Making of the SNX Hull

bobob729

bobob729

Location
wichita, ks
SkiWorks Composites said:
@bobob729
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32.5" pivot to pivot
5lbs 13oz

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i love how my pole says 316. funny thing is my area code is 316 haha but i know it stands for 316stainsless more than likely
 
Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
SirMrManGuy said:
Can you show some pics of how you are bonding the two halves and finishing them.

The bit of composite work I've done is leaving me struggling to understand how you got the OD surface of a part to be that good. Is there a step I'm missing? Something special about these sleeves you speak of?
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I don't really have pics other than those posted on the last few pages. They should show most of the process. Basically the OD was set by the plug, which the molds were pulled off of as a mating pair. So the parts out of the mold, once trimmed, match up almost perfectly (minor trimming variation). Once trimmed, they are mated and then masking tape wrapped around the top, bottom, and center. Body filler is than applied to the seam to "tack" them together and fill the seam. Tape comes off and more sanding and body filler is added until the seam is perfectly smooth.

Once smooth, a braided sleeve is slid over the pole and then pulled tight. Resin is brushed on and then a heat shrink sleeve that was coated prior with a mold release is slid over the pole. Heat is applied and all of the air bubbles and excess resin is worked out with a spreader. This takes a bit of practice to get right.

After the sleeve has cured, the heat shrink is cut off. The finish at this point depends a lot on how smooth you managed to get the heat shrink. Loose ends are sanded off, holes for the steering are drilled, and a forstner bit is used to set the 5/8" SS washers into the pole. Bolt center is then drilled out and the washers are bonded to the pole with epoxy. The tongue is filled and sanded smooth, as is the bottom of the pole. The whole pole is block sanded down with 150 grit until the top layer of carbon is hit. The tongue and bottom are taped off and then a high build primer is sprayed and a black base coat goes over that.

Sunshield is sprayed over the whole pole. Sunshield is a polyester based clear coat that builds very well and dries smooth. Once this cures fully, the pole is block sanded a second time with 150 until smooth (or we hit the carbon layer again, in which case another round of clear has to go on to build the low spots and we repeat sanding). A final round of sunshield clear is shot and cured. Once cured, pole is wet sanded at 1000 to remove orange peel, then 2000 and 3000 before compounding with a DA and M105. Polished with DA and M205.


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Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
SkiDiggity said:
a pole in the honeycomb would look soo sick!
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It would. Unfortunately we are limited to sleeves and hybrid colored sleeves with this design. A move to bladder molding would allow a one shot in mold layup where any fabric could be laid as a visual. A 4x4 V pattern twill would be so sick on a pole. Prepregs are needed though and those aren't cheap, and require pretty specific cure schedules with ramp times and final cure temps being hit evenly across the part. Which means we need to build an oven (and buy a freezer), or integrate high temp heating elements into the molds themselves. We are working on doing exactly this with the flame arrestor design. If that project is completed as planned, new molds for a pole will follow.

Honeycomb, 4x4 V twill, and hybrid twills would all look awesome and be something you don't see everyday on a pole.


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SirMrManGuy

SirMrManGuy

Location
Taupo NZ
Nate_D said:
I don't really have pics other than those posted on the last few pages. They should show most of the process. Basically the OD was set by the plug, which the molds were pulled off of as a mating pair. So the parts out of the mold, once trimmed, match up almost perfectly (minor trimming variation). Once trimmed, they are mated and then masking tape wrapped around the top, bottom, and center. Body filler is than applied to the seam to "tack" them together and fill the seam. Tape comes off and more sanding and body filler is added until the seam is perfectly smooth.

Once smooth, a braided sleeve is slid over the pole and then pulled tight. Resin is brushed on and then a heat shrink sleeve that was coated prior with a mold release is slid over the pole. Heat is applied and all of the air bubbles and excess resin is worked out with a spreader. This takes a bit of practice to get right.

After the sleeve has cured, the heat shrink is cut off. The finish at this point depends a lot on how smooth you managed to get the heat shrink. Loose ends are sanded off, holes for the steering are drilled, and a forstner bit is used to set the 5/8" SS washers into the pole. Bolt center is then drilled out and the washers are bonded to the pole with epoxy. The tongue is filled and sanded smooth, as is the bottom of the pole. The whole pole is block sanded down with 150 grit until the top layer of carbon is hit. The tongue and bottom are taped off and then a high build primer is sprayed and a black base coat goes over that.

Sunshield is sprayed over the whole pole. Sunshield is a polyester based clear coat that builds very well and dries smooth. Once this cures fully, the pole is block sanded a second time with 150 until smooth (or we hit the carbon layer again, in which case another round of clear has to go on to build the low spots and we repeat sanding). A final round of sunshield clear is shot and cured. Once cured, pole is wet sanded at 1000 to remove orange peel, then 2000 and 3000 before compounding with a DA and M105. Polished with DA and M205.


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Damn, thanks for the description! I've never worked with heat shrink but I guess it is similar to doing wet layup vac bag, just the sleeve is applying pressure instead. Are the sleeves and heat shrink tubes all made to order (ie you send a company dimensions of your part) or are they available in a lot of generic diameters/lengths?

Been checking this thread every day by the way...straight carbon porn. I'm glad you are willing to share the details, a lot of the really good builders like to keep it a bit tight lipped (though all the composites info is widely available from other applications/forums/sports)
 
Nate_D

Nate_D

Location
Houston, TX
Yes, kind of like a wet layup vac bag, but a smoother surface, higher resin content, and much less pressure. But same concept. Sollercomposites.com supplies my sleeves and heat shrink. They are available in several diameters.



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Mud-Nut

Mud-Nut

Location
LaSalle, ON
My build has completely stopped (temporarily) because of work, but I may shoot you a PM some time in the foreseeable future about this sleeve and heat shrink method... I'm not 100% happy with how my handpole turned out, and I think this method could fix it.

Anyway, I know I've replied several times to this build thread, but I'll say it again: Amazing work Nate! I've been following this since the beginning, and I'm really enjoying the progress in workmanship.
 
W

waxhead

wannabe backflipper
Location
gold coast
I would love to see this project. I can only see to a certain point and then the links dont work anymore. Am I the only with this issue
 
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