very short mast extension for US base and RDM mast?

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

I tighten (not too much) a stainless steel hose clamp around the mast and use it as a hacksaw guide. DO NOT BREATHE THE RESIDUE.

nw30 · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 5:18 pm Post subject:

You do know that Ezzy makes webbing straps, of various lengths, for their vario tops, I'm sure you could get a longer one, they are interchangeable.

http://www.ezzy.com/accessories/sail-head-webbing/

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

i am getting afraid

posts here about cutting carbon booms n masts Embarassed

big NO NO 's in my book Crying or Very sad

epoxy or aluminium -> NP- no problem

techno900 · Joined: 28 Mar 2001 Posts: 4161

I have cut both, a carbon boom and mast, but more than 10 years ago. The boom was easy, it was an original Gulftech, plus I drilled one new hole in each arm. You could swap out different arm extensions on the old Gulftechs so you could have a wide range of sizes on one boom, but the one I modified was a bit too big for one of the sails that I rigged on it.

I had a 430 mast and cut it to 420, 5 off the tap and 5 off bottom. Worked great with no issues. I had three 430 masts and converting one to a 420 made sense for the one sail that needed it.

However, I might just sail with a gap between the board and sail for awhile until I was sure that there weren't any better options.

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore

Cutting an inch or two off the bottom of a mast is reallly no big deal. Use a guide like iso says, cut carefully, clean up the cut with a file when you're done. Every carbon mast made is cut at the ends from the factory. I you're really worried about it, you can epoxy a couple tows of carbon around the bottom in the "hoop" direction for reinforcement.

sm

teleclimber · Joined: 23 Sep 2014 Posts: 8

DanWeiss · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA

Fiberspar bases (if you can find one) will run at zero offset, meaning you can ditch the retaining ring and clip that otherwise allow you to adjust height, and simply put your mast directly on the plastic pulley/cleat assembly.

I will caution that you should carefully watch the plastic assembly on any base for deformation under load. Fiberspar RDM and others' bases were known to suffer this over a great deal of time and load.

nw30 · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:36 pm Post subject:

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Another concern with cutting booms is that the cut ends "rot" as water infiltrates the raw ends. I read somewhere that we're supposed to seal the raw ends with ... something ... I forget what ... after cutting them at home. I cut and sealed mine, but forget what I used.

Then there's the challenge of drilling the new holes EXACTLY. I fabricate exacting stuff all the time, but locating those holes precisely was a bear; still had to drill them oversize to get smooth operation. Sad