Beveling G10 and carbon and plywood fins - what do you want to know?

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rfjustin

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Beveling G10 and carbon and plywood fins - what do you want to know???

I've been beveling fins for over 10 years now. I bought a new to me router (exact make/model as the one I have now) as a back-up unit before mine takes a nose dive. I customized my original router to fit my needs, and plan to do the same with this one, and take some pics in the process.

Before I get too far into it, what questions do you have about beveling? I've seen it come up a bit lately and hoping to use this thread as information dumping ground.

More to come...
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Following closely, as I have all the same parts and tools, just haven't actually done the set up. Setting up the Fin Beveling station in the garage is this Spring's project!

Some initial questions:
How do you determine initial cut? Do you run a test piece?
How beveled is beveled enough?
Different bits for ply vs. G10/12 vs. CF?
 
I want to know if you bevel your fins indoors on your nice carpet? ;) My second question is: am I the only one that gets nervous when beveling fins?

In all seriousness, looking forward to this thread...maybe I'll learn about what I'm doing wrong! :dancingelephant:
 
I want to know if you bevel your fins indoors on your nice carpet? ;) My second question is: am I the only one that gets nervous when beveling fins?

In all seriousness, looking forward to this thread...maybe I'll learn about what I'm doing wrong! :dancingelephant:
The office doubles as shipping/receiving central for any ecommerce, but hell to the no on beveling inside! Must keep queen happy... :headspinning:

Good, bad, or otherwise, all beveling happens in the garage, wearing respirator, eye pro, and ear pro...
 
How do you bevel fins where the leading edge has a concave profile, such as Mach 1 Messier?
(no need to answer if it's Dremel followed by a lot of manual sanding with sanding block)
 
How do you bevel fins where the leading edge has a concave profile, such as Mach 1 Messier?
(no need to answer if it's Dremel followed by a lot of manual sanding with sanding block)
For that use case, double cut file, with some time and finesse. It just can be done manually, just not an elegant solution.

Keep the questions coming please.

Thanks!
 
How exactly do you ensure the bevel is symmetric? I'm about to pick one of these router and table combos up and plan on using it for exactly this.
 
I know you've answered the first in other posts, but I'll ask again for fun.

1) what bit do you use for the beveling? Is there a preferred angle you like?

2) What is the thinnest material you have beveled - or- what thickness is not worth the effort?
 
I've been doing my own bevels off and on for 10+ years. Work always took too much time and little towards the hobby. I've refined my router table (the best method I use) for the last time and keep it just for beveling. Most all router tables make blip in the bevel when rolling across a split fence. I made a tall, continous fence and base out of melamine, smooth surface to get a great result. 2 slow passes across a large, carbide router bit.
Presto!
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I use something similar to this. I think mine is a 15° bit. Throw the top bearing to the side. Not needed for a router table. I've done A LOT of 3/16" G10 fins that I cut out on my table saw then beveled. On a 3/16" fin I leave about a 3/32" edge, you do them to a razor edge they can chip easily.
 
View attachment 508181
I use something similar to this. I think mine is a 15° bit. Throw the top bearing to the side. Not needed for a router table. I've done A LOT of 3/16" G10 fins that I cut out on my table saw then beveled. On a 3/16" fin I leave about a 3/32" edge, you do them to a razor edge they can chip easily.
I use the same style only 11.5 degree iirc
 
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I had these scrap 1/2" thick carbon panels. I cut out the fins then ran the edges across a 1/2" ball-end bit on the router table. Filled in the edges with 1/2" oak dowels and mitered the joints. Epoxied them, then stained and sealed them!
 
Guys, setting the bit is not that hard. I like to set the bit so it will take a light cut. Run the fin through on one side, then flip it over and run it on the other side. Look at how thick the leading edge is. It will be way too thick. Move the fence back a smidge on one side and repeat. You will
cut off more the next pass. Keep going until you get the profile you are after. I don’t take my fins to a knife point as they are too fragile. I like to leave a good 1/16” on thin fins, more on thicker fins. It’s really personal preference.

Once you have the profile you like, repeat for all the fins. I do like to run all my fins at each setting as the lighter cut you take, the less tear out.

Some pics of my set up which is home brewed but has served me well. Keep your fingers back and use some scrap stock to keep your fingers away from the bit.

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I thought rocket fins were supposed to have a rounded leading edge and the tail having the beveled/ tapered part?:questions:
 
Guys, setting the bit is not that hard. I like to set the bit so it will take a light cut. Run the fin through on one side, then flip it over and run it on the other side. Look at how thick the leading edge is. It will be way too thick. Move the fence back a smidge on one side and repeat. You will
cut off more the next pass. Keep going until you get the profile you are after. I don’t take my fins to a knife point as they are too fragile. I like to leave a good 1/16” on thin fins, more on thicker fins. It’s really personal preference.

Once you have the profile you like, repeat for all the fins. I do like to run all my fins at each setting as the lighter cut you take, the less tear out.

Some pics of my set up which is home brewed but has served me well. Keep your fingers back and use some scrap stock to keep your fingers away from the bit.

View attachment 508193
View attachment 508194
View attachment 508195
That is an awesome jig for precise bevels on small fins. I have not done that small but I have a few designs for some 54 and smaller rockets where I can't get the fin can I need.
Good job on that one.
 
I was getting ready to do a fin beveling thread too. Justin beat me to it.
I built a Coker style 10 degree sliding thing and liked it. It worked pretty good. I do runs of 3" cardboard rockets with .250 plywood fin..for schools. I had a batch of fins ..200 that I were made from 6 ply..instead of my normal 10 ply. I was having a problem with the cheaper 6 ply tearing out..about 1 out of three would tear out..

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I had heard and seen Justin and Jim using the Foredom bits. I got one the..the blue 9/16 x 1 in ..I had to reconfigure my garbage can router set up...as the angle is built into the bit..unlike my old straight bit.
I did a small run of the 6 ply fins..and not a single tear out.!
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I tried my new set up on some 98mm sub min dia .125 G10 fins..
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Here's video doing .155 carbon fiber.


More later...

Tony
 
I've used a cheap 11.25 deg router bit from Amazon (Yonico Chamfer Router Bits Bevel Edge Forming 11.25 Degree 1/2-Inch Shank 13911 - - Amazon.com ) with very good success on larger fins, 5 mm G10 fins all the way down to 3 mm thick fins. Obviously, safety is always a concern. Use in a router table with a good fence, dust collection, mask, etc.

While it is a woodworking bit, it cuts through the fiberglass like butter. I'm curious if anyone has done a comparison of a two flute carbide vs a burr bit as suggested above?
 
I've watched Justin's thread and saw a recommendation for the Kobalt router table and router. I bought one. I put it together and did not like the router table...not bashing any ones recommendations....I kept the router it's cool and seems better then my 20 year old craftsman..(the one in the video).
I have the ability to make metal things and I decided to make a fresh new 'fence system' that uses these tapered bits. I figure Aluminum would be a good choice..both fences very adjustable and the bit enclosed to keep things in and fingers out. I have to many scars and don't want any more. The first one I made I was just using wood screws for the adjustment..which was lame...My son has some CNC machines and I had him machine .250" slots..into them..by now I have made 3 sets of these fences.

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Tony
 
I've been browsing marketplace to see what was on the used market for complete tables, and they seem to really go all over the place in price. Before I got messed up I had some very nice routers, a Porter Cable, a Bosch, a Hitachi plunge router. Sold all of them in the big tool sellout to pay for the damn mortgage when I went 5 months with no income. 🤬 :mad::facepalm:
 
If you are handy with wood, roll your own. My router table top is two pieces of lumber core plywood screwed and glued together with a piece of counter top laminate glued to the top with contact cement. It’s dead flat and been in use since the early 90s. To mount the router, buy a piece of phenolic plate 3/8” thick and cut a hole in the top and route a ledge to hold the plate. The weight of the router doesn’t require it to be fastened in any way. It just hangs there. Of course you have to accurately drill the plate and counter sink the holes to replace the round router base.

Top close up:
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Pocket where the router hangs:
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Router removed:

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I removed the D handle and knob as they aren’t used and just get in the way. If you have a router and the time and skill, you could build that top for less than $100 and it will be better than anything you can buy for that price.
 
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