Surely some of you chemist/engineers/can think of a way to mate CF with aluminum.

philos

Super Southern Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Messages
1,750
Location
Behind you
I was doing research on the Durston X-Dome 1+ and noticed about the only real concern I see is the carbon fiber pole frame durability under stress.

It struck me there should be a way to combine these 2 materials or replace portions of the CF frame with aluminum at stress points or at points that are not in a straight line. This is likely showing my ignorance but what do y'all think? You would lose some of the weight savings benefit of the CF frame but on a smaller tent that shouldn't be terribly significant.

I may try grafting a carbon fiber tree with an aluminum tree and solve the issue straight away. I'll call it Carboluminum.
 

ozyclint

WKR
Joined
Apr 27, 2012
Messages
1,996
Location
Queensland, Downunder
So the only concern is complete failure of the structure that is your shelter?

I'll take a weight penalty if it means the shelter will work and keep me alive. I've laid in my hilleberg's with terrible weather outside thinking if the tent fails now I'd be in a lot of trouble. Didn't regret the weight penalty in those moments
 

Eagle

WKR
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
1,089
Location
Western Kentucky
I was doing research on the Durston X-Dome 1+ and noticed about the only real concern I see is the carbon fiber pole frame durability under stress.

It struck me there should be a way to combine these 2 materials or replace portions of the CF frame with aluminum at stress points or at points that are not in a straight line. This is likely showing my ignorance but what do y'all think? You would lose some of the weight savings benefit of the CF frame but on a smaller tent that shouldn't be terribly significant.

I may try grafting a carbon fiber tree with an aluminum tree and solve the issue straight away. I'll call it Carboluminum.
It's been done, but not commercially viable yet. Perhaps in the future. Lots of things like ACC arrows out there that combine both in a tent pole type situation, but a true combination weave is tough.

Biggest issue is galvanic corrosion of the aluminum, but it could be protected to some degree.

 

BBob

WKR
Joined
Jun 29, 2020
Messages
4,726
Location
Southern AZ
Lots of things like ACC arrows out there that combine both in a tent pole type situation, but a true combination weave is tough.
Easton used to supply tent poles made exactly like the ACC arrows (they probably were existing arrow shafts and I want to say they were likely 3-60's) way back when ACC’s came out. I had a Sierra Designs 1p tent that used them. The end connections between the pole sections were reinforced with a woven Kevlar sleeve. They had some breakage on the rear pole section. Sierra fixed it and warranted replacement pole sections for the back end of the tent. So yes it has been done in the past.

I sold that tent years ago to someone here on RS so mby if they see this they can comment on how it’s fared. Other than the original rear pole sections (which did break) I never had issues and the replacement rear did fine :)
 
Last edited:
Top