philcanoe wrote:Craig Smerda wrote:...3. & 4. the bar itself isn't a terrible idea... but for the best effect it needs to be at least as wide as the saddle and not as narrow as you used. (i'll make another drawing to show my ideal saddle beam) the foam between the bar and the hull isn't doing much from my perspective other than giving you a surface area to glue it all together. there are now four smaller pockets to flex rather than two larger ones....
Oh, and your were doing so good...
The reason I didn't go off on this post initially - (beside starting to sound like Louie) - was exactly because the iron rod was completely encased in foam. As long as the piece of iron is narrower and shorter than the saddle, then really it shouldn't create as bad of a stress riser. If the iron was anyway near as wide as the saddle, then plastic to either side of it would be breaking before very long (if the boat is paddled hard). I did start to suggest using a shorter piece of iron, as it's nearly out the end of the foam. Which most like will be the demise, of this hull. But give the guy a break! He's stepping into uncharted territory, and most likely will be charging full steam ahead. I commend your attempt. Keep thinking out of the box, just remember sometimes the lid slams shut. But who knows, you may just be on to something?
Ok, with that said...It seems to me the same results would be achieved, by simply adding the extra foam to the saddle.
Maybe I'm missing the point, but why in the world would you want a piece of metal in a saddle in the first place (even a plastic laminated one)? I'm unaware of any need for extra longitudinal rigidity in the saddle? And especially why Craig would consider a wider piece to be better, when he's already increased the footprint of his saddle because of uneven loading across the bottom?
I have added internal pieces to keep footbraces in place (as in Wendy's saddle), but never to achieve overall stiffness. And yes, I use petroleum based contact cement also.... any brand.
yes Phil.... i was suggesting he use an 8" steel I beam
maybe what i was trying to convey that didn't come across real well was that the narrower beam might work well to resolve one issue and stops there. sometimes resolving one issue though can create an entirely new set of issues. i'm not about to divulge all of my thoughts and idea's out loud here on the "net" am i? but i'll say he's on the right track imo.
you remember the laminate pillars in the old perception kayaks... that's kind of what i'm implying in the above sketch... without going too far into detail. let's just say certain applications out of need or necessity require different solutions to address potential problems and just leave it at that.
i'm stoked to see people like Martin thinking outside of the box and trying new things. if not for thinking like that over the years y'all might be fixin' yer birchbark canoes back at your tee'pees everynight after paddlin' the Tellico during ALF with pine sap and hot rocks... not to mention taking care of your horses and mendin' yer buckskin drysuits and buffalo skull helmets.
from new lines of thought and idea's comes better products... i say BRING 'EM!!!