Tall centre pole for a tipi ? CF lay-up?

[Edward John M]

I may or may not use a tipi this winter but I will have a large tarp fly with me for extra shelter. I just went to my stash and I have 3400mm of 50mm carbon fibre sleeve plus a 300mm length of 40mm left over from the last pole project.Using my assumption that maximum force is in the middle third of a tall slender tube and that 2700mm tall is a reasonable height for a tipi pole and that height adjustment will be a the base using an alloy tube what would be reasonable nominal diametres for the pole sections ?

Soller Composites have LW CF sleeve in 50mm cheap at the moment if I need to use more layers. Does 25mm/32mm/25mm in ~900mm sections seem reasonable?

PVC pressure tubing comes in sizes that approximate this and nice and straight 1 metre lengths

 

[Colin Krusor]

I think this might not be the best site for your question. You probably have more carbon layup expertise than most people here, given your post. My only input is that composite tubes made from braided sleeve seem to have poor mechanical properties compared to other layups (wrapped, filament wound, etc.). But you might have more or different experience with this than I do. Have you tried posting to a composites forum? A lot of people lay up their own carbon paddle shafts for kayaks, masts and tillers for sailboats, and tubes for other applications.

[Edward John M]

I’ll have to consider it now that you have mentioned it Colin

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