Paper fins

Not paperING fins, but fins made from laminated layers of paper. Has anyone tried this? I was thinking of a center layer, two layers just slightly smaller along the leading edge (1/8" - 1/4") (one on each side), then an outside skin folded over along the leading edge (this would give a tapered leading edge). Total of 5 layers of 110 lb card stock. Weather finally turned cold here, but I haven't switched on the heat yet. How will cooler temps (65-70 F) affect setting up/drying of the glue? I can always just glue it up, clamp it down, and forget it. I'm also thinking that excessive clamping pressure won't affect the outcome as much as it did when papering over balsa (but I could be wrong...). Lastly - would it be better to laminate in steps, or glue everything at once?

The Centuri Spirit of America used paper fins, as did some small Estes kits. I can't see why it wouldn't work.

I would think that if you tried to do them all together at once, you would risk the pieces shifting.

Because I build a lot of cardstock models, I make a lot of cardstock fins of all kinds and styles. A couple of tips: rotate each layer of cardstock by forty five degrees. Cardstock has a grain like wood does, which causes it to curl in one direction when damp. By rotating the paper 45 degrees each layer, you are creating a "ply-cardstock" similar to how plywood has different facing grains for added strength. Weight under a couple of heavy books while they dry, then cut the final shape out. Each layer of cardstock is approximately .007" thick, so five layers will only be .035" or about 1/32" thick. Poster board is a bit thicker at about .012" - five layers of that would be .06" or almost 1/16". Again, poster board has grain, so rotate layers 45 degrees.

My entry in the EMRR Elevate 11 contest had 11 layers to make up the fins.
Way too many! The more layers that are added the harder it is to get the "skins" to line up and stay flat.
If you choose to many layers, don't do them all at once. Do one layer, put weight on the top and let dry.

I agree with Greg on rotating the cardstock for strength.
Try the carded method with cereal box cardboard interior and the outside layers of 110 lb. cardstock.
Two layers of cereal boxx cardboard and 110 lb. card on the outside should get you close to the thickness of the Centuri fiber fins.

There is plenty of carded models available on my blog. They're FREE!

I'll 3rd what Greg and Chris said. You can think of it as a composite layup as well, as depending on the thickness of the glue you are using it will penetrate more into the paper than the wood analogy. A friend of mine has made flying scale paper airplanes by using paper and thin CA. They are super strong and fly fantastically.