As a first step towards the development of a high field Nb3Sn superconducti
ng dipole for a Very Large Hadron Collider (VLHC), a short mechanical model
was built and tested at Fermilab, The aim of this work was to develop simp
ler fabrication techniques and test new structural materials to use in the
dipole model. The coil design was based on a two-layer, cos(theta) approach
. The end parts were designed using ROXIE magnet optimization program and m
anufactured using a 6-axis EDM machine. The two layers of each half-coil we
re wound using one piece of cable without any interlayer splices. After win
ding, a ceramic matrix was applied to the each half-coil and the coil was c
ured under compression at 150 degrees C. The two half-coils were then assem
bled together in a reaction fixture for heat treatment at 450 degrees C for
8 hours. After reaction, the coils were placed in a curing fixture for epo
xy impregnation. Finally some mechanical and electrical tests were performe
d after which the coils were sectioned to check the cable positioning and i
mpregnation quality. This paper summarizes the results and experience obtai
ned from the mechanical model.