I agree that combining wood and metal helps with rigidity. You must
make
certain that the wood is sealed against the elements to prevent
weathering.
Fiberglass and/or epoxy coating makes it even more rigid. The floor
pan in
my Corvette is actually made of fiberglass coated plywood that is
bolted to
the steel frame.
Keith NM5G
-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of MIKE
GREENWAY
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 7:50 AM
To: Barkey, Patrick M.; towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How to stiffen a mast
I thought about this some years ago and had a friend turn some solid
oak
dowels on his lathe that would just go into the mast. I used a
hammer to
tap them into place but I brushed on epoxy just to take up any
spacing
between the two. I capped the mast on both ends. It has been there
for
years. I asked a structual engineer afterward about doing this and
he said
they sometimes combine wood with metal to increase the strength.
Whether it
is worth doing or not I cannot say but it made me feel a lot
better.73 Mike
K4PI
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barkey, Patrick M." <pbarkey@bsu.edu>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 8:15 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] How to stiffen a mast
I've been using 24 foot, half inch wall, 2.5 inch OD aluminum masts
on all of my towers for quite a few years, with no failures or real
problems. During the recent ice storm, however, a couple of them
flexed a little more than I'd like to see (they've since sprung
back).
Now that I have the opportunity to think this over, I am wondering
if it would be of any value to try to add a little more stiffness
to
the existing mast by driving something into the hollow center.
I've got a 1.5 inch ID hole to work with - perhaps some pipe or
solid rod could be driven into it?
Wondering if anyone has ever tried anything like this?
- Pat
N9RV
.
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
"Wireless
Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041
with any
questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
"Wireless
Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041
with any
questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
"Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free,
1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk