2 tower cable system DIY questions

(captain_542) · (captain_542) **Join Date: Oct 2006** 01-18-2010, 8:06 PM

I am a senior engineer at Purdue. My friend and I were throwing around the idea of making a Sesitec 2.0 style system. We were curious as to some of the specifications.

How much force can a wakeboarder pull? Peak force? sustainable force?

I use the Amsteel blue 7/64" rope on my winch and have never had it break from a straight pull. However the strength of pull on a cable rope or behind a boat seems to be significantly greater.

Anybody know the strength of a boat wakeboard line?

Thanks!

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 01-18-2010, 8:51 PM

just went on amsteels website. and they dont have the 7/64 listed. ( which is what i use for my winch as well and its tough stuff!)but they do have 3 /16 listed with a breaking strength of 5400 LBS
http://www.amsteelblue.com/cpage.cfm?cpid=448

and ive heard that the line used for a boat, has a breaking strength of around 2000 lbs. not 100% sure on boat line though.

(jealous_soul) · (jealous_soul) **Join Date: Sep 2007** 01-19-2010, 8:54 AM

id setup a few force diagrams and do some calculations based on your angles, speed etc (obviously going to be some assumptions made to get started).

(crowem87) · (crowem87) **Join Date: Nov 2005** 01-19-2010, 10:22 AM

Dave, if you want some help shoot me an email at mcrowe@purdue.edu. I work with a lot of kids in the purdue ski club. You may have also seen my x-30 around campus in the fall. - Matt Crowe

(rkinsell) · (rkinsell) **Join Date: May 2005** 01-19-2010, 3:44 PM

haha, I was in that ski club back in the day. Is it still in that shallow private lake? Malibu Responses?

(jtlbp) · (jtlbp) **Join Date: Mar 2009** 01-19-2010, 6:40 PM

hey Dave do you know Peter Evans or Kurt Radermacher? Peters a senior engineer at purdue also and kurt plays hockey there, just askin

(captain_542) · (captain_542) **Join Date: Oct 2006** 01-20-2010, 9:17 AM

Yup the lake is Lake Purdue. Super shallow. They have a Nautique 206. not prime for wakeboarding.

Sorry JT i dont know those guys. I have a few friends on the hockey team. my old roommate was on the team. Ill keep those names in mind though.

Matt where do u ride in the summer. it will get warmer soon id like to get out a bit before graduation.

(crowem87) · (crowem87) **Join Date: Nov 2005** 01-21-2010, 5:03 AM

Dave- I usually take my boat down to lake freeman its about 30 mins from campus. In the summer i ride down in Indianapolis on Geist of the White River in Broadripple. Also, the PU ski lake is not the same one, its actually about 20 ft deep....

(holdsworth) · (holdsworth) **Join Date: Jan 2010** 01-21-2010, 6:39 AM

Dave, have you tried getting some sort of high-tension spring to measure the force with? I would get behind the boat, use a 5ft extension on a regular rope, put the spring in between the ext. and the rope, and give different pulls to visually check what the force of each pull would be. Force getting up, holding a hard edge out into the flats... that should work perfect. The cable is up higher so the angle pulling would be factored in, but at least you would have a general idea of what is going on.

(captain_542) · (captain_542) **Join Date: Oct 2006** 01-21-2010, 9:26 AM

Thats the plan Adam. Its winter here in the midwest so theres not much i can do now. I was planning to use like a large fish scale or something comparable to measure the force.

(dwcchad) · (dwcchad) **Join Date: Sep 2009** 01-22-2010, 12:04 AM

Just Buy a 2.0 and start shredding

(Message edited by dwcchad on January 22, 2010)

(pierem) · (pierem) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 01-22-2010, 3:20 AM

I also have been looking to build a 2.0.
I'd like to buy one, way more easier. But I don't have 20000 or 30000 $.

(andy_nintzel)

This is cool. I have a buddy who's family owns a metal fab shop. He took one look at the 2.0 and said that looks simple to make, prolly like 2K in materials.

Disclaimer, I have no idea about metal fab, just what he said when I was geeking out on the 2.0 in a mag.

(captain_542) · (captain_542) **Join Date: Oct 2006** 01-22-2010, 9:34 AM

The engineering behind the towers shouldn't be difficult. I just want to take into account all possible scenarios and situations so that everything is strong enough and built properly. 2k in materials is what I got when i priced it from web prices. plus about a thousand for the cable (depending on the diameter speced to) the motor and all couplings and pulleys and bearings and speed controller will be quite a bit as well. Im guestimating homemade will cost around 7-10 thousand.

(pierem) · (pierem) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 01-22-2010, 10:56 AM

Sick!
I might have 7-10 thousand so spend in a 2.0 !!

(cheesydog) · (cheesydog) **Join Date: Mar 2009** 01-22-2010, 3:43 PM

you might want to email this guy in australia, hes just finished building his own custom made 2 tower system, looks sick

http://wake.com.au/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=27756

(beretta5spd) · (beretta5spd) **Join Date: Jan 2010** 01-22-2010, 5:01 PM

Wow....I looked at that au thread and was immediately inspired.