Date:	Sun, 27 Nov 1994 18:39:36 -1000
From:	Thom Shanken <thomshanken@delphi.com>
Message-Id: <pm8UtfI.thomshanken@delphi.com>
Organization: Delphi (info@delphi.com email, 800-695-4005 voice)
Subject: Fighter Spars

I have recently been experimenting with broken carbon/graphite spars for
use in fighter kites (never throw away anything!).  I have heard that
other people have tried this with success, here is my problem:
 
     Once I have shaped and blanced the spar the carbon/graphite
     continues to splinter (delaminate).  The best solution I have
     come up with so far is to coat the spar with an epoxy resin
     mixture, but this is time consuming, icky and gross (not to
     mention smelly too).  Does anyone have a better (perhaps sprayed
     on) solution?
 
Thom :)              (thomshanken@delphi.com)


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Date:	Thu, 1 Dec 1994 19:18:30 -1000
From:	johnsen@eskimo.com (Brian Johnsen)
Message-Id: <D0642z.Lny@eskimo.com>
Organization: Cap'n Puget's Roadside Tako Stand
Subject: Re: Fighter Spars

In article <pm8UtfI.thomshanken@delphi.com>,
Thom Shanken  <thomshanken@delphi.com> wrote:
>I have recently been experimenting with broken carbon/graphite spars for
>use in fighter kites (never throw away anything!).  I have heard that
>other people have tried this with success, here is my problem:
> 
>     Once I have shaped and blanced the spar the carbon/graphite
>     continues to splinter (delaminate).  The best solution I have
>     come up with so far is to coat the spar with an epoxy resin
>     mixture, but this is time consuming, icky and gross (not to
>     mention smelly too).  Does anyone have a better (perhaps sprayed
>     on) solution?

  I used to work for Fenwick (a fishing pole mfgr.)  The way that all
the poles were coated, was by dipping them into resin in a 3" dia. pipe
and then clipping them to a chain moving through a curing oven.

  To save on resin you could use a large diameter fiberglass spar for the
dipping tube.  Don't fill it - allow for displacement by the spar being
coated.

  Don't try to finish balancing before coating, there won't be any on one
end and drips on the other.  Allow for clipping some from each end.

  Iv'e tried c/fiber spars on some fighters but have found them to be
far too stiff to provide amenable flight characteristics.  The solid
fiberglass rod available everywhere in various diameters are more to my
taste, and you don't have to fiddle with them.
--
Gnome's Bizarre Claim:
 "Canadian Chemists Planted An ErotoRotor In My Blow Hole"
-- 
Brian Johnsen     johnsen@eskimo.com     Seattle, Washington, USA


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