Fabricating New Mast Wedges

[s.marcotte]

Hello-
We're looking for suggestions on mast wedge materials. We think we want a rubber or plastic type stock that could be shaped similar to traditional wood wedges. Alum stick/glass boat... But not sold on the SparTite solution.
Any comments on materials and sourcing would be appreciated.
Thanks

Steve

[knuterikt]

Originally Posted by s.marcotte

Hello-
We're looking for suggestions on mast wedge materials. We think we want a rubber or plastic type stock that could be shaped similar to traditional wood wedges. Alum stick/glass boat... But not sold on the SparTite solution.
Any comments on materials and sourcing would be appreciated.
Thanks

Steve

I have switched to "rubber pads"
The deck ring was designed for wooden wedges that seemed to want to creep up all the time.
The local rigger suggested I should switch to these rubberpads

They are available in different thicknesses.
The are inserted between the mast ring and mast,
I first insert the aft pad then I use the winches to pull the mast aft at deck level before inserting the forward one - need to use washing up liquid to let it slide into place.

Have never dislodged..

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
Any measurement of density of those wedges? Source?
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[knuterikt]

Originally Posted by Brion Toss

Hello,
Any measurement of density of those wedges? Source?
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

Referring to my post?
I got them from my local rigger here in Norway http://www.southerncross.no/en/
They source parts from vendors like Selden, Sparcraft and others but I don't know who made these.
These pads are made in different thicknesses.
Have not measured the density but they don't compress much.

I have an old keel stepped Isomat mast. the deck ring was designed to use small wooden wedges.
The wedges we had where like this


They worked loose, I discussed solutions to this with my rigger, he suggested switching to these rubber pads. No problems more than 5 years later.

[Ian McColgin]

I've seen plenty of instances of wedges shaking up and out. In all cases this was solved by making more accurate wedges that contacted the partners over almost their whole depth.

Even a steep wedge will lay against the mast flat and provide protection to the mast but if it's only in contact at the upper part of the partners it's just an incline plane that wants to shift the load.

Make a very gentle bevel. As a start, make the wedges way too long so once you get them set you can mark where to cut the bottoms off. Flat bottoms makes getting them out easier as well.

Make the bevels fit. If a round or ovular mast, the inner (female) arc is a bit tighter than the outer. Get these right for good contact. Whether flat or round sided, number or lable the wedges so you can get them in and out without a lot of fooling around.

Personally, I do not like rubbery wedges. They move and they have high friction making them hard to set and harder to extract. Good hardwood wedges properly shaped are the way to go.

Even on glass boats.

I' not against the poured wedges if the parnters are beveled just a little, bottom a sckoch smaller hole than top, so you can set and remove with confidence.

G'luck

[Douglas]

Ahoy Brion ,,, do you stock or order those rubber wedges for mast to partner spaces ?