Boxy Fisher Catamaran

Hi again Fanie
All good, it was just to say hey keep going as there are always others who will give yards of advise and never lift a tool to do what they propose others should do by listening to their worldly advise.
I admire the fact you are doing it. I am also just doing it, so thought I would say hi and good on you with some shots from a boat that works to back up what you are doing.
All the best.
Craig

 

Hi again Fanie
I just pulled some old weight calculations for the folding catamaran we designed for a client (mentioned in another thread) beams, mast, boom and hull sockets all aluminium 6061 T6, pins were titanium Ti-6A1-4V etc The weight for these came in at 478.177 kg for a 38ft sailing catamaran. The mast was wing section of 11mtrs above deck.
The reason we did all work initially in aluminium is the client did not want to limit themselves to just their own design, instead wanting the system to be retrofitable to others designs. The client now has provisional Patent protection on the system.
Like you even though we have run all the caluclations in House, we have employed the professional services of High Modulus (NZ) to run calculations for the composite Mast and boom and beams etc just to confirm our calculations are correct.
We have a half scale of the design being built for the client in our workshop presently to prove the design prior to the full size being built.
Regards
Craig

 

I finished the counter today. You can set a target amount of turns and it gives an audible alarm if the count is met.

The pickup is a reed switch, and for those that didn't know, they are more sensitive to be activated towards the ends. The magnet used is a small round neo. This can be removed and used on the next jig. Positioning of the magbet is not critical and works over several cm's.

 

Ingenious!

 

Ingenious no. I thought every one have these things even at home

December has been a real pain, all the places closed and most people on holiday, so naturally not much was done.

Went fishing and playing with boats only two days

Since fixed the laser cutter table's electronics up again. I used some of it's spares for a bobbin winder I built.

I've also decided to change the bearings I've used from linear bearings to roller bearings. I've submitted the drawings to be laser cut this morning and I may receive the spares as early as tomorrow. New laser cutters, the previous ones (BEE) took months to get anything done.

If you wonder what the purpose of the laser cutter table in the greater scheme of things has to do with boating, it will be used to 'plot' the profiles for the jig on.

The PC still runs on win95 and is close to 200 years old. Ive asked my PC supplier to source me something newer, xp with a usb port so I can do the cad on the work pc and the one on the machine drives the motors. Transfer the files with a stick.

So Manie, if you need your planks marked... size max is 2m700 x 1m900. Quite a large profile can fit on there. Larger than that one will have to split.

 

I will take you up on your offer but please dont strip the machine again for parts

 

Ingenious yes.

 

Evidence of genius at work, well done Fanie...

 

Laser Cutter Data

Fanie,

Could you tell us more about the laser cutter you are using including sources and prices?

thanks in advance.

joe

 

I'm building the laser cutter for our own use. We have lots of plastic parts to make from time to time. The laser cutter is 120W max, so you can cut most plastics with it as well as some other materials. The laser tube and HT psu is from China, my local spares supplier (Mantech Electronics) ordered the stuff for me.

Stepper motors with a 3:1 planetary gearbox, sprockets and belts bought locally. The profiles is my own jig I designed and extruded with a local aluminum extruder. It is one of the higher grades alu (6061 or something) and it was surface hardened and anodised.

For now I plan to use a pen like a big platter to draw the profiles with.

Joe, if you plan on making something similar, it's fairly easy. There are lots of schemes for sale to use for the bearings and rails, ranging from expensive to very expensive - of course.

I'm using Gecko drives and DesckCNC software, look at deskcnc.com, nicest software for CNC stuff I came across.

It's only a combination of mechanical (junk ) and some electrical / electronics.

Masalai, I can't give you more points Get past Jeff and we'll talk again
Same to you too Hoyt. There's nothing fancy about this, any one that wants to can do this. I think you guys are just too lazy, am I right



The parts I ordered was laser cut, but not bent yet. I may get them tomorrow.

 

Fanie,

Sorry, I was not clear enough in my request. I was referring specifically to the laser heads themselves.

joe

 

You can make the 'head' (a different term in the marine world eh ) yourself.

The beam gets reflected with special si mirrors, onto the center of a focussing lens. The one I plan to use has a focusing distance of 50mm. This gets adjusted for the material thickness so the 50mm focus point is in the center of the material. If your material is 2mm the dictance is adjusted for 49mm.

The reflectors (mirrors) maintain their positions, only the focusing lens gets adjusted. You can do this by turning a knob or adjust it with a little stepper motor from the PC.

 

I guess I am interested in sourcing the parts that make up a laser head. The marine head I will leave to somebody else.

joe

 

Fanie you probably have all this info
but some of it may be updated
it basically is the MARITIME LAW as things stand now
rules - regulations - and endless legalities in sunny South Africa
some of it will drive you nuts - so only read when a good mood

http://www.samsa.org.za/index.asp

 

Laser head sounds dangerous. Safer too hang it over the side.