When dealing with different materials like fiberglass and steel, it is important to protect them from each other. In this particular matchup, the steel will basically always damage the fiberglass if they are connected with no other materials between them. In this case, the fiberglass spar will be installed over the steel spar so we need some kind of material between them.
In order to avoid any damage and allow the SeaPod to survive living in the ever-moving sea, we need to use some sort of bushing that will protect the fiberglass from the steel in the places where they connect. This bushing will be made from a liquid rubber mix that we can use to mold exactly the pieces that we need.
By mixing our own rubber material, we can experiment with different densities and hardnesses to find what will work the best. Once we have the right mixture figured out, we can pour it and create the pieces that will be installed on the SeaPod. This is the first testing that we have done to find that perfect mixture so we will continue experimenting until we get it just right.
Another benefit of using rubber is that it will have a little bit of flex and cushion while still being dense enough to support the weight and not crack or break. This area won’t see large amounts of movement but the tiny micro-movements over time can be taxing on the components so it is important that we get the mixture right.
This will be a very important component of the SeaPod so we will keep experimenting and testing until we are confident that we have the results that we need. We can luckily mix smaller batches so that we can do our testing on a small scale and limit our waste. We hope to have the mixture figured out soon so that we can move on with some larger-scale testing!
