I'm going to be building the Giant Leap Rocketry "T-Bolt" minimum diameter 38mm rocket. I'm going to substitute it's fiberglass airframe for a carbon fiber airframe instead. The kit also comes with a Acme fiberglass fin can, which I'll be attaching to the carbon fiber tube.
My questions are very basic--as this is my first CF build. I have done a few fiberglass rockets with success:
A.) Do I need to give the CF tube a Dawn soap and water bath like we do with fiberglass?
B.) With a fiberglass airframe, I would normally sand the entire tube with 220 grit sandpaper, and wash the tube in alcohol when finished. Then I'd sand the area where I planned to attach the fin can with 80 grit sandpaper, and use a hobby knife to etch a "cross hatch" pattern into this area to ensure good adhesion of the epoxy. What would be a good procedure for prepping the CF?
C.) I plan to use Rocketpoxy G-5000 to bond the fin can to the CF tube. Any reason to change this?
D.) I'll be using JB Weld to epoxy a stainless steel "hardpoint" retainer inside the CF airframe. The shock cord will attach here. Any caveats here?
Any other issues or suggestions?
Grateful as always for the expertise of the TRF community.
My questions are very basic--as this is my first CF build. I have done a few fiberglass rockets with success:
A.) Do I need to give the CF tube a Dawn soap and water bath like we do with fiberglass?
B.) With a fiberglass airframe, I would normally sand the entire tube with 220 grit sandpaper, and wash the tube in alcohol when finished. Then I'd sand the area where I planned to attach the fin can with 80 grit sandpaper, and use a hobby knife to etch a "cross hatch" pattern into this area to ensure good adhesion of the epoxy. What would be a good procedure for prepping the CF?
C.) I plan to use Rocketpoxy G-5000 to bond the fin can to the CF tube. Any reason to change this?
D.) I'll be using JB Weld to epoxy a stainless steel "hardpoint" retainer inside the CF airframe. The shock cord will attach here. Any caveats here?
Any other issues or suggestions?
Grateful as always for the expertise of the TRF community.