Few answers;
The repair will be carbon fiber only with west system epoxy and vacuum bagged. Any auxiliary glass work will be scraps of E-Glass. This rig has a cool "on the fly" tension adjustment arm for the diamond wires. They are slacked and the way I’ve supported the mast the diamond wires are in a neutral position if they were not slacked. The mast is level and will be check with a laser to make sure it is straight.
I’m making a sleeve but it is not such a straightforward operation. From the break down towards the foot of the mast the ID of the mast section is 50mm and the wall thickness is 5mm so using a 1:10 taper the outside skin will taper out to 50mm for the repair. This brings me into the slot for tang for the mast hounds. From the break towards the top of the mast it has an ID of 55mm and a skin thickness of 2.5mm. Using the same formula a taper of 25 mm. It has a hard spot that took the skin thickness from 5mm to 2.5mm with a hard drop and this is where it broke. My goal is now to sleeve the mast, which will take two different size sleeves where one will almost fit inside the other and try to eliminate the hard spot. There is also another sleeve further up where I can see some fatigue starting.
The repair will be inside and outside. My plan of lay-up will be in the area of the crack to taper all the way to the sleeve. At least one layer of cloth in the taper at a 45 degree angle to the break in each direction to form a X to try and mend the area around the circumference, all other lay-up will be with the fiber oriented with the mast from top to bottom. Because this mast is broken my main concern is to have a good repair and be strong. You can have the lightest mast in the world but when it is in two parts what good does it do you? Once they break you have to fix them stronger.
Another interesting note is the mast looks like it was spun carbon strand then covered with a carbon cloth exterior lay-up. I’m not sure if I’m looking at a factory mast or modified. I’d be interested in actual construction / lay-up of the mast.
