keel bashing or shot peening?

james nolan (nolan_laboratories@email.msn.com)
Wed, 21 Jul 1999 11:32:20 -0600


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Since it's now popular to bash the keel with a sledgehammer I wonder about
the following possibilty. A golf ball is dimpled to allow it fly a much
greater distance than a smooth ball. The dimples separate the boundary
condition on the ball's surface (air velocity at ball's surface is zero with
respect to the ball) from the laminar flow of the surrounding air. This
decreases the wind resistance. If I bash my keel with the peen end of a ball
peen hammer or better yet shot peen it with cannon balls (or Rye's big iron
balls) , I'll cover the surface with dimples. Will my potter go faster? Will
the compass work better?

Jim Nolan