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I see a lot of how-tos by various rocketeers on laminating fins. I can't think of one, from paper to carbon fiber, that didn't leave an open layer cross section at the edge. By that, I mean the skins on each side aren't securely joined to each other. There is generally a layer of epoxy coating the edge of the core, but at the end of the day, there is an exposed section of laminate-core-laminate. This means that the strength of the core is all that's keeping the laminate from separating at the edges where dings, aero loads, etc. occur. It seems logical to me that it would have greater structural integrity if the/a laminate wrapped around the edge, or if the core was brought down to zero thickness in such a way that the laminates on either side could be joined directly. If you're doing tip to tip on a G10 or c.f. plate core, this is a non-issue, but if you're laminating over balsa, plywood, or foam, it seems like it could matter quite a bit.
Is anyone in our little community wrapping the laminate (or maybe a final strip of tape) over at least the LE to lock the skins together and eliminate any gap between their edges?
Is anyone in our little community wrapping the laminate (or maybe a final strip of tape) over at least the LE to lock the skins together and eliminate any gap between their edges?