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Aluminium hollow mast sealing

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nikalaitzian
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Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby nikalaitzian » Wed Oct 05, 2016 9:52 am

Recently i bought a fydrofoil with a hollow aluminium mast like the ones that most of the companies have.I noticed that i holds water inside making it heavier and of cource vulnerable to corrosion.So i tried to seal it with various ways trying foam or rubber sealant and failed.Last option was the 2 components putty from BISON MARINE type putty.For the screw thread i used 7mm(8mm is the thread) rubber string cutted like thick washer of 3mm thickness.i used 2 for each thread inserting with vaseline to put it easyer.I tried yesterday and i succesed.Not even a drop inside.
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tegirinenashi
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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby tegirinenashi » Thu Oct 06, 2016 2:53 am


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nikalaitzian
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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby nikalaitzian » Thu Oct 06, 2016 10:07 am

i already tried it.....failed after a while

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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby Starsky » Thu Oct 06, 2016 11:27 am

Sealed mine easy enough. I would recommend a product like the one pictured. Two part epoxy paste like that doesn't need open exposure to cure. I would advise small end plugs about 1cm deep, Less weight and could be drilled/picked out easily enough if you happen too have a problem. The insulation foam in the next post is designed to seal around doors and windows, and may not cure well in a sealed and potentially moist mast. potentially difficult clean up if it doesn't go as planned. Not sure you have to bother with the threaded holes that take a bolt. I only put a plug in the one unused hole at the fuse end. All the other threaded holes are gooped up with plenty of TEF gel and there doens't seem to be any water getting in after much use.

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tegirinenashi
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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby tegirinenashi » Thu Oct 06, 2016 5:54 pm

nikalaitzian wrote:i already tried it.....failed after a while
OK, was it because the foam didn't propagate the whole length? If my guess is correct, then the more thorough way to seal the mast with foam is joining straws into 50 cm long straw pipe. Then, fill in the entire hollow area starting from the middle.

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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby 3InletsWindsports » Fri Oct 07, 2016 9:28 pm

I really wonder if these plugging solutions add more weight than the water they seek to keep out.

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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby tegirinenashi » Fri Oct 07, 2016 9:47 pm

That question is preposterous: even plastic is lighter than water. As for foam, its density is closer to air than water.

An extra advantage of sealing the inside of the mast (and, while at it, the fuselage) is preventing salt water corrosion. One don't need to disassemble the whole thing to small pieces every time; just rinse the outside with fresh water.

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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby OzBungy » Sat Oct 08, 2016 1:25 am

I had several goes at sealing my Liquid Force using very high quality marine sealant and foam rubber buffers.

The problem was that the air inside expanded in warm air, and contracted in cold water. This sucked the plugs in so they dislodged enough to let a little water in. Over time the dislodgement got worse and worse. I figured it was worse to have salt water permanently trapped inside than to disassemble each time.

The reason I wanted to seal the mast is that it makes a mess of the car when it drains out if you leave it assembled.

The solution was to do a full pack down before/after each session. It only takes a few minutes with practice and being methodical. It has the added benefits of taking up less space in the car and I could monitor the interfaces for wear and corrosion. It was easy to rinse the parts with fresh water each night.

The ultimate solution was to get a carbon foil with tuttle box mast connections. No void spaces to hold water and the whole thing dismantles with 4 bolts and packs into purpose made bags.

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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby Starsky » Sat Oct 08, 2016 2:42 am

Nah man, us low brow can make it work just fine. I take the foil off the board, but for the 5 min in the car its not worth taking it apart. even for the odd hour in the car, I disassemble once mid summer to check what is fine. Sealing the ends is worth doing simply for the convenience of a no drip foil. Two part epoxy ding stick like pictured in the initial post. only need about a cm of depth. Permanent solution.

To be fair, I would pull it apart a little more often if I rode salt water day to day, and that would likely drive me to go carbon. For now, I'm pretty happy with the one I have.

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Re: Aluminium hollow mast sealing

Postby geokite » Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:40 pm

Potentially looking to fill the inside of an aluminum Cedrus mast. Filling the non-bolt passageways seems simple; 2 part marine sealant on the ends, and to minimize expansion/contraction of the air inside I'm thinking of filing the cavities with pool-noodle foam.

But I don't understand the OP use of 'rubber string' to seal the bolt hole passageways. Anyone?

Overall reason for sealing is mainly weight reduction while kiting. Thinking a water filled mast would be more sluggish than an empty one, and empty will float better for strapless starts. I really don't mind rinsing it out after every use. Maybe sealing is a waste of my time?


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