The Finger

[David Schwantz]

Method

Here are quick, easy, perfect fillets. Takes seconds to do with little to no sanding after.

 

[boatgeek]

Method

Here are quick, easy, perfect fillets. Takes seconds to do with little to no sanding after.

Assuming that's epoxy since it's a fiberglass airframe and fins. If so, please use gloves. Epoxy sensitivity sucks.

 

[David Schwantz]

Rocket poxy and no gloves needed. But thanks for the thought.

 

[Titan II]

Assuming that's epoxy since it's a fiberglass airframe and fins. If so, please use gloves. Epoxy sensitivity sucks.

I was wondering what safety troll would go first. I commend you for posting this David. I do the same thing.

 

[David Schwantz]

If you take a look at my hands, I'm old a little bit of epoxy ain't gonna hurt them paws

 

[David Schwantz]

But the thing is, it is so quick and easy, No taping, no sanding and they can be done in seconds. And yes, I have taped fins for fillets, used PVC pipe tools that I have made to pull them, sanded and sanded to get them perfect. But I always go back to the finger.

 

[Hobie1dog]

 

[boatgeek]

If you take a look at my hands, I'm old a little bit of epoxy ain't gonna hurt them paws

Lots of college kids read here too. You might not have enough lifetime left to get epoxy sensitized, but they do. The technique looks great, just that anyone who wants to use epoxy for a lot more years should use gloves.

 

[samb]

As an old fart with an epoxy sensitivity I concur with @boatgeek. Use gloves kids.

Or not.

 

[David Schwantz]

I have had my hands in glue, epoxy, paint, thinners and such for more than 50 years. It is really to bad you are trying to turn this thread into a you're going to get sick thread. I do not believe that this is what the OP had in mind. I did not come on here and tell you that you must not wear gloves. I am happy that you feel the need to wear them. Many do not.

 

[Terry Kosel]

I always give my fillets The Finger.

 

[samb]

My preferred filleting tools are my fingers. Always available, infinitely adjustable, highly accurate. Usually one of the left. Index, middle, pinky, or occasionally thumb.

 

[David Schwantz]

No matter what tools you try, I have the most control over my fingers.

 

[Nathan]

I use the same technique. Works even better if you wet your finger with isopropyl alcohol first.

 

[G's Monster Rocket]

Some people have no issues with epoxy on their skin, others have serious reactions. I never wore gloves and used fingers to smooth when I started. Cleaning epoxy off fingers with 70% isopropyl alcohol made my skin dry, cracked and sore. I've gotten used to using gloves now and tongue depressors to smooth. Yup, some sanding required but then the results are consistent and nice.

 

[augendoc]

Try a finger cot. If you wear gloves or a cot the material has to be skin-tight. Gloves and finger cots have a tendency to drag, though. Wetting with a spritz of alcohol helps.

i have a set of cheap spherical clay tools from eBay that are good for the first pass to more evenly distribute the epoxy, but fingers are the best after that.

 

[neil_w]

A small technique modification I employ (for LPR fillets, but same basic process) is to pull the fillets starting from the middle towards each end. So, in two steps for each fillet. In case there's a little too much glue applied in the first place, this will reduce by half the amount of build-up on your finger as you get to the end of the fin, and therefore reduce the chance of extra glue working its way further up the side of the fin and body tube.

If you're able to consistently apply the exact correct amount of glue with almost no extra, as the OP did in the video, then it may not matter. I'm rarely able to do it that perfectly with the nozzle on my bottle of TB Quick and Thick.

 

[DAllen]

It is really to bad you are trying to turn this thread into a you're going to get sick thread.

That's not how I read that at all. Is it wrong that one rocket flier show a little concern and compassion for another so they don't suffer from contact dermatitis? And while everyone here is providing anecdotal stories of how, "I've touched and used epoxy for ___ years and I have never had symptoms" take a look at what the experts have to say here.

Allergic dermatitis one of the more serious health effects, but less than 2% of epoxy users are likely to get it....Allergic reactions to epoxy can result in irritated skin or respiratory problems. Irritated skin is by far the more common of these two health effects. Usually, it appears much like a reaction to poison ivy and may include swelling, itching and red eyes. Just as with poison ivy, the irritation can be mild or severe, acute or chronic.

Less than 2%. They compare it to a poison ivy rash. I've had poison ivy many many times so I put gloves on every time I use any epoxy. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with advising others to do the same so please chill out when someone else suggests it. Poison ivy rashes suck rocks.

-Dave

 

[David Schwantz]

I clean my hands dozens of times in a day of building with denatured alcohol. I use lots of hand lotion after a day in the shop.

 

[David Schwantz]

I'm sorry Dave, that was how I read it. I may have been mistaken after going back and rereading it. I surely do NOT want anyone to get sick. But I have been amazed the number of times I have read where people will say you MUST do this or you WILL get sick from it.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Try a finger cot. If you wear gloves or a cot the material has to be skin-tight. Gloves and finger cots have a tendency to drag, though. Wetting with a spritz of alcohol helps.

I never knew they were called that. I always called them finger condoms, which are perfect for fillets. A friend bought me some but they were already unrolled which causes me to have to get my wife to put it on my finger with the little strength I have in my hands. When I was building subwoofer drivers, I had a box of 500 which would have lasted a lifetime. so if any of you get a box, make sure you get the kind that you unroll down your finger like a traditional condom.

 

[Hobie1dog]

I use the same technique. Works even better if you wet your finger with isopropyl alcohol first.

and this comes from the "God" of perfect fillets.

 

[G's Monster Rocket]

Bare fingers, cots, or gloves...I still like seeing how other builders get theirs "done". Some amazing results putting stuff together with glue and cardboard.

 

[Funkworks]

As someone who writes on a family-friendly public forum, I recommend gloves even though I don't use them myself. I know I don't need them (so far), but maybe some readers are allergic and do, so at least they know and won't come back saying: "Hey twirp! Why didn't you tell me!?!"

Sometimes, I have too much epoxy on there so when I give it the finger, I don't drag all of it, so for that reason, I'll keep using masking tape.

 

[David Schwantz]

That's the thing, all of the above works, and works well for how is doing that way. I do not think there is any WRONG way of making fillets.

 

[4regt4]

Rocket poxy and no gloves needed. But thanks for the thought.

How do you get RocketPoxy to flow through a syringe? I tried that once, and it was waaaay too thick.

I'm beginning to think I might have a batch of RocketPoxy that is abnormal or old or ?? Each part is just like used chewing gum. If you turn the jars on their sides, it doesn't flow at all.

Hans,

 

[David Schwantz]

Sounds bad to me. Rocket poxy even states to let it set up for 15 minutes before using for fillets.

 

[Nathan]

and this comes from the "God" of perfect fillets.

Thanks, that gives me an excuse to post some more fillet pictures.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Thanks, that gives me an excuse to post some more fillet pictures.
View attachment 569625
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[David Schwantz]

Pics always welcome

They are very nice.