Vintage Masts

[ChrisBerkley]

Am in the (long) process of renovating N1002.  Although I will be sailing with an ali mast I still have the original wooden one.  Unfortunately it has become unstuck.  

Anyone have any experience or know which sticky-stuff to use for the best results?

chris

[johnk]

The original glue would have been caesin. I guess aerolite or epoxy would do. However make the surfaces clean and coat the hollow inside (where halyards go) and the luff groove with linseed oil or similar to reduce water absorption. Also remember to thread line in order to pull halyards through. It is an interesting exercise threading halyards in a wooden mast!!

[Chris Berkley (Guest)]

Thanks for the info and tips.  We are all used to using epoxy nowadays - I was concerned as to whether it is flexible enough in a dinghy mast.

Has anyone tried it?

chris

[matt (Guest)]

I think epoxy is better in terms of flexibility than aerolite. iIf you've got an eye for scientific data SP publish all the properties of thier epoxy resins (www.spsystems.com) . Bearing in mind that all carbon masts are epoxy based I don't think you'll have any problems.

Matt
N3486

[johnk]

Don't worry about flexibility too much. Any sideways bend in the mast will not stretch the (fore and aft) glue surface. It is the fore and aft bend that could cause problems but I assume N1002 will have a deck stepped mast with little fore and aft bend anyway.
Just make sure the mast is straight when you glue it. Good luck.

[Chris Berkley (Guest)]

[Mike Liggett]

Sorry rather late in getting in on this one.  A couple of years ago I used West epoxy to glue up an old Holt Merlin mast (MR 235) which had delaminated over much of its length and it is still OK - although not tested in wind strengths above a 5!