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HDPE mast step?

  • 06 Jun 2025 17:50
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    Reply # 13507544 on 13506066
    Anonymous member

    A sidenote: Andy, you’re converting a Hurley 22, right?

    Do you have a blog or something alike of the conversion and your plans, please? A friend of mine is planning on converting a H22, and this would be a big help for him.
  • 05 Jun 2025 19:54
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    Reply # 13507193 on 13506066
    Anonymous member

    HDPE would be very difficult, if not impossible, to glue. Wood, well soaked in epoxy and laminated over, won't rot for a very long time.

    If, however, you really don't want to use wood, you could consider a pure grp construction, i.e. laminated ribs or a honeycomb structure (though I think that would be over-engineering).
  • 05 Jun 2025 18:25
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    Reply # 13507130 on 13506066
    Anonymous member

    I agree, HDPE isn’t a good choice of plastic. UPVC would be better, as it is bondable, but I can’t see a justification for plastic here - a rot resistant hardwood such as iroko would be just as good and as easy to work. 
  • 05 Jun 2025 01:37
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    Reply # 13506885 on 13506066
    Anonymous member

    Hi Andy,

    Annie is right -- I haven't found anything that will stick to HDPE. There may be some specialized glues or cements. But then, will that glue stick to the fibreglass?

     
  • 04 Jun 2025 05:13
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    Reply # 13506496 on 13506066
    Anonymous member

    HDPE - high density poly-ethylene: I think you'll be very lucky gluing that with epoxy.  From my experience, epoxy will just lift right off the stuff.  There may be some glue that will adhere permanently, but it would be designed specifically for the job. 

    You might be able to persuade a local HDPE dealer to sell you a solid piece and cut out the hole for the mast.  I have no idea if it would be strong enough for the purpose and leave that discussion to more knowledgeable junkies.
  • 03 Jun 2025 07:40
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    Message # 13506066
    Anonymous member

    Hi, I’m currently planning on building a mast step in a Hurley 22 to take a tabernacle, and looking at materials other than wood. There seem to be all sorts of opinions on this, from G10 to layers of solid design, but I wondered if a thickened epoxy base, to create a flat area, then layers of epoxied hdpe sheet, topper by a sheet of stainless steel sheet, might give me a solid, and non rot option? 

    best

    andy 
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