Wood mast design and build

[Robbie.g]

So are there standard texts detailing the design and construction techniques of wood masts, any recomendations for some fairly easy reading?
Thought there maybe the odd one or two people here who might know a thing or three about wood masts
This isn't with a project in mind, just to broaden my knowledge.
Thanks in advance.

[Ian McColgin]

The standard texts, like Skene's, have basic scantlings. Google up on the birds mouth technique for a really nifty way to make hollow spars.

[Brion Toss]

Hi there,
I'm with Ian on the bird's mouth style, and I believe there have been lengthy discussions on the WoodenBoat forums. Skene's gives thorough calculation details for the classical configurations. And look up, by all means, what the Pardey's have to say about alternatives to epoxy for gluing.
Fair leads
Brion Toss

[Robbie.g]

Thanks for the posts chaps, after googling the birds mouth, got myself into the kind of stuff i am looking for.
Thanks.

[Ian McColgin]

On the WoodenBoat Forum we heard about one fellow who somehow made a bird's mouth with seven staves. He said the eighth would not fit. I don't quite see how this was pulled off without some interesting errors in milling the notch and perhaps in alligning the joints. All I can say is read it all, study the videos, and make a small practice spar of some sort of perhaps cheaper wood so that you get the idea of how to plane the staves for taper and how to get the thing to come out straight. And dry fit, dry fit, dry fit. Few things worse than epoxy kicking off while you screw around with band clamps and rubber straps.

Once you get it, it's like magic.

G'luck