J.Kahn wrote:
wrote:
Bob Kuykendall wrote:

J.Kahn wrote:

The stuff is rolled into coils for shipment. Scroll down and check out the
flat version bent by hand into a half circle.


I've seen a picture of graphlite (TM) rod bent into a loop with a
radius
of about an inch or so. Now, imagine that you want a 2" diameter
ring, like a key ring. Would you bend the rod into a circle and glue
the ends together?

I think not!


Yup, that's the way I get it, spools of 1000 to 1500 feet.


As you probably noticed, when you take it off the spool, it
straightens out. I want to shape it so that it is curved without
any applied stress.

I don't think it's necessary to eliminate all preload.

Nor do I. But if I want a curved structure made from the
rod to hold its shape without a lot of built-in stress it is
necessay to eliminate MOST of the pre-load.

...
I would extend a graphlite top rib cap as far forward as it can be
comfortably bent by hand and use a wood nose block for the very front
for the nose radius.

I wouldn't even consider doing that. If I'm going to use materials
in addition to graphlite rod, I'll use foam, monofilament tapes,
fiberglass,
or some such.

I love working with wood. I just don't see that as a efficatious
use, if I'm already using composites.

As noted before, there are a myriad of perfectly servicable
alternatives, all of which are outside of the scope of the
original question. There is no problem at all finding alternatives
and how to use them.

Perhaps more to the point, I just suggested a rib as
an example. Being able to bend graphlite rod like
one steam bends wood opens up a lot of design
possibilites.

Imagine, instead of reinforcing other materials with the rod,
making a wing, or wing and fuselage built like a birdcage
and then covered with Dacron. Not the cheapest and
maybe not the lightest or strongest and certainly not
the most practical way to go. But an interesting concept.

How about a dirigible made the same way? (Here one could
probable accept the pre-loading as there would be no really
tight radius curves.)

How about a kayak? How about a key-ring?

If it CAN'T be done, then it can't be done.

--

FF