Came across this by accident, maybe of some interest.
https://moodle.fp.tul.cz/mod/page/view.php?id=11755
Interesting article on material choice for the Topper
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Re: Interesting article on material choice for the Topper
Link seems to lead nowhere?
I Think Toppers were first built in classical GRP molding before JW Dunhill invested in a mammoth injection tool mold to cranck cheap boats in polypropylène .
There is an attempt to do something like this in France (The Albatros by JM Finot)...but
Finot (who designed fairly good ocean going boats ) seems to be somewhat less lucky with anything under 16 Ft (yes he was the one who designed the infamous Wizz)
The production tool seems to suffer teething troubles.
It is really a pity because there is a potential market (Sit on top rotomolded kayaks sell like scones and muffins and are the cheapest way to get people on the water, and possibly a good number of kayakers may get tired of paddling and want to go for some reallty cheap sailing boat)
I Think Toppers were first built in classical GRP molding before JW Dunhill invested in a mammoth injection tool mold to cranck cheap boats in polypropylène .
There is an attempt to do something like this in France (The Albatros by JM Finot)...but
Finot (who designed fairly good ocean going boats ) seems to be somewhat less lucky with anything under 16 Ft (yes he was the one who designed the infamous Wizz)
The production tool seems to suffer teething troubles.
It is really a pity because there is a potential market (Sit on top rotomolded kayaks sell like scones and muffins and are the cheapest way to get people on the water, and possibly a good number of kayakers may get tired of paddling and want to go for some reallty cheap sailing boat)
Re: Interesting article on material choice for the Topper
A footnote to the Topper. Martin Treadway, who is a member of Frensham Pond Sailability, was a marketing consultant to Topper when the ubiquitous Topper was launched, and he told us that the material cost for the polyprop on launch was £7.50. The launch price for the boat was £249 complete, and this amount was chosen, not in relation to the material cost, or the rig, but to the amount that was permitted to be sold on a credit card without authorisation from the credit card company. The launch was at a boat show - not sure which one - and therefore they did not want to lose time having to get credit card authorisation at the show. How long it remained at £249 I don't know.
Nick
Nick
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Re: Interesting article on material choice for the Topper
On the other end ...what was the cost of the mould (a gigantic thing machined out f a block of solid aluminium alloy) and how many boats had to be cranked out to recoup the mold cost???
It is a leap into real industry as opposed to cottage industry
It is a leap into real industry as opposed to cottage industry
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Re: Interesting article on material choice for the Topper
Hi LT,
try this link, it is the same article:
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-m ... ection-6.4
try this link, it is the same article:
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-m ... ection-6.4
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- Posts: 368
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Re: Interesting article on material choice for the Topper
Very interesting piece of information...shows how narrow the margin is betwen succes and failure.
You have to be very catreful in the details (where ,as they say is where the devil lies) and carefully think of all the possible snags (the cetreboard "crash plate" for example) before launching a cjheap popu boat with narrow profit margins
You have to be very catreful in the details (where ,as they say is where the devil lies) and carefully think of all the possible snags (the cetreboard "crash plate" for example) before launching a cjheap popu boat with narrow profit margins
Re: Interesting article on material choice for the Topper
I believe their is a video on minisail.org.uk , showing the machines in action and the boat being presented at the boat show.