I now have 2 bottom sections of 460 masts (ie. 4 pieces + tops, both masts broke in same place) and was wondering if anyone has tried to repair masts by 'shimming' them? I'm happy to sacrifice one to make a full (half).
Now the questions....
(a.) do I cut the older (possibly more brittle, but thinner/lighter) 90% mast to make a shim for the newer (3yo) 30% mast, or vice-versa?
(2.) what bonding adhesive should I use, a polyurethane (flexible) sika-type, or araldite/fibreglass.
(III.) is this worth even attempting???
(d.) does anyone have a lonely 460 mast bottom piece to save me the embarassment of another swim when this (repaired) one breaks?!? (although I'm that stingy, I'll probably still try to repair it, just to have a spare)
All advice will be taken onboard, but possibly ignored in the name of science and stupidity (on my part)!
I figured if I can cut the mast back to a clean point, slide an internal sleeve (about 150-200mm into each piece) and use the spare mast to make up the difference in length (ie; 200mm outside cut piece butting between cut mast pieces, with a 600mm internal shim) and give the finish a light sand, and gel coat?), and yeah, I can see that i'd need a good epoxy to bond the fibres.
If I reduce the diameter of the shim by sanding part of the outside glass away, will this reduce the strength greatly? or does the mast rely mainly on the length-wise carbon strips?
Might start on it in the next few days....if you don't hear from me, you'll know I failed embarrassingly!
in the fiberglass mast days we often repaired broken masts.
We never cut them off flush though, I think if you put both ends back together with the rough join you will more likely have a greater success rather than having the clean join.
For the old repairs I only ever had to do top sections and didn't sleeve it, just set it all up and wrapped 2in wide matting around the crack for about 300mm either side.
Had some success with this, however I am not sure I would waste my time these days given the extra forces put on modern masts and the technology involved in their construction.
Just use them to hang a wind sock in you back yard, always useful for getting a footy out of a tree as well.
I've got a mate who races skiffs, they cut and re-sleeve carbon masts all the time. So it is possible.
I would have thought that there would be plenty off unusable top sections lying around. I have only ever broken bottoms. I tried sleeving and glassing a broken mast, it din't survive even downhauling! The sleeve was another section of mast that fitted snug about 300mm long, and the mast split long ways when it failed
