Hey Mick!

How about hollow pipe insulation foam around some heavy gauge wire, say, 12 or 6 ga. The wire would lend stiffness and the foam bulk. Together they would be a deformable female mold. Lay it up, let it cure, remove the wire then wrestle the foam out if you want a transparent shaft, or leave it in if you want to see the foam. I think the foam would add little weight and no additional floatation, unless the shaft were penetrated.

Or, for the magnet-o idea, maybe magnetize the central large wire and surround it with steel shot or ball bearings. shape the wire, magnetize it build up the bulk with the bearings, don't forget the oval cross section in the hand areas, and layup as before. After the cure, cut the power to the core magnet and pour out the bearings.

> Like take some 3/4" rope or tubing or rolled paper, pour a good layer
> of wax on, shape the wax for ovals, and paddle ends, lay up the composite,
> cure and then heat the sucker up and every thing drips out.

I like it. Like a huge candle!

Here's the layup I have in mind. I have a bunch of "gun roving". It is continuous (endless, >100 ft) roving, maybe 1/8" diameter. I imagine making widely spaced continuous wraps like a skein of yarn. W(sh)ould I compliment this with longitudinal fibers too? Where do I want stiffness? Where do I want flex? Ideas, suggestions?

Ed Valley

ps: here's a cool link to an experiment with a magical science concept, a triple phase point.

http://www.sciam.com/1999/0299issue/0299amsci.html