First time fiberglassing, too conservative with the epoxy...

[RocketSquirrel]

So i just bought some west system epoxy, and i think i was way too light on it with my first try at glassing a tube. (It was free and thought what the hell.) I followed RocketVlogs method of pre wetting the tube and rolling the cloth around to let the epoxy soak in. I unwrapped and sanded it, and now there are dry spots.

I'm thinking about brushing it on more time to get it looking wet and use saran wrap to seal it. Not ideal i know, but im not going for perfect. My question is, can i just wet it with enough epoxy after this cured from the last attempt? Im just trying to save it since its a pre slotted 2.56" tube and i was planning on putting it to use!

 

[tsmith1315]

Can’t learn without trying! You'll get a feel for it, way too wet has its own troubles. That was a fine start.

It's still much stronger than the cardboard tube. Unless you plan on testing it's limits, it would be okay. I'd brush it with a bit more, to feel better, but don't be so generous that it's dripping all over. I wouldn't bother with the saran wrap, myself.

 

[Art Upton]

Why do you need to glass a 2.6 tube??? I've had 2.6 tube hold up to K motor stock

 

[kenstarr]

I've made the same mistake in my earlier experience of glassing tubes. I just added more epoxy to smooth things out. For myself, I enjoy working with composites and glassing tubes whether or not they need it.
Ken

 

[RocketSquirrel]

Why do you need to glass a 2.6 tube??? I've had 2.6 tube hold up to K motor stock

Not trying to learn on a more expensive tube...

 

[robopup]

Looks great for a first shot! After a couple you get a feel for what looks wetted out and what doesn't. It also helps to measure out an appropriate amount of epoxy for your fabric weight (for fiberglass, I aim for a 50% volume fraction, then usually add a little extra for slop).

Like @tsmith1315 said, I would just mix up some more epoxy and brush on. If it were mine, after painting with epoxy I would probably also wrap on a layer of peel ply to get a consistent outer surface. I like this stuff for my tubes: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/vb7025.php

 

[RocketSquirrel]

Looks great for a first shot! After a couple you get a feel for what looks wetted out and what doesn't. It also helps to measure out an appropriate amount of epoxy for your fabric weight (for fiberglass, I aim for a 50% volume fraction, then usually add a little extra for slop).

Like @tsmith1315 said, I would just mix up some more epoxy and brush on. If it were mine, after painting with epoxy I would probably also wrap on a layer of peel ply to get a consistent outer surface. I like this stuff for my tubes: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/vb7025.php

Nice! The price seemed great until they wanted 30 bucks to ship it
I actually went a cheaper route with some duralar from Amazon. 25 ft x 40inch for $48 free shipping. Lets see how it goes!

 

[robopup]

Nice! The price seemed great until they wanted 30 bucks to ship it
I actually went a cheaper route with some duralar from Amazon. 25 ft x 40inch for $48 free shipping. Lets see how it goes!

Yikes! IIRC I bought a ton 3-4 years ago so haven't looked at how prices have changed since. Good luck!

 

[David Schwantz]

Yes you can add more epoxy to the dry spot. You can see the holes in the weave, that will allow it to soak through. When glassing anything, if the cloth looks shiny you have too much resin, squeegee some out. If the cloth look white, you don't have enough resin, add some. When done the overall appearance should be a dull surface with no white spots.
When I glass a tube I like to have it on a stand horizontal and able to rotate it. I start with glass cut to size, mix small amounts of resin at a time, you will never see where you start and stop a new batch. I'll spread on tube with brush just enough to get cloth stuck in place, then I just start rotating tube while I add resin and pull it out with a cardboard squeegee, they are throw away when soaked. Do this till you meet the start and overlap the joint. Inspect and remove any extra resin, or add where you may need to. Let dry.

 

[SDramstad]

+1 for peal ply. Makes a huge difference in finish.

 

[Voyhager3]

Why do you need to glass a 2.6 tube??? I've had 2.6 tube hold up to K motor stock

Do tell more! As I’m building a 3” with a 54mm hole, and people are worried that carbon-cardboard won’t be able to handle it.

 

[Art Upton]

Do tell more! As I’m building a 3” with a 54mm hole, and people are worried that carbon-cardboard won’t be able to handle it.

Depends on the 54 motor and the type of fins you were using. what do you mean by carbon-cardboard?

 

[Voyhager3]

Depends on the 54 motor and the type of fins you were using. what do you mean by carbon-cardboard?

Instead of glassed cardboard,it would be a carbon fiber layover, with more carbon fiber tip to tip. With G10 fins