Epoxy or TB3?

Flyfalcons said:

I've found the fumes on Bob Smith 30-minute to be nearly nonexistant.

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This is the stuff I use. I don't smell anything when I use it, and my wife doesn't either.

Why nitrile gloves? Latex or vinyl are not OK?

And bump:
What about doing the epoxy work outside? Does that limit the fumes to a safe level?

And how much epoxy is used to build a typical HPR level 1 rocket? I'm about finished with the gluing and I've used about half of the 9 oz bottles on my LOC Expediter and the MMA-3 adapter.

billdz said:

Why nitrile gloves? Latex or vinyl are not OK?

And bump:
What about doing the epoxy work outside? Does that limit the fumes to a safe level?

And how much epoxy is used to build a typical HPR level 1 rocket? I'm about finished with the gluing and I've used about half of the 9 oz bottles on my LOC Expediter and the MMA-3 adapter.

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Latex gloves absorb the epoxy and hold it against your skin (bad). I don't know about vinyl, but they're probably also too permeable to the epoxy. Nitrile gloves, depending on the thickness, will eventually let some epoxy in, which is why you throw them away after use. (I hope)

Latex sensitivity is cumulative. Use nitrile.

skip the gloves and the epoxy. Go straight to tightbond. It's plenty strong for your rocket, stronger then the tube you're gluing to. Epoxy is only preferred when you have a fiberglass rocket (and tightbond won't work)

billdz said:

Why nitrile gloves? Latex or vinyl are not OK?

And bump:
What about doing the epoxy work outside? Does that limit the fumes to a safe level?

And how much epoxy is used to build a typical HPR level 1 rocket? I'm about finished with the gluing and I've used about half of the 9 oz bottles on my LOC Expediter and the MMA-3 adapter.

Click to expand...

Working outside should be fine for hobby applications of epoxy. I'll use Loctite HD inside as long as I can set up air movement.

Any high powered rocket deserves epoxy

If I'm doing wood and cardboard joints, I'll use wood glue. But if it is high power, I go back afterwards and add an epoxy fillet. The wood glue gives a better bond in the joint between the parts, while the shape of the fillet spreads the load for maximum strength. You can't get serious fillets with just wood glue.

My vote...

cbrarick said:

My vote...

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+1 , very limited epoxy (only on T-nuts for Kaplow clip type motor retention)

What are the body tube and fins made of on that bird? How big is it and what have you flown it on? I'm also curious how you did those fillets... Wood glue mixed with a filler? Sawdust maybe? I'd love to be proven wrong on the need for epoxy fillets...

I use JB Wood Weld for the fillets on my cardboard birds
TB3 for the assembly joints

sharkbait said:

I use JB Wood Weld for the fillets on my cardboard birds
TB3 for the assembly joints

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JB Wood Weld... Hmm never heard of it. Is looks like it is still a two part epoxy based thing.

https://www.jbweld.com/collections/wood-1/products/woodweld-twin-tube

AdAstraPerAspera said:

JB Wood Weld... Hmm never heard of it. Is looks like it is still a two part epoxy based thing.

https://www.jbweld.com/collections/wood-1/products/woodweld-twin-tube

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It is a two part epoxy. For wood glue fillets I use applications of TB Quick and Thick, usually 4 or so applications gives a reasonable fillet, its slower than epoxy but it works.

For what it's worth, I always use titebond on wood to wood, or paper.
When plastic is involved, I use epoxy.
Remember, I'm LP only...for now.

WILDMANRS said:

Any high powered rocket deserves epoxy

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Are you partial to a brand, ie. bsi, rocketpoxy, aeropoxy, jbw, etc? Which provides the best structural properties?

fm

I just drove over to the local hardware store and they didn't have any JB Wood Weld. But they did have Liquid Nails, and I have used it before on other projects around the house. Has anyone ever tried it for fillets before? I ended up using TB3 for the internals, but I want to try something else for the external fillets.

WiredGoat said:

I just drove over to the local hardware store and they didn't have any JB Wood Weld. But they did have Liquid Nails, and I have used it before on other projects around the house. Has anyone ever tried it for fillets before? I ended up using TB3 for the internals, but I want to try something else for the external fillets.

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Liquid Nails (at least the large tubes that I've used to bond OSB to joists) works by drying rather than curing. As such, it shrinks. It's also very sticky and I'm not sure how you would ever smooth the surface as easily as epoxy. Finally, over time it seems to get brittle and break with sharp edges. I would never use it on a rocket.


Steve Shannon

WiredGoat said:

I just drove over to the local hardware store and they didn't have any JB Wood Weld. But they did have Liquid Nails, and I have used it before on other projects around the house. Has anyone ever tried it for fillets before? I ended up using TB3 for the internals, but I want to try something else for the external fillets.

Click to expand...

If you have access to amazon...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ALG8LO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I order 1 of these every year or so from the 'zon if I can't find it at the home depot.

fm