Mon 19 Sep, 2011
Yesterday’s plan to back the limbs with Dacron fiber went bust when I actually tried to implement it this afternoon. For better or worse, I used the Kevlar webbing instead and must admit, it did make a neat job of it. I will just have to assuage my ballista fashion sense with the clear knowledge that our mighty limbs now at least have a safety strap laminated onto them. I should be able to install these Mk VIII limbs tomorrow. Groovy.
Also: Weight on these Mk VIII’s is an eye watering 10 1/4 lbs each. This is exactly 2 lbs. more than the previous set that failed. Almost all of this increase is situated close to the fulcrum. (In exact terms: the limbs are 28″ OAL and their CG is 5″ out from the theoretical fulcrum at the center of the spring bundle.) In a game of trade offs, this type of weight increase seems a reasonable price to pay for the new muscle it brings into play.