Liquidlogic Security Bars: The part of the story you may not know.

That's right, an entire story about security bars.

You got two choices you can get the whole story about security bars by reading and checking out the photos or you can watch this video. They are pretty much the same. One you just look at parts and pieces. The other you have to listen to me yap.

Liquidlogic Security Bars from Shaneslogic on Vimeo.

I got into this because we just did a series of tests on our security bars, the attachment point of the bars, and the bolts that we use to screw them on to the boat. Often both paddlers and manufacturers overlook this component, but like everything on our boats, we've given the grab bars some serious love. Lots of people take it for granted that the "security bars" on a kayak are strong and can take a ton of pull and punishment but in fact I have heard lots of stories about groups pulling bars and handles off of kayaks in rescue or boat recovery situations. In a boat recovery its a bummer because you potentially ruin a boat but if you are trying to help unpin a person the failure of this system is a much more serious matter.

The Liquidlogic security bar is made of 7000 series aircraft grade aluminum (that's aluminium for your foreigners) so you can fly it if you want to. Using that material allows it to be light and strong obviously. During our testing we only had one bar break and that was made by an old supplier of ours. The rest of the bars made it past 2000 lbs.

The bolt that we use to tie the security bar down to the boat is a stainless steel bolt so that it won't rust but it is also rated to a similar strength to the other parts of the system. Choosing the right bolt doesn't prove easy in this situation, either. Too soft and you strip the threads and heads, too hard and the head will pop off under serious pull. We've found a bolt rated to the strength that will match that of the bars, inserts, plastic, and throw ropes for optimum reliability.

These are the inserts that we mold into our boats. They used for attaching the bars. Each insert is held in the mold during the molding process by a pin. As the plastic flows through the mold it also coats and flows around the inserts, bonding them to the boat. The perforated part is encased in plastic and the threads are left exposed for use in attaching parts.

This is an insert much like the ones that other companies use. Enough said.

Here is our insert in the mold.

This is what the insert looks like once it is molded into the boat. This view is looking inside the kayak, under where the bar would be attached. The big deal with this insert is the size. You can see how big the surface area is and how the plastic has molded in, and around the insert. Its like having a stronger anchor to the whole system. This insert is rated a little over what the bars are rated for pull strength. You can look inside your boat and see the inserts, where they are placed, and what they hold on top of the boat. Notice the size of the insert in your boat. Its big indicator of the pull strength.

This is what the insert looks like from the outside of the boat. The threads are exposed for screwing into and you can just barely see the plastic that molds around the insert that keeps it from leaking. Now the fun part. I have pictures of things just about to break but the video has some slow motion of breaking things.

Here is a test we did on half a boat. Look how far the bar is bent and it still hasn't broken.

This test was probably the most dangerous of them all. At 2200 lbs the head of the bolt sheared off and shot around like a bullet. Fortunately everyone in the plant was wearing bullet proof shielding and of course safety glasses. It looked like this.

I hope you enjoyed this mundane article about a part of the boat that most people don't think about.

Cheers

Shane

A Preview of Alibre CAM 2.0 CNC Software

The upcoming release of Alibre Design 12.1 (SP1) will include major enhancement to the basic CAM software included free with Alibre Design Expert, as well as the four- and five-axis options available for Alibre CAM Professional and Alibre CAM Expert. Improvement to the Alibre CAM Interface will make CNC programming inside Alibre Design much easier and enjoyable to do. Here is one comparison between the crowded old (left) tab interface and the new (right) cascading style:

But more than the lookand feel of Alibre CAM will change. A new entry method has been added to 2.5 axis profile milling operations allowing you to have more control over the entry angle.You can now create tabs/bridges for 2.5 axis profiling operations. You can specify the bridge height and length. You can also specify whether you want to use a particular number of bridges which will be equally distributed around the profiles or you can set an exact distance between bridges. Below is an example of the same cut-outs using 5 bridges and 10 bridges per profile.

The Tool Libraries will allow "drag and drop" of pre-defined tools into the active tool set. There will also be an option to immediately preview a tool upon creation.

Alibre CAM 2.0 will now support avoidance regions to specify where the tool should not cut, for example to avoid clamps holding the stock material down on your CNC machine. Flat faces can be directly selected as machining / avoidance regions instead of having to use sketches. You can also select the starting point for the engagement of the tool for Machining Operations defined by sketches.

Alibre CAM Standard will offer along-path-3D-entry for 3 axis horizontal finishing offers more control over surface finish for steep areas of parts. Specifying the engage angle and path height allows you to control the smoothness of the engage motion, helping to eliminate unwanted marks on the cut part that would otherwise need to be buffed out later. Alibre CAM Professional will also enjoy improvements to 4 axis milling.

Alibre CAM Expert will add a new 3D Offset profiling method, 3D Offset pocketing for making constant offset tool paths on the part surfaces, 3 axis pencil tracing now offers multiple passes & 3 axis valley re-machining allows split cuts, step over and cut control. Tool Holder Collision determines the minimum tool length required to avoid collision.

Alibre Design is sold in Australia by CADDIT. Download Alibre Design / Alibre CAM in Australia for a free 30 day "Professional" trial before software reverts back to free "Xpress" mode.

Keep My Fingers Away From That Blade

Many of us that work with table saws and wood have heard of the SawStop over recent years. It's a table saw that can sense when it's no longer cutting just wood, but is cutting flesh, and stops it self rather dramatically to protect your hands. Most of us have seen the videos that show what happens when a wiener is used as a substitute for a human finger to demo the SawStop. However, this was a new take on the demo video for me. Watch the video, it's worth a few minutes to see.

Winter Camping Gear List

This is an attempt to publish my winter camping gear list which I use Google Docs to keep in a spreadsheet format. You can view the real version here, where it should appear as a normal spreadsheet and will be kept up to date. I'm getting ready to head out on a couple of trips this winter so I've been getting my list in order.

Note that one could write a book chapter on some of the items on this list such as sleds, boots, tents, etc.

Individual Item Group Item Comments Cooking Stove X 1 per 4 people Matches & lighters X Everyone should have a few fire starting methods on hand, all the time Fuel X Fire starter X X Cooking grate/bars X Gloves X Leather gloves for handling pots, and working the fire. Pots X Pot lifter X Spatula X Dish soap X Warm in a pot of the warmed dishwater to use. For dishes - you may just scrape pots with snow to clean them. Pot scrubber X Dish towel X Food pails X Cutting board X can use lid of the food pail Tinfoil X Thermos X 1 per two people, can be used for hot drinks on the trail, have something hot and ready for the morning, etc. Cutlery X Plate/Bowl X

Insulated mug Camp Gear Tent X Included as individual item since each person needs to make sure they have shelter Ground sheet X Axe X 1 per 4 people, sharpened. Also useful for getting water through ice. Folding saw X 1 or 2 per 4 people Tarps X Rope X Snow shovel X 1 per 1 or 2 people Sleeping Bag System X Cold-weather bag suitable for the coldest weather. Could be a -12C bag plus an overbag, vapour barrier liner, fleece liner, etc. Sleeping pad X it's a good idea to double these up or use a shorter foam pad under a thermarest Big duffels/packs X Duct tape X Lantern X Good item for a group - it gets dark early so most cooking and many camp activities sill be done int the dark Flashlight or headlamp X If using a metal light - wrap end in duct tape if you are like me and occasionally use your mouth as 3rd hand to hold it. I usually bring a headlamp and a maglight with spare batteries for each. Maps X 1 full maps set per - or two people. Compass X Know how to use it. GPS X Does not replace compass and real maps. Plastic bags X

First aid kit X Kit sized for the group, multiple kits is better. Multitool &/or knife X I bring one of each. Toiletries X Don't bother with deoderant and toothpaste - it doesn't work well frozen. Toilet Paper X Sunscreen X Emergency blanket X Transportation: Snowshoes X Bring shoes appropriate for the conditions. If weight is not a major concern, I'll bring a smaller pair for camp/bush use Skis X I might also bring both skis & snowshoes, but usually just snowshoes now. Ski Poles X Even if snowshoeing, poles can be helpful. Sled/Pulk X Ideally with poles and some sort of harness system to help with hilly terrain. Personal Optional Gear Camera/tripod X Binoculars X Chair X Dependant on space/weight limitations, but some sort of device to sit on is good. Small foamie X For sitting on, kneeling on, standing on when changing footwear, etc. Notepad & Pencil X Alcohol X Dependant on space & weight. Remember alcohol decreases cold tolerance.

Medications/pain killers X Clothing Stuff: Boot System Winter boots with removable liners or whatever is going to work for you. Need something for trekking & also camp work, and evening use. Camp booties Heavy socks 1 or 2 pair Midweight socks 2 pair Liner socks Polypro or whatever Vapour Barrier Liners aka plastic bread bags to keep your feet from sweating up your boots, unless your boots breath or you can dry them out at night Jacket/Parka System Breathable shell & insulating layers, might be a separate parka for sitting around the fire and in the morning, or it might just be more layers. Anorak shells with a fur-ruffed hood are very popular. Sweaters I like wool. Multiple layers is good with a thin sweater and a thicker sweater Pants I like a good camping pant with lots of pockets Wool/fleece pants Insulating layer Shell pants Long undies (top & bottom) 2 pair of bottoms, a dry pair to put on in the evening and a pair for when sweating Underwear Scarf Scarf is the equivalent of Arthur Dent's towel. Neck Tube Toque I bring a thick wool toque and a thinner toque. Mitts & gloves I bring a few options

Polypro liner gloves Wool liner gloves Overmitts/Shell mitts Balaclava Ski goggles/sunglasses It's bright out there and you will damage your eyes without GOOD protection.

CAD Training Course 28 January 2010 Near Sydney

A special one-day progeCAD CAD training course will be held Thursday, 28 January 2010 in Newcastle, NSW Australia. Special pricing for this event in Australia should especially appeal to small businesses on the Australian East Coast. All materials needed for participating in the class will be provided upon arrival. The class will be divided into four sessions on basic and advanced design. Lunch will be catered for.

progeCAD is a powerful tool for AutoCAD-compatible CAD drawing. progeCAD offers most of the same commands and DWG file format support, but at a much lower cost compared to AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT software. Recent years have also seen many customer-driven improvements in speed and flexibility. In 2009 progeCAD added in-place text editing, paper space sheet size display and 3D Google Earth model export. New buyers are now also enjoy a free upgrade to the 2010 version upon release. A 30 day trial version can be downloaded from CADDIT.

Newcastle Computer Training is centrally located on Wood Street, Newcastle NSW not far from major highways and public transportation. A wide choice of accommodation is also available. All software, hardware and needed training materials will be provided on site.

Specific questions about next class content material are being answered by CADDIT on (02) 8777 5588. Registration for progeCAD Training 2010 can be completed by phoning or by registering online at HERE at CADDIT.

Sun VirtualBox

I found this little gem before Christmas. I have been running Virtual PC for Windows for the last 12 months using it to test and try alpha and beta software. It was OK, but I found it a little slow especially in relationship to graphics. I could have gone down the route of Virtual Machine such as Parallels, but then it would required me to get my credit card out and its not something I use all the time on my works laptop.So a bit of Googling and I came up with Sun’s VirtualBox, although I am sure there are others out there as well. This is a free VM, details can be found here;

 http://www.virtualbox.org/.

I found it very easy to setup and within an hour or so I had it working with Windows 7 (64bit) with a Windows Vista (32bit) VM running.

The VM supports Direct X and OpenGL as well as the ability to connect USB devices.It seems to offer many of the features that Parrallels has to offer and it is supported on Windows, Mac and Linux. How bizarre would that be…to run Linux as your, host with a Windows VM running Revit???? So if you are looking for a free VM, its certainly worth trying out.

The Liquidlogic Coupe Series: Sit On Top Kayaks

The Coupe 10 and The Deuce Coupe 13

Its been nearly a year since we started working on the Coupe Series, two all-around Sit On Top kayaks that are versatile enough to be paddled in the lake, on the river, and at the beach. We have done several prototypes of each and taken the Coupes to all different types of watery environments for play that we call beta testing. We have also put them in the hands of all types of paddlers. Everyone from complete paddling beginners to grizzled veterans have jumped in the Coupes, but probably the most fun thing to see was how kids just love to play around in these multi-talented cruisers.

The girls having a great afternoon in the Coupe 10


Woody and Andy hanging out at the Lake in the Deuce Coupe



Sarah taking it out on whitewater

The idea for the development of these boats was to use the success of the Remix XP concept,
and design a sit on top kayak with the same versatile features. The Coupe series has the same simple retractable skeg system as the XP, a similar hull design with stability and ease of use as the main features, and comfort as the thing that keeps you coming back to this kayak.

The hull design on the Coupes is one that allows anyone to handle the boat easily on the water.
It has a fairly flat hull that gives it the ability to turn easily and it makes for a very stable boat. We set two channels deeply into the hull to alleviate stress on the scuppers, help with tracking, and create a stiffer hull. With the skeg up it spins on a dime so that you can maneuver in tight areas or spin quickly to catch a wave. If you drop the skeg down it tracks easily. Even an absolute beginner can paddle the Coupe straight. The bow sweeps up for climbing over swells in the ocean, or running rapids in the river and the soft rounded sidewalls give the Coupe Series an easy-to-paddle, stable, confident ride.
It surfs river waves!

You can't tip the thing over!

It surfs ocean waves!




After spending so much time working on, paddling, and watching others paddle this boat I was able to see many of the things that make a good sit on top or not. We put a lot of time and creative energy into the features of the Coupes.

• The molded in seat offers comfort even without using one of the three other seating options we offer.
• The skeg is simple, easy-to-use, and bomber.
• The molded-in footbraces are comfortable for all size paddlers.
• There is ample storage in the back of the boat as well as personal dry storage for each paddler.
• The molded-in handle in the back and luggage handle in the front provide strong comfortable grips to handle the boat.
• The Coupes come with a paddle holder that hold the paddle solidly in place.
• There are lots of good cup holders for any type of beverage you would like to take.
• (these were tested thoroughly by our R&D team)
• The Coupes stack perfectly for storage in the Garage or in the Store.
• We put in extra large scuppers for a couple reasons, they are much stronger, and drain the water very quickly.
• You can also use the large scuppers and molded-in handle as an easy lock up point.

We have also developed a few accessories to go with the Coupes.

• Three different seat accessory options including Bad Ass Outfitting.
• Thigh straps for added control.
• Storage areas are designed to work with several of our Water Trail cooler and storage bags.
• And my personal favorite accessory: a wheel for the back of the boat for easy one-person transport even on the Deuce Coupe.

It'll go where ever you want to go

The Coupes have been shipping the last month and are shipping all over the world so check'em out!


Here's a bunch of shots from the past year in the Coupes


For more info go to the Coupe pages on the Liquidlogic website.
Here are the links.
Click Here For The Coupe 10
Click Here For The Deuce Coupe

Cheers
Shane