Fiberglass sleeving a cardboard body tube

[Kframe]

I'm no expert but I've found a combination of techniques that seems to be working well for me for fiberglassing cardboard body tubes for High Power.
The biggest thing is using tubular sleeving instead of wrapping sheet fiberglass fabric around the body tube.
I just posted the three part series on YouTube.
In total they're a little over an hour. I tried to keep it interesting (I'm new to talking while I work) and I hope the information is useful.

 

[kenstarr]

I've done quite a few rockets this way over the years and after 10 minutes of your first vid I've already picked up some improved tricks! I'll get through all these and maybe I'll have some tips to add. Right now I'm just excited about using cable ties and hose clamps over the bailing wire and electrical tape I've used in the past.
Ken

 

[Kframe]

I've done quite a few rockets this way over the years and after 10 minutes of your first vid I've already picked up some improved tricks! I'll get through all these and maybe I'll have some tips to add. Right now I'm just excited about using cable ties and hose clamps over the bailing wire and electrical tape I've used in the past.
Ken

Great! I’m glad it was helpful!
And I’d love to hear any tips or suggestions you or others may have, as well.

 

[lakeroadster]

I'm no expert but I've found a combination of techniques that seems to be working well for me for fiberglassing cardboard body tubes for High Power.
The biggest thing is using tubular sleeving instead of wrapping sheet fiberglass fabric around the body tube.
I just posted the three part series on YouTube.
In total they're a little over an hour. I tried to keep it interesting (I'm new to talking while I work) and I hope the information is useful.

Thanks for the videos, very interesting.​

 

[Kframe]

Thanks for the videos, very interesting.​

Thank you!
And I like your tagline:
When in doubt, build hell-for-stout!

Beefy=Good

 

[kenstarr]

A couple more observations, my favorite way to apply epoxy on a tube the size you have there is to take a cheap 2" chip brush then cut the bristles shorter.

I've used all sorts of methods to compress the sleeve. Cheap electrical tape, sticky side towards the epoxy yes, works great for small short sections of tube. Peels right off once cured. Dunstone perforated shrink tape works fine as well. On my Der Ed Max (6" Dia.) I used the shrink tube from soller composites like you used but I didn't have great success. I may have overheated it and caused big holes... For my Kevlar Nightmare which is 54mm min Dia, I used this shrink tube from ebay with amazing results!



https://www.ebay.com/itm/2019304673...T0gttEVR-y&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=MORE
I don't think this was the size I used but this is where I got it from.


Ken

 

[kenstarr]

1/4" diameter carbon sleeve and small shrink tube you can do micromaxx size rockets as well

 

[Kframe]

1/4" diameter carbon sleeve and small shrink tube you can do micromaxx size rockets as well

Wow!!! That’s literally a dart!