Fin Jigs; Do you use them?

[stantonjtroy]

I've always been curious as to how many folks jig their fins during a build. I've been building Mod Rocs since 1975, Mid Mower since 1987 and HP (currently hold a L2) since 1997 and I've never once used one. My fins always come out straight, rockets fly straight, unless I design them to spin. So how bout you good folks?

 

[chadrog]

I made this one many moons ago, works great for smaller projects with surface mounted fins. If a tube has slots, or I'm cutting slots, TLAR works for me.

 

[Eat, sleep, and Fly]

Depends on the build for me

 

[Adrian A]

I didn't use jigs before, but now that I have done it with a high-peformance bird with foam core board jigs, I'm going to do all my high-performance fins that way.

 

[RocketManDan]

I always eye ball mine too, but I wouldn't mind haven't a jig...seems it would make the process quicker.

 

[rbelknap]

I glued up a couple of jigs made from balsa. I got the plans for them from apogeerockets.com (of course, I can't find the link on the site now...)

I have used the estes fin alignment jig in the past, but it always seemed to be a bit of a hassle.

I must say, that guillotine fin jig is tempting me.

 

[stantonjtroy]

I was looking at the guillotine very seriously. That's what made me wonder. Never have before but thought maybe there's something to it.

 

[RocketManDan]

If you want to shell out the $100 plus with shipping then I say go for it!! It's a good quality device and if you don't have the tools to make something similar then I say buy it.

 

[dlazarus6660]

Nope, but I can do an Irish jig! :roll:

St Paddy's day is coming up!

 

[hornet driver]

Really only use one on the simpler designs, seems mine go a bit over the edge so I use a scribe and go method. Scribe a line and go for broke. I guess it takes a little MK-1 eyeball but seems to work.

 

[[POW]Eagle159]

All my designs are pretty complicated for a jig to handle. I just eyeball them cause my scratch builds will never goo very fast or high...so no worries if a fin isnt perfect.

On my Aim-9 scratch, I have 3 flights on it and each fin has broken off, 2 from landings and 2 from tripping and almost falling on it.....:cyclops:

All these pics are scratch, complicated fins.

 

[Adrian A]

 

[Viperfixr]

Yes, the easy way--just like Adrian. Payloadbay.com makes this easy--input dimensions, print two copies of the template, then spray adhesive them to foam core, cut out, then start sticking fins. Found the slots on a commercial kit were significantly off using this method--slots just didn't line up at all. This method doesn't cost much, isn't hard to to, and I can notice the difference in how rockets built this way fly vs. those eyeballed (mine). Straight flying rockets not only make me more satisfied, my gut tells me I can push them harder knowing the forces acting on the fins are closer to being 'in balance'.

 

[GDJ]

If I had a jig, I would use one, but for now it's the Estes fin markers and eyeballs.

So far I've done well. Not one rocket has a spin, and the fins are close enough that you would have to look hard to see if they are off centre.

 

[John Galt]

I'm envious of all of you guys that use the eye-ball method. Every time I try using my optics the fins ALWAYS come out canted. I have several jigs and they all do a better job than what I can do on my own. I don't favor one over the other - it depends on the scale, precision, size, and patience I want to involve myself with the model I'm working on. :confused2: I NEED the aid of some kind of optical orienting device.

 

[Rocketbuilder]

I just use a printed guide from payloabay, and put a few dots of CA on the root edge and apply wood glue on the rest of the root edge between dots of CA. The CA holds the fin in place and I can go ahead and do the fillets.

 

[stantonjtroy]

I'm envious of all of you guys that use the eye-ball method. Every time I try using my optics the fins ALWAYS come out canted. I have several jigs and they all do a better job than what I can do on my own. I don't favor one over the other - it depends on the scale, precision, size, and patience I want to involve myself with the model I'm working on. :confused2: I NEED the aid of some kind of optical orienting device.

Just do what I did. Pop your eyes out, send them to NASA and they'll calibrate them for a nominal fee. The trick is getting them back in.

 

[Marc_G]

Here's a jig I made a couple weeks ago. Works like a champ:

My quest for the perfect Fin Gluing Guide (FGG)

 

[Gary Byrum]

The only time I ever designed a fin jig was for my Brute Faddle which had a plastic tail cone made from a PNC 60 NA. Having a curved area to glue the fins to was what forced me into using a jig. I always knew how to eyeball my fins but this was different. This was a dual problem in that I didn't know what to use to glue balsa to plastic at the time. This helped a lot when I discovered what would work.

 

[scsager]

I use the the slotted end of the Estes Tube Marking Guide set. It works great for around $10

 

[tmacklin]

This just goes to show what a fellow over at PETA once told me:

"There's more than one way to skin a cat!" :roll:

 

[rbelknap]

I didn't know what to use to glue balsa to plastic at the time. This helped a lot when I discovered what would work.

Because I'm curious, what did work to bond plastic to balsa?

 

[Gary Byrum]

Because I'm curious, what did work to bond plastic to balsa?

Oh man! I tried so many at the time. Even after I roughed up the plastic surface in 5 different places or so, and judging from the pic below, it may have been the Gorilla Glue because of the brown it left after I broke the test piece of balsa off. I'm really not certain. I do know this though, It had to sit all night long to dry. It wasn't the greatest hold I could have hoped for but it beat CA & epoxy out.

 

[tmacklin]

Here's a jig I made a couple weeks ago. Works like a champ:

My quest for the perfect Fin Gluing Guide (FGG)

I like it! But with my Guillotine, there's no strings attached.

 

[Marc_G]

I like it! But with my Guillotine, there's no strings attached.

Thanks. I love the guillotine design. When I move up to bigger birds I will be buying one!

 

[Launch Lug]

I just broke down and bought a Guillotine Fin Jig. Pricey but it's quality built. The design of it has changed a little from what is shown on Apogee's site but the functionality of it is the same. Very simple and easy to use.