Fin Reinforcement and Shoulder Taping

[DynaSoar]

I've found an excellent tape to use for fin root reinforcement, as well as for taping nose and transition shoulders. It's 3M Durapore bandage tape. It's like a nylon/plastic gauze. If you put in on a joint and then glue over it, some of the glue soaks through and bonds, while the tape provides a much greater surface area for it to bond to. I've tested it with wood and plastic glue, and the results are much better than glue alone. CyA doesn't go through it well, but when it's placed over CyA it holds like steel. I haven't tested it with epoxy yet. A nice bit about the tape: the adhesive, while pretty string itself, leaves little or no residue.

This tape also works very well on nose cone and transition shoulders which are loose and sloppy. It forms a nice tight seal that initially resists friction. But once it starts moving, the plastic coating a nice and slick and the cone slides out easily.