they may have learned to reel in the banker and accountants desire for quick returns, the Obama administration is helping local manufacturers with grants precisely to that end.
A shame the likes of you and I can't tap into something similar here, all we get is access to government funded jobs for the boys consultants giving us 'advice', it's not advice we need it's development capitol, we know what to do with it.

Oh dear I seem to have gone off on another rant... sorry

Edited by iGRF - 08 Jul 13 at 10:40am

Originally posted by iGRF Once upon a time I was as you probably know, quite handy at fiddling with boards to make them go faster, it was me that introduced the mast track, the first one fashioned from a bit of dinghy track and fitted to a board I got built by Parkers, I also cut the first fully retracting centre board into an old TC39 so you didn't have to reach down and pull the centreboard in windy races. Back then if you wanted anything you had to tap into the upper levels of dinghy technology, which, in the late seventies was still quite edgy, it only seemed to lose it's way in the latter part of the eighties I guess. I/we tried lots of things, boom vangs, topping lifts, cyt, mylar scrims, aluminium honeycomb from a place on the isle of white, foam filled boards, hollow boards, jibing centreboards, flip back fins, even going as far as to eject racing waterski's off the front of a board once it came up to speed. As to the carbon epoxy thinking, that comes about because for the most part they use epoxy in pre preg which gets delivered in vans that look like that scene out of 'back to the future' when the delorean comes out of the smoke filled truck. In the Columbia Gorge where a lot of sailboard development went on they have the benefit of Boeing just up the road and lots of the windsurfers were ex Boeing types, even today, they are making great developments in resin technology only this time not letting their intellectual property go out to china in the name of increased profits and job exporting. It seems they may have learned to reel in the banker and accountants desire for quick returns, the Obama administration is helping local manufacturers with grants precisely to that end. A shame the likes of you and I can't tap into something similar here, all we get is access to government funded jobs for the boys consultants giving us 'advice', it's not advice we need it's development capitol, we know what to do with it. Oh dear I seem to have gone off on another rant... sorry

Just use some nice coloured insulating tape?

Chris, if its an old enough 747 that's being scrapped/renovated then there will be DU (depleted uranium) counter balance weights.

DU correctors are obviously superior as taking up less bulk, but a too readily removable end cap might be considered undesirable. Incidentally, bearing in mind the application, I suggest tungsten rather than titanium bolts.