This is a bit of straight-up post laziness, I admit, but it also is useful from an educational standpoint, especially if you are into/curious about the CCS system for measuring rod properties.

As many of you know, I am putting in a bit of time up at Gary Loomis’ new North Fork Composites. Part of that includes CCS-ing prototype blanks. That CCS effort is mostly done using the existing defection board (for now at least). In case any enterprising FF&W readers want to rig something similar, here is a cut-n-paste directly from the North Fork Composites blog:

Where the magic happens...

As most Connection readers likely know by now, North Fork is using the CCS (Common Cents System) to varying degrees on our blanks. There have been a few questions about how we are getting our measurements, and how that might impact builders who also do CCS, or are at least interested in what info the numbers provide.

Like every other blank or rod manufacturer, we have a fairly straightforward deflection board parked on the production floor. We use it to do a 45-degree deflection test for power-rating, load curve, and other tests and fiddling. We also use the board for obtaining our CCS values of ERN, AA and PR (TP is done on a bench-top for now).

The deflection board uses a series of screw-in pegs and vertical sliders to allow us to rapidly and accurately place blanks/rods at various support lengths and angles. Presently, we have the ability to provide support lengths that range from 4-inches (for blanks/rods under the four-foot range) out to 19-inches (for blanks/rods up to the 16-foot range). Those peg-holes are in one-inch increments, so we can be pretty precise on all of our blank lengths.

We can also level our blanks in a variety of ways, but at this point in time, we are leveling the bottom of the butt of the blank between the supports (analogous to leveling the blank on a table-top). This is easily achieved using an angle-finder. We use that same angle finder when determining the AA value.

We have plans for a slicker CCS/deflection system, but that’s for another post(s). For now, the deflection board seems to be working well and allows us to quickly (and repeatably) provide CCS numbers going forward.