Bent spreader

Moderator: GreenLake

Bent spreader

Postby calden » Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:51 pm

Hey all:

After putting on my new mainsail (yay) I've been trying to pay more attention to properly tuning the rigging. Before I went out today I made sure that the spreaders were more-or-less bisecting the shroud/mast space. This meant that I had to push them up about 1.5". After the sail today - not a big blow by any means - I saw that one of them was slightly bent upward at the tip. I guess this is how it responded to the change.

Question: Seeing as how I probably need to pull it down a little bit, can I still use the spreader if I gently bend it straight? It's the old DS 1/2" (or so) tubular spreader. Or please tell me if even a slight bend fatigues the metal enough so I need to get a new set.

Thanks in advance,

Carlos
DS I #1653
calden
 
Posts: 362
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:39 am
Location: Spokane, WA

Postby KaiB » Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:36 am

Carlos,

When I saw your name on the post, I assumed that you had bent a spreader and...

Gone out to the shop, removed the activated carbon from your HEPA mask and laid up your own carbon foils.

I expected photos and the rest of the story about how well she sailed with the new hi-tech spreaders.

We've seen your work - we expect it.

I can't imaging that you couldn't carefully bend the rod back; if it fails under heavy conditions, however...ouch.

Go mold your own, dammit.

Cheerfully, Kai
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Location: Enid, OK

Postby calden » Fri Sep 01, 2006 11:03 am

Kai:

Mold my own. Ha ha.

I actually just spoke with Rudy at D&R and ordered a pair of new heavy-duty spreaders. I told him I suspected that my last fall upgrade to 1/8" shrouds put more stress on the old original spreaders than they were meant for. He concurred and said they were going to stop listing the old spreaders and sell the heavier ones (5/8" instead of 1/2".) He told me it'd be fine to straighten out the slight bend I have and use those until the new ones come - but the part to watch out for is cracking at the bracket end of the spreader.

Carlos
DS I #1653
calden
 
Posts: 362
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:39 am
Location: Spokane, WA

Postby dsheer » Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:44 pm

Carlos,

Kai's expectations were way to low. I am truly disappointed. I am aware of your deep knowledge of bioengineering, and I expected you to GROW your own mast and spreader combination. I envisioned it sprouting from a bucket anchored where your mast jack used to be, and I thought you would have it genetically modified to adapt to changing wind conditions - like a sunflower to the sun - only more sophisticated. It would - of course - biologically adjust the mast rake and shroud tension, eliminating the need for turnbuckles, a mast jack, and a mast ram. No more worrying about those pesky restrictions about adjusting the mast during a race, although I sure Bob Damon would do his best to find some way to declare it illegal.

I was sure that you would once and for all solve the capsizing problem by including genetic alterations that provide the mast with the ability to automatically snap when the heeling moment reaches critical proportions - much like a salamander can lose its tail. The extra safety feature would make it far more difficult to prevent your tremendous technical inovation from being declared class legal.

Further, I expected that you would design a rapid enough reaction to a shot of growth hormone so that the mast would automatically regenerate fast enough so that no more than 1/2 boat length would be lost in a race.

Those are the specs.
Get busy.
I'll give you the directions for the ritual planting dance that ensures the proper growth of the seeds when you're ready to plant.... it requires bananas.

Dan (Jules Verne) Sheer

PS Whaddaya want - Ernesto's going overhead as I write, and the low pressure is giving me a headache and now there's hair sprouting on the back of my hands and the rest of my body and my ears - they're changing - and my voice....AAAAAHHHHHHOOOOOOOOO.... must press submit button.....AAAAAAHHHHHHHOOOOOOO
dsheer
 
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Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:35 am
Location: Columbia, Md

Postby calden » Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:20 pm

I love this place. So much more than sailing. Serious replies still welcome.

Carlos
DS I #1653
calden
 
Posts: 362
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:39 am
Location: Spokane, WA

Postby Reef » Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:22 am

Carlos - Rudy knows best...I would agree that you should be able to get more mileage out of the bent spreader. I've seen a few posts on this site with respect to folks agonizing over the adjustment of the spreaders. While in racing circles this is a fairly significant concern, for the rest (and I think majority) of us this just shouldn't be a complicated concern. Remember that the brackets are designed to hold the spreaders at their designed "angles of attack". Any efforts to force them into alternate array may lead to loading forces such that may result in deformation of the spreader itself...Reef
Reef
 
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