| Tires and Spacesuits? [message #338158] |
Sat, 27 October 2018 19:43  |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma:
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You are wondering what these two have to do with each other?
A lot more than you might think.
Many of the NASA spacesuits were passed (loaned) to museums. These iconic relics have been in climate controlled cases where ever they were since the time they were declared obsolete or surplus. Yes, that may have been 40 or 50 years by now. But here comes the real news....
They are falling apart in those cases.
This is in spite of care and very specific treatment they have received.
They know why too. The adhesives that bonded the parts together have aged out. This has happened to MIL-SPEC materials under the best care imaginable.
This is not the only case of this. If there are any other racing sailors out here, they will confirm that the laminated sails (that have little or no stitching) are good for maybe 8 years "On the rig or in the bag". Same Same. Then, they spontaneously de-laminate. There is no repair possible (and this is a 3K$ problem for the owner).
Roger Marbles is an interesting fellow, I had quite a chat with him at an FMCA rally a few years back. In that chat, he very carefully said that heat is the real enemy, but that all tires have a very limited life even if well stored.
So, if you are considering pushing the life of your tires (that are also adhesive bonded assemblies), please consider all the possibilities. A tire is not that different than the cost of a tank of fuel.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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