Making your own body tubing

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MB_SEDS_Rocketry

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I am new to this thread and have saw some posts about making there own fiberglass body tubing. I tried searching on the forum and on google but I was not successful. This is something that would interest me and I would like to try. I would just like some sugestions on how to do this? Also, what kind of resin do you use? How do you get the shape of the body tubing? Lastly, what is the best kind of fiberglass to use? Thank you.
 
Alex (aksrockets) has a cool method for smaller body tubes. He essentially takes a cardboard tube, rips off the majority of the paper so he has a very thin mold. Then, he takes his epoxy, and wets out the cloth, and winds it around the cardboard tube.

Here is his method:
[video=youtube;q4nK2G26kX8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q4nK2G26kX8[/video]


For the epoxy, look up Aeropoxy laminating epoxy. I get mine from Giant Leap Rocketry.



Matt
 
My Part 1 article is located here. Much of it is applicable to fiberglass.

https://www.rocketryfiles.com/?p=ho...ocketryfiles.com/?p=home&d=Technicalarticles/
 
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MB, I did a series of videos on fiberglass rocket building techniques a couple years ago. They are on you tube...tfish38

[video=youtube;q3wtcNTd9wg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3wtcNTd9wg[/video]

John Coker has a made a few videos recently too..

[video=youtube;_gTxwEVK6IY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gTxwEVK6IY&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Tony
 
It basically boils down to getting a mandrel for the tube you want to make, putting some sort of release agent on that mandrel, then adding fiberglass and epoxy.

Here's a video about making lightweight 40mm diameter tubes for FAI competition, but the basic steps are the same for whatever tube you are making.

[video=youtube;NYM1BFqA24M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYM1BFqA24M[/video]

kj
 
Check out John Coker's website and what he's posted on this forum. He has some awesome methods. I pretty much always make my own tubes for scratch builds, well maybe half the time. The other half I take flimsy cardboard tubes and glass them. First scratch build ever was a scratch tube made from watered down elmers glue and brown paper bag wrapped around a PVC pipe covered with parchment paper so I could get it off.
-Ken
 
MB_SEDS_Rocketry,

May I comment on cloth selection? You will find style 7628 cloth pervasive and very inexpensive. It is the mainstay of the printed circuit board industry selling as low as $2 / yard in 50 inch width. I suggest you avoid that cloth as is it a VERY tight weave and will trap air bubbles unless vacuum formed. Perhaps others here will comment on a more forgiving weave such as 3733 or 7537?

Feckless
 
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