Kris wrote:
Scott,
I scroll back thru the conversation to the info regarding a lamp post. Does your post has an inspection door in the lower part? What you going to do about, if so? This is my case and I am not certain how to deal with it.
Hi Kris,
Your profile says that you are building one of Jerome Delaunay's designs. I like how his boats look as drawings. I hope you will share some build photos. The center cockpit scow with two masts looks especially interesting.
The short answer is that my lamp post does not have an inspection door.
The long answer is that I was able to avoid the issue with the inspection door after some persistence. The first two vendors I contacted stopped talking to me as soon as they found out I wanted to use the the lamp pole as a mast.
I tried to keep quiet about my intentions with a third vendor but eventually he told me that they can't sell a lamp pole without an inspection door. The inspection door is required by the NEC (National Electrical Code). I imagine that there are similar regulations in the EU.
However this third vendor was very happy to sell me a pole without a hand hole after I told him that I would not be using it for a lighting application. I had to sign several documents but in the end I was able to purchase a plain tapered 6063-T6 pole without any holes.
I remember seeing photos from at least one JRA member who purchased the pole longer than necessary and then cut off the lower section with the inspection door. If I remember correctly the mast on Ming Ming II was made this way.
Please understand that I have not yet built a functional junk rig with this pole. The most I have done is get the mast vertical in the tabernacle. I am not any sort of an expert or authority. With that said I think you have a few options.
1. If the pole is long enough cut off the lower section
2. Cut off the lower section and extend the upper section with wood or an alloy tube
2. Get a different pole
3. Add a sleeve inside the lower section or on the outside of the lower section
4. Determine, somehow, that the pole is strong enough with inspection door installed normally.