Cutting cardboard tube that will be fiberglass sleeved

[Dustin Lobner]

Hi everyone,

I'm going to be cutting and glassing a cardboard tube. I've heard of the hose clamp and multiple passes of a razor blade - that's the plan for the cut, except I printed a guide (see pic below).

I've heard that to get the cut smooth you should CA the end and then sand. However, I'm planning on glassing this after cutting, so I'm not sure I should put CA down. Should I just laminate it and then worry about sanding it smooth once it's been epoxied? Would help the glass then too...

I searched the forum here, which is where I found the hose lamp and multiple pass with a razor blade technique. Not sure how to fit that in with glassing though.

EDIT: I also bought a hacksaw with a very fine toothed blade, so that's an option as well.

Thanks!

Dustin

 

[MClark]

That will work
If glassing I usually leave it long in case epoxy runs into tube.
A power miter saw is the cool thing to use.

M

 

[Steve Shannon]

I always glass the overlong tube and then cut it on my miter saw after it has cured. Cutting the tube to length first makes it slightly harder to get the glass fabric smooth at the very ends.

 

[Dustin Lobner]

Power miter saw - is there a similar blade I can use in my "hand powered" saw? Don't feel like spending the $ on a saw for just this.

Thanks everyone!

 

[prfesser]

Mark the tube, then use any power saw. If you're making it overlong anyway, and cutting off the ends later...

 

[Dustin Lobner]

Took a whirl at it tonight. Hacksaw = C-/D+. Did the multiple laps with a razor blade with much success, going to keep going that route.

 

[OverTheTop]

I second what Steve suggested. Glass over the longer tube and then trim the ends. Makes for neater fiberglass that way IMHO. Personally I would cut it off in my lathe, using a Dremel with a cutoff wheel mounted on the toolpost. You could do similar with a V-groove in some wood, and the Dremel, rotating the tube by hand. Don't forget to use a vacuum cleaner if you are cutting fiberglass this way.

 

[Dustin Lobner]

Sounds good! The first tube I have I cut half an inch long. There will be 3 tubes on this rocket...think I'll glass them all and then take them to a friend's and do the dremel/wood working lathe technique.

Dustin

 

[Dustin Lobner]

Talked with my friend - he has a woodworking lathe, but not nearly big enough. He does have a nice table mounted belt sander though, so I think I'm just going to use that to clean the ends up after glassing.

 

[georgegassaway]

Talked with my friend - he has a woodworking lathe, but not nearly big enough. He does have a nice table mounted belt sander though, so I think I'm just going to use that to clean the ends up after glassing.

If he has a disc sander, even better.