Springtime in the Rockies can be quite fickle and this year is no exception. Sunshine and 70 degrees one day, snow and single digit temperatures the next. The old saying is; "if you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes". I took advantage of the good weather last week to prepare the mast for assembly. I'm using 8/4 fine grain quarter sawn Douglas Fir, acquired locally. The wood was a find at $7.23 per board foot in 18' lengths. I used a 16% wall thickness as the material is close grained and quite stiff with up to 30 rings per inch. The mast is 14' - 6" overall, 2 1/2" at the step, tapering to 3" at the boom, and tapering to 1 1/2" at the top. I made some fixtures to aid in assembly and keep the mast straight while the epoxy cures.
I'm following Ross Lillistone's advice on blocking, using a solid piece between the step and the partner. This piece is tapered to reduce stress where the block ends. The small block is for the top of the mast.
I used a roller and sponge brush to apply the epoxy, making sure the inside surfaces are well covered. The assembly fixtures made it easy to align the parts while clamping. I used hose clamps and cable ties to hold everything together.
If the staves are properly machined assembly is very easy as the pieces are self aligning.
The finished product looks pretty straight and weighs about 15 pounds. Time to sharpen the jack plane and get to work...
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