[Wolves] Linux and CAD type programs

[Kevanf1]

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 20:30:13 +0000, Andy Wootton
<andy.wootton at wyrley.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> Kevan,
> 
> That sounds hard. You aren't dealing with a tube but with a long, thin
> cone made of a material with varying characteristics through it's
> section and thickness along it's length. I believe the bend actually
> starts at the last point that the hand holding the rod touches but only
> becomes significant nearer the tip as the diameter narrows i.e. there is
> no such point as 'where the bend starts', so you are aiming for a
> characteristic curve. I bet expert rod makers work on heuristics based
> on centuries of craft experimentation e.g. "Take a 2-3 year old piece of
> bamboo that has grown to a length of 2m in a peat soil..."
> 
> One thing might work to your advantage in your quest though; it seems
> like similar physics to sailing yacht masts! The forces there will be
> distributed along the mast rather than at the tip but I bet it has been
> researched more than fishing rods. Good luck.
> 
> If you end up having to build the world's first modelling tool for
> carbon-fibre racing yacht masts, will you be GPLing it? ;-)
> 
> Woo
> 
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Hi Andy.  Now there is another similarity to yacht masts then.  Modern
fishing rods are made of carbon fibre.  Different rations of carbon
and resin or boron but basically, carbon fibre.

I think what I need to do is to get a good number of measurements from
friends rods and build up a sort of database of curvatures.  Does that
make sense how I've put it?  A split cane rod is made from a specific
type of bamboo.  It ain't your common or garden, erm garden cane :-)))
 It's called Tonkin and is used because of its characteristics.  These
characteristics are fairly predictabel but obviusly there is a slight
variation.  With these measurements I can hopefully work out what I
want.  A cane rod is actually solid but comprises of six triangular
shaped sections.  The thickness can be varied along the length to
produce the desired type of curve when under pressure.

I won't go into the details anymore as I don't really want to turn
this into a fishing list ;-)))

Oh, tying back into the carbon fibre of yacht masts... did you know
that carbon fibre, that wonderful space age material also used in
Formula 1 racing cars - there's a Linux link there too - is made from
cotton?

-- 
Take care.
Kevan Farmer

34 Hill Street
Cheslyn Hay
Staffordshire
WS6 7HR