>John,
>
>This sounds interesting, but I am dense. If you have a flat sheet of
>this material and drill it to let the mast pass through, what "sits" on
>the plastic to bear the mast weight?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Chuck, KE5FI
Hi, Chuck--been a while since I said hello.
I usually let my rotators take the weight and use the UHMW bearing for
side thrust only. But if you want the bearing to take the weight as well,
then
it is pretty easy to make a couple of more parts for the job.
You need to make a doughnut from either stainless or aluminum sheet.
The inside hole to clear your mast and the outside diameter of at least a
couple inches more than the hole diameter. Say 5 inch OD and 2 inch ID
and 1/4 inch thick for aluminum and 1/8 inch for stainless (probably less
is OK). Drop this over the mast so the doughnut sits on top of the UHMW
and then make a clamp to sit on the doughnut. The "clamp" can be made
of two muffler-clamp saddles mounter "back-to-back" and bolted together
with straight bolts or a machined equivalent. But you get the idea. The
smooth alum (or SS) sheet sleds along on top of the UHMW and has
enough surface area to handle the weight of the mast/antenna.
73 John W0UN
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