Hi George,
Well, the plug didn't just slide out as it would have in my dream
world. I had to drill a hole out the middle with a spade bit and then
bang away with a sharpened pipe, pry bars and maul. I finally got all
of the pieces out and it didn't hurt the tube a bit.
The tube is snugger than it should be so will need a little sanding
but it just barely rubs in spots and shouldn't take much to open up with
some 60 grit wrapped around a pipe.
John Z
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| It took a fair amount of persuasion to clear the foam plug from the mast tube. |
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| But in the end it did come out. |
Next on the list of "items to do" before the tube can be installed in the boat is to make sure that the mast will smoothly rotate inside of the tube. That will be the aim of our next joint session.
Nice job. I was thinking the foam would require a big number one persuader to get it out, which is often the case. The wall thickness looks robust and is going to make a good strong mast step - well done.
ReplyDeleteAfter the initial lay-up kicked off, we banded the top 4 inches and the bottom 2 inches of the tube with several more layers of glass with the notion that those areas would experience most of the load from the mast. The mid section of the tube is just along for the ride, so to speak.
ReplyDelete