SS mast to Liquid Force fuse adapter

[galewarning]

The Houston Kiteboarding guys distributed an adapter to use Slingshot aluminum masts with the Liquid Force fuselage. However, the demise of LF has resulted in them no longer selling this adapter. Anyone out there have one they don't use anymore? If so, send me a PM. I also posted a WTB on the Second Hand forum, but thought I'd also try here.
Here's to a Happier New Year!
-Barry

[drone]

if you have LF aluminium fuse, just make an extra hole and no adapter needed

[galewarning]

The final version fuselage that LF made was the Fluid, a streamlined and lighter aluminum successor to the carbon fuse. The Fluid has a recess on the body for the mast to set into. It's really a nice, relatively light and faster fuse, but it complicates trying to adapt any other mast. The machine screws are also socket head, instead of flat head on the older LF fuses. The result is two holes would need to be drilled and a step milled/ground into the end of the SS mast for this to work. Or maybe a spacer the thickness of the recess and two new holes drilled way offset from the flat head countersinks. There's just not enough of a spacing on the fuse to make it work with only one new hole.

Also, I did find a buyer selling the adapter.

if you have LF aluminium fuse, just make an extra hole and no adapter needed

[SMJ]

Try this website:
https://projectcedrus.com/compatibility/

[galewarning]

I did receive a prompt response from ProjectCedrus, but he declined for a reason I totally understand: I wasn't buying one of his masts.

Try this website:
https://projectcedrus.com/compatibility/

[SMJ]

I did receive a prompt response from ProjectCedrus, but he declined for a reason I totally understand: I wasn't buying one of his masts.

Well that's unfortunate - not to mention bad for business. The more I learn about that company the less I like.

[BayAreaKite]

@SMJ, what the hell is your problem? Seriously!? I will make an adapter for Galewarning. It will take approximately 2-3 hours of design work, and I will charge $100/hour (which is less than I charge my consulting clients). Is that OK? I have a mortgage, I have to feed my child, we have to pay for a nanny while I do this work, and I have to pay taxes. Can I bill my customers for work? Or is that not OK with you SMJ? Have you ever designed anything in your life? I have to take detailed measurements of the interface of the mast and fuselage, design them in my CAD software (which costs $15,000), and then 3D print a test sample to make sure it fits properly (another $3,000 machine), and then I can send the design to my machinist who will make it out of aluminum for $100. Then it has to get anodized for another $65, but I'll throw it in a batch I already have in production so I'll do this part for free.

So yes, I will gladly design you an adapter and make it for $400. Do you think anyone will pay for this? NO! The 4 year old aluminum mast it's going on is worth $20, why spend another $400! Should I do it for free? I am generous with my time and money, but this is not my charity. Are you so entitled @SMJ that you think guys like me should invest hours of our time into you? What is up with that?

Or, you can buy a Project Cedrus and I make any adapter you want (assuming it works with a commercially available fuselage) for $100. I have customers who bought masts 3 years ago and continue to buy adapters from me for $100 instead of buying $1,000 masts! This is an amazing deal for them, and I am losing my a$$ on these adapters but I do it for my customers. I have spent hours late at night while my family is sleeping to make these adapters for my customers, and I don't even make any money off them! I make a little money when they buy a mast, so I am incentivizing that.

@SMJ don't tell me what's bad for business. You clearly don't understand business whatsoever. Adapters and foil parts barely work at economies of scale; one off parts are way too expensive. You should seriously take a break from this forum because you just sound ignorant.

[edt]

Bay Area busting it up with some reality.

[SMJ]

I gave this "professional" a recommendation / link to his website site above, and the professional responds with the above childish rant.

BayAreaKite has been added to my ignore list, and Project Cedrus has been added to my list of (one) vendors I will not be recommending or pointing other users towards.

My apologies to galewarning for the poor recommendation. Good luck with finding another adapter; I will keep my eyes out for you and let you know if I come across any legitimate alternatives.

[fluidity]

Bay Area busting it up with some reality.

He's got some of it right

I'm not "Bay Area"

I'm not in business making kite, hydro or wing gear. I have a real job and most of what I design I put on line free for others.
My CAD software is free, it's OPENSCAD and there are several other great CAD packages out there, the only people paying big money for CAD are corporations and people sucked into the AUTODESK con which is proprietary file formats across the western world because of AUTODESK training architects to use only their product.
My 3D printer was $400 NZD including freight and took 10 hours assembly plus another 10 hours installing my own extruder drivers and watercooled thermal break cold end. I built my own CNC machine and am happy with US $50 software from Germany.

But if I was running my own business I might spend more on my tooling and talk it up slightly, for sure it would be a business proposition, not "mates rates"

People do like to get a good deal but often conveniently ignore that markup has serious components to it. Tax, machine costs, rental, business accomodation, wastage from when things aren't right first time etc etc etc.