how would you make panels that flex ??

what materials could be used to make flexible panels that are hard to break ???:idea:

What materials would be suitable to make flexible hulls that wont break ????
If you were given the job to make a boat what would you use to construct it out of . Glass ? and if so which one , Kevlar ? you sure ?? carbon fibre ?? What ?? and what about resins which one ??

 

Any panel of any material it is able to flex before breaking, if supported bad enough, I mean, if its dimensions, length and width, compared to its thickness, are large enough. Also depends on the instrument used to bend / break.

 

Polycarbonate ?

 

How could you make a flexible bottomed boat out of fibreglass ???:idea:
And what would be the most likely glass to use ???

 

I can not understand why you need the bottom or the boat are flexible. How flexible and how much?
Placing reinforcements separated sufficiently, or rather, not placing reinforcements, get a hull totally flexible. But do not think that's good.
Perhaps with a better definition of what you need, someone might give you a concrete answer.

 

Why if a hull flexes is that not a good thing ??this is nothing new boats been flexing since man stopped hollowing out logs

I can not understand why you need the bottom of the boat to be flexible!!.

If its flexible it will give a softer ride !! so if its a softer ride isn't it more comfortable to ride in ?? yes or no ?? if no why ??

 

Do not be angry with me, please. I have no obligation to guess what you're thinking and so my answers should be generic.
A very flexible thing can have fatigue problems which, when rigid, do not appear.
A very flexible thing can have vibration and noise problems which, when rigid, do not appear.
What's inside the hull, how to support the various elements are often attached to the hull?
Like I said in another of the threads, with the same subject, you have begun, perhaps the solution is a boat inflatable.

 

Apart the structural problems which TANSL has correctly pointed out, I don't think flexibility always equals comfort. The problem is in the spring effect. If the hull is very flexible, but the elastic effects are not properly dampened, the comfort can easily turn into a discomfort and the ride can easily become dangerous.

For example, try to take a ride sitting on the RIB tubes on a choppy sea. Before you do so, make sure there are strong handles for you to grasp onto, because on every wave the spring effect will try to eject you up in the air so much that you will soon fell like a rodeo star.

Cheers

 

Been there done that and made surf rescue boats , foot straps ,hand holds and a bow rope with a grab handle .head up and go like a scolded cat leaping over waves and catapulting off big crashing surf ! places that would make your hair stand on end !! one hour and I came back completely utterly speechless and could not believe the surf guys thought it was fun and loved every minute of it !!
Broken ankles , broken legs and compressed spines were common place till we made fibreglass soft bottomed boats with fibreglass single layered glass trampoline floors and all the breakages stopped just like that !!. boats were quicker and faster and could turn in the own length at 45 mph plus and they were lighter .

 

Its all about learning something very interesting and maybe new !!

My point to this particular thread is how would you make a soft bottomed boat of say 5 mtrs long !! how would you go about constructing this boat so it stays together and could last longer than you can possibly imagine ??
any one got any ideas ??
anyone want to throw caution to the wind and put there 2 cents on the table and speak up ??

 

Take an existing boat and glue on to the bottom say a uniform 50mm of polyethylene foam, not a difficult exercise. You now have a "soft bottomed" boat. Test it on the water, but if its a dud, don't ask me how to unglue the foam !

 

Get off the sofa !!

How about just making a bendy bottomed hull that flexes !!
Don't look so surprised ,it works and its being done !!

Not a lot of inspiration here , where is all the creativity and letting your imagination run riot !! guess if I turned all this into a bunch of figures and graphs you'd all feel more at home !

 

Isn't a non-rigid inflatable a bendy bottom that flexes ? But is no good to ride in at speed. Can you show an example of this new-fangled bendy boat that improves ride ?

 

I'm unconvinced that a "bendy bottomed" hull is more comfortable. A soft bottom rubber raft has never been more comfortable for me than a proper skiff.

 

Use Eglass and Vynil Ester. It stretches about the same time. Or you can find some epoxy with an elongation to break in the 5-6% range. Silver tip epoxy has an an elongation to break in the 8% range. Will work too but use in conjunction with WR. Avoid Uni's as the fibers are aligned and does not stretch much. WR because of its undulations in weaving, stretches more.

Rigid inflatable boats have fiberglass bottoms and soft inflatable rubber tubes in the perimeter. The rubber tubes are generally out of the water but when impacted by the waves, it flexes, giving a "soft" cushiony ride like the shock absorber in a car. This is flexing at its best.

Flexibilty is about "toughness". Whack a carbon fiber boat and it shatters while an Eglass/VE boat will be more forgiving. Research shows that "tough" resins (which elongates to a high degree without cracking) is much more tolerant to impact. But with low modulus materials, strength is also reduced so there must be compensation.

Just don't overdo a "flexible" boat. Like a plastic ice cube tray when it flexes, out pops your instruments, the bult in bunks and cupboards, cracks, the transom twist and misalign the direction of thrust.