Airframe repair part 2

[Scott Nokes]

Hi all
Thanks for all your help earlier with my rocket. There's another area of damage that Homeland security did to the same rocket.

The rocket is the LOC 2.6in HITECH H45.
Ok, here goes. The fins are epoxied with regular epoxy fillets. They broker ones of my fins but not completely. It's still pretty firm but the paints cracked and I can see it moves a bit. Should I break it off or should I sand the paint off form to the bare epoxy fillets and re epoxy the fillet.

Thank you

 

[thzero]

I'd at least sand off the paint to the bare epoxy, so you can get epoxy into the crack.

You may want to also put some more epoxy along the fin joint with the motor mount.. if it moves more than a bit. You could do that using one of the techniques of drilling holes near the fin, and use a syringe (you can get them at the cvs, etc) to eject some epoxy (should be slightly runny) and then tilt the rocket back and forth to let the epoxy flow up and down the fin root.

 

[Scott Nokes]

Thank you
With some gentle easing back and forth, I've been able to get the fin off completely so now I can clean of all the epoxy and get a good amount of epoxy back in the fin slot and re epoxy new fillets.

 

[AstroAbaqus]

Thank you
With some gentle easing back and forth, I've been able to get the fin off completely so now I can clean of all the epoxy and get a good amount of epoxy back in the fin slot and re epoxy new fillets.

I think you did the best thing possible. In these cases I always prefer to remove the fin because is likely that the bond to the MMT is compromised and if its the case, as looks like it was, remaking the fillet wont be sufficient. I saw some of your post, I am really sad on how your belonging has been treated, you have a nice attitude in repairing it so carefully. I wish you wonderful and straigth future flights!