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Thread: Getting Ready for SHTP 2021

  1. #371
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    Here's some random windvane "stuff" setting up after an afternoon of improvisation. The green and yellow blade was repurposed from the "cables in housing" experiment. I'm sure I can use the counterweight, too. A lot of what I'm putting together now owes it's inspiration to the late Walt Murray and his "DIY Windvane" website, such as using ABS pipe for the windvane mast. The Mister Vee site archived a lot of Walts Stuff.

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    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  2. #372
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    More fiddly bits today, including this little masterpiece of plywood, ABS plastic, sawdust and epoxy. It needs some "filling in", which will be done after I cement the ABS pipe in there that will function as the mast.

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    All the pieces are cut out for the vane carrier, so progress is happening. Dare I say..."test" next weekend???
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  3. #373
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    I thought I was ready to test, but ....no.

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    Everything looked good, I'd eyeballed all the geometry, it all should be fine....but it wasn't. I'm kind of frustrated.

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    The control rod hits the inside of the ABS plastic mast, when the vane tips over to one side. On the other side, it's fine. I used 2-inch ABS pipe. When I was at Home Depot, I stared at the 2 inch and stared at the 3 inch and decided 2 inches was plenty big enough. Grrrr...it's only about another $12 for the parts, but it's the TIME at this point. I really wanted to test this, tomorrow. There's supposed to be plenty of wind.

    OH, well. I'll install the assy pole, instead. I really need to check SOMETHING off my list after the preposterous amount of work I've been doing.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  4. #374
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    However, the system is ~very~ sensitive.....that's good.

    https://www.facebook.com/10006071040...3086144058399/
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  5. #375
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    Jan 2014
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    Arnold, CA
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    Just move the whole paddle assembly 1/4-1/2 inch toward the mast tube.
    Looks like where the vane (white) is attached to the base (natural) could be re-drilled.
    Shouldn't take too long.

  6. #376
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    I realized why the whole thing wasn't working AFTER I made a new mast, etc. from 3-inch ABS pipe. It's because the lever arm at the windvane end is quite a bit off of the axis of rotation. If I'd attached the lever arm to the vane carrier, an inch lower than where it is now, instead of the base of the vane, I wouldn't have had this problem. Ah, well! Anyway, today was spent making all sorts of bits and bobs, and finally gluing and bolting everything together.

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    I'll toss the 2-inch vane mast into the rafters along with the cloth-and-fiberglass-rod air blade I made and if I ever get a small boat again that could use a windvane, I have a little head-start.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  7. #377
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    Setback...

    Today I bumped the vane while it was sitting just like in the picture above and the counterweight arm bonked me on the head. My head is totally fine, it was just a tap but the plywood of the carrier split off the surface layer, and the counterweight arm fell off. Seriously? REALLY???? My epoxy fillet and bond was fine, what failed was the manufacturers internal glue in the plywood. So that's reassembled, with epoxy and a couple of screws. Since I had to rebuild it, I just cut off the control arm that's on the vane base and epoxied/screwed one to the carrier. That should completely solve the "leaning" in and out issue that forced me to build a new "mast" from 3 inch ABS. This change will also change the length of the control rod so I'll have to trim it. Between that and the fiddly bits I'm making to mount the platform to the boat, there went the day.

    Better to have that happen in the garage than a day out into the Pacific....
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  8. #378
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    All right, the carrier is glued 'n screwed back together. I took the opportunity to make a couple of changes. Today before work I dashed down to Alan Steel and bought a 1-foot piece of stainless flat stock and had them punch 3 holes in it. That will bolt to the wood counterweight arm, add a little weight and be what I add the necessary counterweight to.

    The other day I tried to make a tube out of aluminum flashing...haha! FAIL. So when I was at Alan Steel I bought 18 inches of aluminum tubing that just fits inside the vane mast tube. It's a tich tight, but a little bit of sanding of the top part, on the inside, and some grease will take care of that. The bottom half of this tube is inserted into the main ABS mast tube, the top is what the 10-inches of ABS that has the carrier will rotate around. 8 inches of aluminum stick of, for the upper ABS and carrier to rotate around. The bottom 10 inches is epoxied inside the main ABS tube.

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    I've made the angled bits that go on the top crossbar bar, that the whole assembly will be bolted to, and then U-bolted to the stern pushpit posts. That was an overnight epoxy job. It needs some sanding and painting, but seems strong. I've set up my outboard motor stand in the front yard and will assemble everything on that before I take it to the boat, to make sure everything fits.
    Last edited by AlanH; 01-26-2021 at 01:30 PM.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  9. #379
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    It’s mounted on the boat�� yay!

    There was no wind to test with today, and I see some things I will change if it works, but at least it’s on the boat.
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    Last edited by AlanH; 01-31-2021 at 07:40 PM.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  10. #380
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    Assy pole installed. There's supposed to be a breeze tomorrow! Time to test!

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    That's just a piece of light nylon line as a spritstay. I'll swage up a s.s. wire one, here shortly. Despite how it looks, the pole doesn't block the nav light and there's just enough room under it to get a Dock line in there. If I wind up having oodles of spare time, I might replace the two bow cleats with a centerline cleat and two chocks, one on each side. I already have 'em in the spares box.
    Last edited by AlanH; 02-06-2021 at 08:05 PM.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

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