Mast Hoops

[cs]

Saw something about mast hoops and ash in another post and it got me to thinking. If you may remember I bought some ash to bend a keel strip for my canoe. I bought plenty of ash and ripped on board up into several strips to make sure I had enough. Well it only took one try to get the canoe strip done and so now I have all of these 3/4" x 1/4" x 8' strips of ash.

I will need to make some mast hoops for my weekender, or else lace the sail to the mast. Do you think that these strips of ash would work for making the hoops?

Chad

[Ian G Wright]

Sure they will, but, depending on the size of the mast you may need to thin them down a little.
Dont forget to taper each end before you steam them, or at least the inside end.
Make a jig, run tests then go for it.
There was a piece in either WB or CB some while ago, a search migt turn it up.

IanW

[Paul Griffin]

Don't cut the material to the correct length before you steam them. Cut the pieces a couple of inches longer so you can get a good hold of the ends bend them around the form. I was unable to get the very ends to bend on the first ones I did. But once we made the next set longer I got them to bend nicely and cut the ends off after they had dried.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid49/p80910c340dbd12b9c0cdede1debeaea0/fcb73175.jpg

[ 01-29-2003, 08:49 AM: Message edited by: Paul Griffin ]

[cs]

Okay you taper the inside piece and cut them longer than required. After they are made do you epoxy the ends together?

Chad

[Mike Field]

Chad, traditionally you'd rivet them two or three times around the circumference. Then they'd wind up looking like this --

http://www.woodenboatfittings.com.au./public/masthoop.jpg

But there's no reason why you couldn't glue them, as long as you waited till the wood was quite dry. In that case though, I'd glue the whole lath, not just the scarfs, so that the whole thing became one solid piece.

I suspect ¼" laths might take a fair bit of steaming to get down to the 2½"-or-so radius you'd want for your mast. Can you take them down to say 3/16" (or less) before you start?
.

[Paul Griffin]

Chad

My hoops are only 5.25". It's a single layer of 1/8" White Oak. Soaked over night and heated on the oven for 12 minutes @ 200 degrees. Spice as desired.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid49/p80910c340dbd12b9c0cdede1debeaea0/fcb73175.jpg

[cs]

Paul those hoops look great. I was thinking about 4" diameter. I don't have the plans in front of me to verify this. Don't think I would need to thin them but it wouldn't be a problem to run them through a planer, besides this ash is real flexiable.

I like the idea of the rivets, but I will probably glue them up. Thanks for the photos that helped a whole bunch.

Chad

[Buddy Sharpton]

The ones Pert Lowells offers are indeed riveted, and are overlapped at least two and where the fastened three layers thick of appropriately thinner white oak. The ash will work finr. Each hoop has four rivets. While they are quite dear, two piece bronze fastener sets ( one piece is screwed to the hoop, the other piece is shackled or tied to the sail) are available which will enable you to remove the sail from the hoops without removing the hoops from a standing mast. It is a useful convenience.

[Cedarhill Boatworks]

The hardest thing about bending wood, steamed or otherwise is getting the last inch or two to bend as well as the middles. Leave the strips nice and long and get the longest overlap you can. The longer the strips the more of a lever you have to work around the form.

[Johannah]

Buddy, could you supply us with the source for the bronze thingummies that make attachment more convenient? Sliding the hoops off or retying them gets old.

[J. Dillon]

Chad,

As an alternative to hoops or lacing why not consider grommets or better "Robands"

In the image only the lower one shows but each eye in the sail luff has one. Ther're secured to the mast by means of eye and toggle. This enables easier attachement and removal. It is also kinder on mast varnish, lighter with less windge and stronger for sure. Besides you never have to varnish or maintain them. ;) Sure is better for the smaller boat IMHO.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid49/p9b57bb4c90f2dd963cbef774f1abea63/fcb62f43.jpg

[cs]

You now that what was what I was considering but than I got all this ash ripped up into strips with nothing to use it for. If the hoops don't work that is the way I will go though.

Chad

[Buddy Sharpton]

They're called mast hoop toggles. Bristol Bronze has them in large,bb0894 at $20, small, BBBB4595 at $15.00. They're at 401-625-5224 I have an old Pert Lowell catalog that has them at $11 and $6.50. Their number is 508-462-7409.

[Johannah]

Thanks for the tip. The Pert Lowell website lists the small fasteners as $13 per set. Not sure that the hoops are all that irritating?! tongue.gif

[Todd Bradshaw]

Just about any sailmaker can get you hoop fasteners. They are distributed by the same companies that sell us sail fabric. This is the small one. They work well, but as noted are expensive little buggers.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid49/p7a87ea88fad34e01eadb7c81c6e64570/fcb5f3a2.jpg

[J. Dillon]

OH, Chad,

I forgot to mention robands and home made toggles are cheep. ;) JD

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid46/pbdc884fa10f4646c0d2d3efc5f2be8d5/fccd7ba0.jpg