6" Dia. Blue Tube Slotting With a Rotozip?

ARR, BMS or Apogee cannot slot 6" Blue Tube, so I was toying with the idea of trying to slot it myself. It is a 48" long 6" dia. Blue Tube, and I want to make four 1/4" wide slots, cutting through the bottom of the tube and stopping at a 7" long slot.

My thought was to use a Rotozip tool, use two 1 x 3's clamped to the Blue Tube to make a sort of channel for the Rotozip guide, clamp the tube to my work table, and do the slotting.

I only have four slots to make, so I want to keep this as simple and as inexpensive a process as possible. I don't have a table saw or any other power tools, other than a cordless drill.

Would this method I dreamed up work? What type of Rotozip bit would you recommend for cutting Blue Tube? Would you recommend an alternate method of slotting the tube? I'm not a good "freehand" guy, so that's why I came up with the idea for a guide channel. I have cut Blue Tube with a razor saw before, and I'd prefer to automate the process this time.

Thanks!

Mike Momenee
TRA #12430 L3

If you have the cutting wheel attachment for the Rotozip that would work much better. The rotary bits want to wander all over the place but if if your guide is tight and secure it should work. Just expect the tool to wander over of the full width of your guide slots.

Dremel w/a cutting wheel? It might be expensive initially, but the tool is really worth having.

+1 Dremel with cutting wheel, my favorite is https://www.dremel.com/en-us/Accessories/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=543 I haven't bought one yet but its a near term purchase (I borrow one from my father-in-law). I also prefer the rotary tools with flexi-shafts and a handpiece, I get better control with them. The 543 disk also can be had in a EZ-LOCK quick change mandrel style. Another advantage to the 543 disk is that you can cut the slot slightly undersized with the edge and then sand it to a perfect fit with the flat.

A friend of mine used a dremel with the cutting wheel attachment, but managed to fit two cutting wheels on it with a washer in between them, so he cut both sides of the slot at once.

Kent Burnett at Giant Leap Rocketry can slot 6 inch airframe. He slotted my 6 inch blue tube airframe a few years back.

I recently slotted a 3" blue tube using a Dremel Multi-Max (oscillatory tool) using one of the "saw" cutter blades. It was much easier than trying to do it with a rotary tool; was able to do it freehand without much trouble. YMMV, I'm pretty decent at freehand stuff.

Do you have access to a table saw? The pictures are a 3 fin guide for a 4" and a 6" rocket but square the same size as the body tube glued to the end of the tube will cut four slots. Just need to put a mark or stop on the table to keep from cutting to far. Ive reused the same guide a few times that's why there are already notches were the slots will be.

https://www.payloadbay.com/index.php?page=Tools&action=SLOTGUIDE

What about using a carbide end mill? They cut well and if you have a guide can be good for slotting anything.

For Blue Tube I use a Dremel with this bit. Take it slow and it will do the job. Any slight imperfections in the cutout due to you doing it by hand will be under the fillets.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dremel-3-8-in-High-Speed-Cutter-199/100531863?N=5yc1vZc25mZgr

K'Tesh said:

Dremel w/a cutting wheel? It might be expensive initially, but the tool is really worth having.

Click to expand...

Agreed- this is how I have done slots.

K'Tesh said:

Dremel w/a cutting wheel? It might be expensive initially, but the tool is really worth having.

Click to expand...

markkoelsch said:

Agreed- this is how I have done slots.

Click to expand...

... and for those who are not aware of them, Widget Supply is a really good place to get accessories for the Dremel...

https://www.widgetsupply.com/

Reasonable prices, too.

-- john.

Super quick and easy is a router with a bit as wide as your fins. Also handy for rounding the leading edges if you add a table and another bit.

Or, save up some serious cash and get one of these bad boys! :wink:

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Build...ng_Jig?zenid=fd9f47798c7de9dce2f74530c7ecc7ff

All seriousness aside... point is, you can slot your own tubes. Whether it be with Dremel, or Rotozip, Makita, Black and Decker, X-acto, or Bob And Ted's Hobby Shop And Sandpaper Emoporium's Cutty-Thingie-Special, You can certainly get it done.


Later!

--Coop

Thanks for all the ideas!