: I once made a multi part mast that Chris Ostlind suggested I make the insert
: tube insertion part 6" long, overall it was 12". But that was
: pinned. For an insertion not pinned do you think it should be longer?

: I heard from a guy in Canada that the Balogh mast looked to have about
: 1/16" wall thickness. Seems thin but it might be aircraft aluminum.
: My AKA Folboat outrigger tubing has a wall thinness of .068, just slightly
: bigger then 1/16" and I’ve never heard of any problems with it.

: I found a link for making sails for models but it is so extensive that I
: think it would apply to any sail making. It's along the lines I had in
: mind.

: I always bought my sails in the old days too except for the play poly sails.

: John

Hi John,

That link looks like it would work. Heck I've used sails that were 30 years old and stretched out really bad that still would drive the boat fairly well, it's obvious that it's not rocket science

You might try flush riviting the sleeve into the mast or for that matter flush bolting. Either way should work, rivits are faster. You do have to carefully cut a countersunk hole in the outer surface so the rivit will remain flush. Normal for sailboat masts doing it this way.

In theory they can be bonded with epoxy, but it's tricky. Aluminum forms an oxide layer almost instantly when exposed to air and that layer has little strength and it's what you'd bond to. You can, very carefully using big gloves, sand the aluminum with an thinned epoxy bath (normally done with the part submerged in the epoxy, but not absolutely required) so that after sanding the epoxy protects the surface from forming it's oxide, then you bond the epoxy to the opposite surface.

Rivits are easier

Bill H.

Bill H.