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Alloy tubing battens

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  • 04 Feb 2011 20:48
    Quote
    Reply # 515918 on 515893
    Anonymous member
    Robert Groves wrote: The Alloy battens on Easy Go have stood up to the test of time. We used one inch aluminum battens with 1/8 inch walls. I made up a repair kit in the event that they took a permanent bend or broke but have not needed to do anything to them yet.

    Securing the standing parrels has been accomplished with an Icicle Hitch (a Brion Toss innovation) and it does not slip! For noise control we used one inch ID high pressure hose over the battens. We need to use lubricant to get them in place. They have not moved at all. In a moment of inspiration, rare these days, I cut them the same length as the separation on the standing parrels. Double insurance that the parrels do not slip. None of this has required any holes or screws in the parrels.

    The ends of the battens have plugs with holes and grooves similar to what one would see in the PJR for securing the sails to the battens.

    Sheets are lashed directly to the ends of the battens but are only one season old. I'm reserving judgment on this arrangement for another year yet.
    Your battens have seen some rough weather, Bob, so must be considered proven. But what length are they? I guess 12ft, as on Badger. Butterfly needs 15ft battens, and I'd want to use 1 1/4" x 1/8" or 1 3/4" x 1/16" tube. 
  • 04 Feb 2011 20:40
    Quote
    Reply # 515904 on 515837
    Anonymous member
    Jeff McFadden wrote:
    David Tyler wrote: It's PVC that goes sticky and unpleasant, and it squeaks - do not use!
    Polythene is good, but it must be black to withstand UV. My advice is to get thick sheet Polythene, cut it into strips, a little less than batten width, on a table saw, and pop rivet it on (better than self tappers). Counterbore for the rivet heads.
    For the batten parrels, pop rivet on a little lacing eye, but don't tie directly to it - tie around the batten through the eye.

    OK, I'm confused. Are you riveting that poly strip to the tubular batten?
    Jeff
    Yes, that's right. I'm aware that in theory it weakens the tube, but in practice, when I've bent a batten, it's been away from where there are holes.
    Best, though, is a method that doesn't involve holes. Plastic tube is good, and can position the batten parrels, but it must be slippery, and it can be very difficult to get it fitted - softening with hot water and lubricant both help.
    My preference is to carry the batten pocket right forward, and to sew on a fender consisting of a strip of 10mm closed cell foam (camping mat), covered by wear resistant material such as Cordura.
  • 04 Feb 2011 20:23
    Quote
    Reply # 515893 on 499740
    Deleted user
    The Alloy battens on Easy Go have stood up to the test of time. We used one inch aluminum battens with 1/8 inch walls. I made up a repair kit in the event that they took a permanent bend or broke but have not needed to do anything to them yet.

    Securing the standing parrels has been accomplished with an Icicle Hitch (a Brion Toss innovation) and it does not slip! For noise control we used one inch ID high pressure hose over the battens. We need to use lubricant to get them in place. They have not moved at all. In a moment of inspiration, rare these days, I cut them the same length as the separation on the standing parrels. Double insurance that the parrels do not slip. None of this has required any holes or screws in the parrels.

    The ends of the battens have plugs with holes and grooves similar to what one would see in the PJR for securing the sails to the battens.

    Sheets are lashed directly to the ends of the battens but are only one season old. I'm reserving judgment on this arrangement for another year yet.
  • 04 Feb 2011 18:34
    Quote
    Reply # 515837 on 499768
    Deleted user
    David Tyler wrote: It's PVC that goes sticky and unpleasant, and it squeaks - do not use!
    Polythene is good, but it must be black to withstand UV. My advice is to get thick sheet Polythene, cut it into strips, a little less than batten width, on a table saw, and pop rivet it on (better than self tappers). Counterbore for the rivet heads.
    For the batten parrels, pop rivet on a little lacing eye, but don't tie directly to it - tie around the batten through the eye.

    OK, I'm confused. Are you riveting that poly strip to the tubular batten?
    Jeff
  • 04 Feb 2011 14:22
    Quote
    Reply # 515646 on 499740
    Deleted user

    I am considering changins some of my wooden battens on my missen sail for tubular aluminium possibly with hinges I am considering  the design by Arne Kverneland in newsletter 54. What I need is some advice on tube diametre and wall thickness. My forward sail which has a battern length of 19ft. 6ins. takes up a nice aerofoil shape and I am quite happy with this, but my missen sail 15ft. on battern length is very flat and I am considering replacing the four lower batterns with hinged batterns in an effort to put shape into the sail may be barking up the wrong tree but would appreciate some comments I would like to replace both sails with soft wing but at this time finances do not permit this

    Ron Atherton Butterfly
  • 19 Jan 2011 16:11
    Quote
    Reply # 500270 on 499740
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Stavanger, Wed. 20110119

    Annie

    I've used two different methods for tying batten parrels and HK parrels to the aluminium battens:

    On Malena I used a rolling hitch, but to hedge my bet I first taped on a "waist belt"; 5-6 rounds of ordinary, wide masking tape. That held up fine and prevented the rolling hitch from ever sliding past it.

    On Johanna and Broremann I use a system involving a hose-clip per batten. I first fit the hose-clip very loosely in the right position. Then I lace a line to the hose-clip so that two hoops stands out and then I tighten the hose-clip firmly to the batten (one hoop for the b. parrel and one for the HK parrel). To isolate the hose-clip from the batten I first put a couple of rounds of duct tape around the batten.

    I’m undecided on what method I like best.

    Arne
  • 18 Jan 2011 21:02
    Quote
    Reply # 499768 on 499740
    Anonymous member
    It's PVC that goes sticky and unpleasant, and it squeaks - do not use!
    Polythene is good, but it must be black to withstand UV. My advice is to get thick sheet Polythene, cut it into strips, a little less than batten width, on a table saw, and pop rivet it on (better than self tappers). Counterbore for the rivet heads.
    For the batten parrels, pop rivet on a little lacing eye, but don't tie directly to it - tie around the batten through the eye.
  • 18 Jan 2011 20:17
    Quote
    Message # 499740
    Anonymous member
    My rig advances slowly, impeded by WORK - the curse of the sailing classes. (But it at least allows me to continue with my folly until such time as somebody buys the old rig.)

    I am contemplating battens.  I have bought 38mm tubing - guaranteed to bend and spring back, yeah, right - and am wondering how to secure the batten parrel abaft the mast.  The anodised alloy is so smooth that I'm not sure if even a rolling hitch will stay in place.  Do I follow PJR and put in a wee self-tapper to stop the hitch sliding?  I don't like the idea of making holes in the tube, especially as I may need to adjust the odd parrel.

    What is the fendering of choice - not for chafe, but for reducing the unpleasant sound of metal upon metal?   I intend to stuff 'pool noodles' up the inside of the lower mast to muffle the noise - they're cheap - (for those who are puzzled at this comment, I should point out that I am making a hybrid mast, with an alloy lower section and a re-cycled Douglas fir topmast) but still feel that the battens hitting the mast will make a racket.  Sunbird used to use polythene tubing, but I suspect that the NZ sun would soon make that sticky and unpleasant.  (We have clean air and not much ozone here, so the sun is very fierce.)

    All suggestions welcome and the results should probably be a FAQ.
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