The most recent edition of "How It's Made" shows two stories of
interest to woodworkers: The first shows how they laminate and finish
wheels for expensive boats. A lot of scarf joints, router work,
glueing, clamping and a weather resistant spray finish. The second
shows the forging of chisels starting from high carbon steel rod
stock. Process shows hardening, tempering, grinding and sharpening.
They hollow grind and put on a micro bevel. Not a bad investment of
half an hour. Anyone else see it?
Joe G

GROVER wrote:
The most recent edition of "How It's Made" shows two stories of
interest to woodworkers: The first shows how they laminate and finish
wheels for expensive boats. A lot of scarf joints, router work,
glueing, clamping and a weather resistant spray finish.

The latest and greatest for yacht wheels these days is carbon fiber
laminate.

You don't want to here the price.

As far as a wooden wheel is concerned, can be a fun project, like most
other boat projects, just time consuming.

Lew

The laminating in the show was laminating different layers of wood along
with layers of carbon fiber. something like a total (IIRC) of seven layers,
4 of which were alternating species of wood and 3 of which were carbon
fiber.

Very interesting show, half an hour long and they normally show two episodes
back to back.


"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
news
GROVER wrote:
The most recent edition of "How It's Made" shows two stories of
interest to woodworkers: The first shows how they laminate and finish
wheels for expensive boats. A lot of scarf joints, router work,
glueing, clamping and a weather resistant spray finish.

The latest and greatest for yacht wheels these days is carbon fiber
laminate.

You don't want to here the price.

As far as a wooden wheel is concerned, can be a fun project, like most
other boat projects, just time consuming.

Lew

On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 15:42:12 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote:

You don't want to here the price.

Knowing what I know about aircraft and ultra-high-end bicycle parts, I
have to ask... How much? G

At the bike shop, we sold a $17,000 bicycle this year.

B A R R Y wrote:


Knowing what I know about aircraft and ultra-high-end bicycle parts, I
have to ask... How much? G

Like they say about Hinkleys, if you have to ask, you can't affordG.

Lew

On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 23:41:08 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote:

B A R R Y wrote:


Knowing what I know about aircraft and ultra-high-end bicycle parts, I
have to ask... How much? G

Like they say about Hinkleys, if you have to ask, you can't affordG.


But I really want to know!

Maybe we're not charging enough for carbon wheels.

B A R R Y wrote:

But I really want to know!

Maybe we're not charging enough for carbon wheels.

Carbon fiber has been and still is on allocation, thus if you can get
some, price in effect at time of shipment applies.

Thus it is impossible to quote a price.

Lew

On Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:15:25 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote:

B A R R Y wrote:

But I really want to know!

Maybe we're not charging enough for carbon wheels.

Carbon fiber has been and still is on allocation, thus if you can get
some, price in effect at time of shipment applies.

Thus it is impossible to quote a price.

How about one that was recently sold? I don't want to buy one, I'm
just being nosy. G

A set of these guys will set you back ~$3900 (tires NOT included G):
http://www.worldcycling.com/graphics/00000002/z99_angle5.jpg
The surfaces are actually dimpled like a golf ball to smooth air flow
over them!

What kind of carbon are they using for yacht wheels and why? To lower
rotating mass & inertia? I'm not at all familiar with yachts, but
this is an interesting subject.

Lots of the bicycle and airplane carbon is not all that hard to get in
reasonable amounts. I know some local parts builders who haven't
complained. On the other hand. one of the bicycle manufacturers,
Giant, actually owns it's own carbon fiber factory!

One of the interesting things I recently learned about carbon fiber
was that certain versions of it HAVE to be made into a finished
product here in the states, as the raw material is illegal to export
for defense reasons. Trek calls the stuff "55 carbon" and it's
apparently the lightest and stiffest grade, with some weird, secret
asymmetrical fiber shape to hold less excess resin.

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
hlink.net...
B A R R Y wrote:

But I really want to know!

Maybe we're not charging enough for carbon wheels.

Carbon fiber has been and still is on allocation, thus if you can get
some, price in effect at time of shipment applies.

Thus it is impossible to quote a price.

Lew

So, you don't know either.

B A R R Y wrote:


How about one that was recently sold? I don't want to buy one, I'm
just being nosy. G

I'll have to ask my epoxy supplier.

My info comes from them.

His biggest "carbon" customer makes hockey sticks with it. Evidently has
quite a backlog. Go figure.

My applications are basic knitted glass and epoxy.

What kind of carbon are they using for yacht wheels and why? To lower
rotating mass & inertia? I'm not at all familiar with yachts, but
this is an interesting subject.

I don't have a clue. Guy down in Georgia is building a boat and laid up
a carbon fiber wheel just for funzies.

Most yacht wheels are S/S these days which is just fine except in cold
weather or if you are an Americas Cup racer.

A/C racers are totally anal about weight and money is no object.

If an A/C boat is still afloat 10 ft past the finish line, it is over
designed.

After a race, those boats are basically useless for anything else.

One of the interesting things I recently learned about carbon fiber
was that certain versions of it HAVE to be made into a finished
product here in the states, as the raw material is illegal to export
for defense reasons. Trek calls the stuff "55 carbon" and it's
apparently the lightest and stiffest grade, with some weird, secret
asymmetrical fiber shape to hold less excess resin.

Interesting.

There are places for other applications for carbon fiber on a sailboat
that would have a better market than a wheel, but like everything else
on a boat, the volume is low and there is a development cost involved.


Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:

His biggest "carbon" customer makes hockey sticks with it. Evidently has
quite a backlog. Go figure.

That would make sense. When I was still actively playing in 2000,
carbon shafts were already very popular. Carbon easily allows so much
control over the overall stiffness and direction of allowed flex, while
still remaining very light.

Over the last few years, I notice more and more blades separating from
the shaft during my local AHL games, so I don't think anybody uses wood
shafts anymore. I'm not a good enough player for a $250 shaft to
matter. G