Posted by Brett Anthony on September 27, 1999 at 02:36:47 in 130.86.75.39:
In Reply to: Broken Masts posted by Tony Agustin on September 24, 1999 at 22:25:26:
This is going to sound like a lot of trouble, but it isn't, and it works.
Following a brief discussion with Doug May here some months ago, I made excellent masts by the following technique.
I soldered several pieces of telescoping brass tubing together as Doug suggests, finishing with music wire at the top. (CA glue will work just as well)
Since these masts were "stepped," I then chucked each in turn in a variable speed drill held in a vise, and spun them to wrap each in a single layer of common thread from just below the first step all the way to the tip. Securing the end with a dab of CA, I then wrapped each section first 2/3, then 1/3 up from the step with an sdditional layer of thread. I then saturated the whole thing with thin CA, gave it a spritz of accelerator, and (still spinning) wet sanded with a strip of 220 grit on a 1X4 sanding block until the brass rings of the steps began to appear, and finished with 400.
I then airbrushed with primer to see which parts would need additional putty. Answer: none!
I still have to fab the crows nest, shroud & stay attachment points, but making the masts themselves took about 3 hours start to finish.
I took far longer to design them, since I wanted to be as accurate as reasonably possible with the taper, and I wanted to be able to run wires/optical fibers inside the masts.
One problem: these masts are very stiff, and if you bend over your model you can do yourself serious injury. I have had some close calls, and I wear glasses (thank God). I finally glued some flourescent orange rubber balls to their tips, which elicit humorous comments from visitors, but I don't stab myself anymore.