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I've long been curious about this idle question about fillets, and a recent post got me thinking about fillets, so I'll ask. (It is of no practical importance to me, as I don't care about extreme light weight, and all my fillets are finished, anyway.)
It is simply this: could fillets be made smaller radius, and thus lighter, if one used glass cut on a bias?
If my facts are right about why fillets are there to begin with, and why they musn't be made too small of a radius, you will understand why I ask this question. The minimum radius of curvature for the glass fibers would be greater for a given fillet radius, and thus the minimum acceptable fillet radius would be smaller, as all of the threads would be traversing the fillet on the diagonal, instead of the tranverse threads being normal to the length of the fillet.
If the logic is correct, then the question is, would the improvement be big enough--say a few ounces or more--that an extreme builder (racing kayak) would care?
Just something to noodle on. Also, maybe there's a concept in there that would apply to some more practical application.
2 replies:
RE: Bias-cut fillets
Cool!
Also cool is, this makes three times since 2006 that I have been correct (four, if you count that time last November when I said "Hm, I was wrong".) Can't wait to tell the Boatwife, she won't believe it.
Now, a lot of you have been wondering, when is Camper going to post pix of the sharpie project? I'm building the design originally named for Mr. Harris, and later for his son, but now named for his great-grandson. I realized last evening that (a) if I don't post some soon, some of you may start asking when I will post them, rather than just wondering silently, and (b) with a little help from the kids I've actually made some PROGRESS, and they took some shots last evening. Imperceptible and reversible progress, yes, but progress nonetheless.
Caveat: in posing for the photos, which necessarily involves looking at the camera itself, I noticed that, in the relatively short time since I learned about ASA ratings, focal length, and f-stops, some changes in the equipment have occurred. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd sweart that one of the kids wasn't holding a camera at all, but rather a telephone.
So it may take a while for me to figure it out, but be patient, as you have been these many years.
RE: Bias-cut fillets
» Submitted by Laszlo - Fri, 7/18/08 » 7:44 AM
Camper,
You are exactly right and it's actually available in a 6-oz weight (which is stronger than 9 oz woven) for $36/50 yards. The only downside I've heard about it is that it doesn't disappear as completely as woven when wet out, but for painted and hidden joints that's not a problem.
Laszlo