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projects:sailing:blog:6_hinged_mast_step [2024/01/13 13:20] – tjhowseprojects:sailing:blog:6_hinged_mast_step [2024/01/13 13:21] (current) – tjhowse
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 One of the tragedies of the modern era is that internet forums have died. Their users absorbed into a variety of centralised services owned by one of the four big companies. There are exceptions though, and two of those are [[https://catsailor.net/|catsailor.net]] and [[https://www.trailersailerplace.com.au/|Trailer Sailer Place]]. These seem to be mostly populated by crusty boat-owning men with questionable politics. It was in one of these forums I learned something interesting about Calypso, the company that made our boat. When they shut down they passed the torch to [[https://lrsails.com.au/|LR Sails]]. LR Sails now provides bits and pieces for caper cats, including the hinged mast step kit. AUD$230 later my spending spreadsheet had another row and I had two chunks of cast aluminium to somehow attach to the boat. One of the tragedies of the modern era is that internet forums have died. Their users absorbed into a variety of centralised services owned by one of the four big companies. There are exceptions though, and two of those are [[https://catsailor.net/|catsailor.net]] and [[https://www.trailersailerplace.com.au/|Trailer Sailer Place]]. These seem to be mostly populated by crusty boat-owning men with questionable politics. It was in one of these forums I learned something interesting about Calypso, the company that made our boat. When they shut down they passed the torch to [[https://lrsails.com.au/|LR Sails]]. LR Sails now provides bits and pieces for caper cats, including the hinged mast step kit. AUD$230 later my spending spreadsheet had another row and I had two chunks of cast aluminium to somehow attach to the boat.
  
-{{:projects:sailing:pasted:20240113-113656.png|A photo of two cast aluminium pieces sitting on a tabletop. One of the pieces has a dome, the other has a matching hollow pit.}}+{{:projects:sailing:blog:pasted:20240113-113656.png|A photo of two cast aluminium pieces sitting on a tabletop. One of the pieces has a dome, the other has a matching hollow pit.}}
  
 I learned from forums and youtube that there should be something inside the joint to ensure the mast can rotate freely. The aforementioned crusty men recommended a two cent coin. Nipping back to 1996 to pick up a handful of change was out of the question thanks to a broken time machine, so I cut a disc of PTFE off the end of a rod I had leftover from another project. That should do nicely. I learned from forums and youtube that there should be something inside the joint to ensure the mast can rotate freely. The aforementioned crusty men recommended a two cent coin. Nipping back to 1996 to pick up a handful of change was out of the question thanks to a broken time machine, so I cut a disc of PTFE off the end of a rod I had leftover from another project. That should do nicely.
  
-{{:projects:sailing:pasted:20240113-125143.jpeg|A photo of the two cast pieces sitting on my workbench next to a white rod of PTFE plastic.}}+{{:projects:sailing:blog:pasted:20240113-125143.jpeg|A photo of the two cast pieces sitting on my workbench next to a white rod of PTFE plastic.}}
  
 The kit didn't come with any instructions, so I had to intuit how it needed to go onto the boat. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of the underside of the socket piece before I installed it. This would've shown a substantial divot in the concave curved surface that will face down when it's installed on the boat. This divot was positioned exactly under the socket on the other side. More on that later. The kit didn't come with any instructions, so I had to intuit how it needed to go onto the boat. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of the underside of the socket piece before I installed it. This would've shown a substantial divot in the concave curved surface that will face down when it's installed on the boat. This divot was positioned exactly under the socket on the other side. More on that later.
  
-{{:projects:sailing:pasted:20240113-113834.png|A photo of the mast step socket piece sitting next to the old mast step on the boat.}}+{{:projects:sailing:blog:pasted:20240113-113834.png|A photo of the mast step socket piece sitting next to the old mast step on the boat.}}
  
 The curve perfectly matched the extrusion on which the mast sits. Unfortunately this would place the socket itself on a substantial forward-leaning angle. The mast couldn't stand upright and rotate as is needed without interference from the hinge mechanism. I went back and watched the video I took of the other caper cat, zooming and enhancing as required. The curve perfectly matched the extrusion on which the mast sits. Unfortunately this would place the socket itself on a substantial forward-leaning angle. The mast couldn't stand upright and rotate as is needed without interference from the hinge mechanism. I went back and watched the video I took of the other caper cat, zooming and enhancing as required.
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 ==== Careful Application of Violence ==== ==== Careful Application of Violence ====
  
-{{:projects:sailing:pasted:20240113-120350.png|A pencil drawing diagram of the mast step arrangement on grid paper.}}+{{:projects:sailing:blog:pasted:20240113-120350.png|A pencil drawing diagram of the mast step arrangement on grid paper.}}
  
 I tackled the bottom phillips head stainless bolt ③ first. It wasn't moving even slightly after heavy application of an impact driver. I didn't want to shear it off, so I heated up the aluminium round bar ② with the blow torch to relax the joint. It eventually came loose after many [[https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/02/26/what-is-an-ugga-dugga/|ugga duggas]]. I cracked away the plastic socket ⑤ with the multigrips to expose the head of the top bolt ④ and got a socket onto it. It was also stuck, and required even more heating, but it eventually relented. This let me remove the round bar ② and clean out the threaded holes in either end. I tackled the bottom phillips head stainless bolt ③ first. It wasn't moving even slightly after heavy application of an impact driver. I didn't want to shear it off, so I heated up the aluminium round bar ② with the blow torch to relax the joint. It eventually came loose after many [[https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/02/26/what-is-an-ugga-dugga/|ugga duggas]]. I cracked away the plastic socket ⑤ with the multigrips to expose the head of the top bolt ④ and got a socket onto it. It was also stuck, and required even more heating, but it eventually relented. This let me remove the round bar ② and clean out the threaded holes in either end.
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 I drilled some holes in it to loosen it up. I broke one drill bit and dulled another on some hidden stainless before giving up. I resorted to a cutoff blade in an angle grinder to mangle the end, being careful not to nick the mast itself. This was cathartic but didn't get me any closer to taking it off. The breakthrough was using a metal blade in a jigsaw to cut through the casting up to the extrusion. This broke the circumference of the casting and gave me a fighting chance of releasing it from the mast. I drilled some holes in it to loosen it up. I broke one drill bit and dulled another on some hidden stainless before giving up. I resorted to a cutoff blade in an angle grinder to mangle the end, being careful not to nick the mast itself. This was cathartic but didn't get me any closer to taking it off. The breakthrough was using a metal blade in a jigsaw to cut through the casting up to the extrusion. This broke the circumference of the casting and gave me a fighting chance of releasing it from the mast.
  
-{{:projects:sailing:pasted:20240113-123900.png|A photo of a ragged hole made of straight cuts in the base of the mast.}}+{{:projects:sailing:blog:pasted:20240113-123900.png|A photo of a ragged hole made of straight cuts in the base of the mast.}}
  
 Once I got the old one out it was a simple matter of tidying up the cruft inside the mast, tapping in the new one and riveting it in place. Job done! The initial fit wasn't as snug as I'd hoped, but it was rigidly in place after 3 5mm pop rivets. This joint is only ever in compression, so it's not going anywhere. Once I got the old one out it was a simple matter of tidying up the cruft inside the mast, tapping in the new one and riveting it in place. Job done! The initial fit wasn't as snug as I'd hoped, but it was rigidly in place after 3 5mm pop rivets. This joint is only ever in compression, so it's not going anywhere.
  
-{{:projects:sailing:pasted:20240113-124713.jpeg|A photo of the final assembly.}}+{{:projects:sailing:blog:pasted:20240113-124713.jpeg|A photo of the final assembly.}}
  
 I had hoped this new step would let me raise the mast solo. After a few hazardous attempts, the creation of a very long steel fork apparatus, and much muttering about triangles I deferred that goal to another day and enlisted Michelle's help. Together we easily raised the mast in one smooth controlled operation. A definite improvement over the old system. I had hoped this new step would let me raise the mast solo. After a few hazardous attempts, the creation of a very long steel fork apparatus, and much muttering about triangles I deferred that goal to another day and enlisted Michelle's help. Together we easily raised the mast in one smooth controlled operation. A definite improvement over the old system.
projects/sailing/blog/6_hinged_mast_step.1705152027.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/01/13 13:20 by tjhowse