and speaking of strength....

[Stewart32]

I'm building a TLP ASRAAM and am happy with the kit except that the BT seem awfully flimsy. Is there anything I can do to add strenght short of glassing the tube? What about expoxy on the inside?

Thanks all.

 

[MetMan]

You could try a few basla stringers or thin dowels glued inside the tube.

I've also used fiberglass cloth on the inside of large tubes with wood glue as the resin. I just smear the glue on the cloth and apply to the inside of the tube, pressing it flat with a piece of copper tubing. Pretty stout!

MetMan

 

[rbeckey]

Add a centering ring or two and maybe even a stuffer tube.

 

[astrowolf67]

What ever you do to add strength, keep your CP/CG relationship in mind. TLP kits are well known for for having very sensitive stability. If you don't plan to over power it, I would build it stock per the instructions.

 

[shockwaveriderz]

consider sanding off the outer glassine surface with 320 grit sandpaper.....then apply a coat or 2 of any of the following:

minwax polyacrylic, minwax polyurethane or finishing epoxy resin... spray or paint on polyacrylic or polyurethane ,either are fine

they will all fill and add strength to the body tube....obviously the finishing resin epoxy will strength the tube the most...

you can use 30/60 minute epoxy if you cannot find finsihing epoxy resin and make it thinner by placing each resin component in its own container, say a paper cup(non waxed or better yet small glass cups)......and then place these into a pan that has water at 120F....this will heat both epoxy components and when you mix them they wil be less viscious(thinner) and the pot life, the time it takes to start hardening will be significantly reduced.....

https://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/kits/tlp_asraam.html

 

[Ryan S.]

or you could buy couplers for the size tubeing you are using and slide them in the airframe, so you strengthen the whole thing, you will need to sand down CRs though just so they fit, and the nosecone too

 

[sandman]

Totally Tubular has 34" long tube coupler.

That would effectively double the thickness of the body tube.

sandman

 

[rbeckey]

A stuffer tube and extra CR would weigh less than a full length tube liner.

 

[Stymye]

it's just a single 24mm kit .you don't want to add alot of weight( lots of epoxy)
like metman said ,balsa stringers along the I D works.. and plain old yellow glue should be plenty strong as well
otherwise you will probably have to add more noseweight
in other words..save the glassing for the larger motors.

 

[Stewart32]

Thanks for the info y'all. The stringers seem like a good trade off between weight and strength.

Astrowolf, yes I had heard that TLP's kits are sesitive as well.

Thanks