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sheena

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To make a long story short ,my daughter and I attended a local rocket launch back in June ,she/we loved it We have since built two Estes rockets,they didn't look so great by they went straight up and down ,so all good. I now have just bought a two -stage rocket named Galaxy . My first question is,is the white glue Elmers she uses at school ok for this and if not what should I use ? I also know to use finer and finer sandpaper as I go along but what is the proper grit I should start with.Thanks and if you have tips that aren't in the instructions please let me know.Thanks
 
A lot of people will use Titebond II available at most big box and hardware stores. Elmer's Glue All is good, but I would try to avoid the School glue version.

To eliminate the grain you can paper the fins or apply a thin layer of slightly thinned Elmer's (make sure you apply to both sides or else when the fins dry they will warp)
Otherwise you can start with 150 grit.

There is lots of great information on the site - try using the search function

And we love pictures of your builds and launches

Enjoy and welcome!
 
In your case, I'd recommend Elmer's Carpenter's glue - it is widely available and works great for me...I've used it on many, many low power rockets and it's made for wood (and paper too). :)

Sandpaper is really tough to say without seeing what you're sanding...I'd guess start at 100 lightly done as a test and move to finer (150, 200, etc) as needed. I normally prime my rockets with Rustoleum Filler primer, then fill spirals with Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Filler, then sand with Medium sanding sponge block, then Fine sanding sponge block, then first top coat, repeat as needed (as well as other colors), add clear coat, decals/stickers and maybe one final same clear coat to keep decals/stickers down. Good luck to both of you and welcome to the forums! :)
 
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I'll add that if the instructions don't mention it and you have balsa fins, add fillets of glue (a line of glue) where the fins meet the body tube (almost like grout on tile corners)...makes them stronger and less likely to break off during landing. I myself also "paper" the fins by using full sheet self-adhesive label paper...stick it on one side of the wood fin, trim off, stick on other side and you have two beautifully smooth fins...also makes them stronger.

Here's a Dynastar Lexxjet I built using the above methods (except where stated otherwise in the instruction...ex. gluing wood fin to plastic tail cone):
image-dynastar-lexxjet-2c-300-600-094015160319692.jpg
 
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Hi new guy :) The School Glue will work for a start but as the others have said the Wood glue type works better for building. You can spend hours here going over the different ways to build these things. My first rockets were built in the 60's and I've never papered a fin but that doesn't mean that it's right or wrong. There's just many ways to the same objective, a rocket to fly again and again. Sandpaper... one of those multi grade packs starting around 100 grit or so is a good thing. I use cheap wall spackling thinned with water to a paint-like consistency to fill the fins. They make small tubs of Ultra or Super or just Lightweight spackling. If the tub feels mostly empty then that's the stuff. Applied with a brush a container lasts a long time...to start ;)

Take photos, look around, ask questions. Have fun :)
 
Welcome to TRF! Great place to partake in the world of miniature rocketry!
 
Thanks folks for the info. I put some stuff on the body tubes to fill in the lines last night before bed .I'll check to see if it's dry enough to start sanding it off in a bit. This is more involved (good thing) than I first thought.
 
Thanks folks for the info. I put some stuff on the body tubes to fill in the lines last night before bed .I'll check to see if it's dry enough to start sanding it off in a bit. This is more involved (good thing) than I first thought.

Hi Sheena,

Actually, the finishing part is only as involved as you want to make it. No rule that you have to fill spirals...for me, once someone told me about them I was cursed...kinda of how as a kid you don't know that picking your nose is improper until someone tells you. :wink:

I've flown rockets with no finish (fly naked!) as well as just in primer. In fact, sometimes it makes more sense to do this first to see how it flies before you spend a lot of time making it look like a masterpiece. So while I can spend hours on painting one rocket (see https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?128646-My-newest-paint-can-you-guess-what-it-is), I sometimes enjoy the simplicity of a simple E2X rocket for the heck of flying rockets. :)
 
For balsa wood, I tend to use finer grits for sanding. I'll start at 180 grit if I'm sanding off some sort of filler, then move to 220 then 300.
 
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