Gluing problems

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Bryan XJ6C

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I have been working on an Estes Saturn V and had a few problems. Can anyone offer solution.

1. I was installing the engine mount with the center rings and I just used wood glue and the body tube contracted showing sunken rings. I've already filled, primed, and sanded them smooth so I have rectified the issue. I read in another forum that epoxy works better to prevent the contraction in the areas where the centering rings adhere. For future reference is this the solution using Epoxy to glue the Rings to the inner body?

2. I used CA super glue to attach the the plastic fins to the fairings but since they have some gaps I found that they were not very secure. I then applied some hardware store Duco Plastic Model Cement on the inside of the fairings but I noticed some distortion in the fairing in a few places. Not too bad that I can't accept but is there a better glue that won't melt this this fairing. Again for future reference. Possibly Epoxy again. I've used Epoxy many times on other repair projects outside of rockets and it works well for many applications. Any other suggestions for an adhesive that doesn't distort plastic. Outside of CA? I really wouldn't use CA for almost anything as it is brittle and it's been my experience that it degrades over time.
 
Wood glue shrinks as it dries, I like epoxy better for the MMT. On my Saturn V I used 3M #77 spray adhesive. Spray on both parts, let dry, then spray on one part again and apply. You only get one shot at it so better have them marked where they need to go. Will not deform the wraps.
 
Welcome Bryan! I'm sorry your first post here is a problem like that.

No experience on my end to help, other than also reading that epoxy is the solution, but I had to say:
1660508436172.png

Pics, man. We need pics! Of that coupe and any rockets, of course!
 
Welcome Bryan! I'm sorry your first post here is a problem like that.

No experience on my end to help, other than also reading that epoxy is the solution, but I had to say:
View attachment 532409

Pics, man. We need pics! Of that coupe and any rockets, of course!
I don't have the XJ6C any longer. I do have pics on a USB drive somewhere. It was the smoothest riding car ever. Couldn't feel a single bump in the road or even tell the engine was running. Inboard rear disk brakes, 2 shocks each wheel. Independent rear suspension, dual gas tanks, telescoping steering wheel. That was advanced for 1978. Of course the engines had issues on those early models. I'll try to find them but when I tried to upload photos of my rockets they just didn't appear. Maybe I need to use a laptop instead of my phone.
 
Wood glue shrinks as it dries, I like epoxy better for the MMT. On my Saturn V I used 3M #77 spray adhesive. Spray on both parts, let dry, then spray on one part again and apply. You only get one shot at it so better have them marked where they need to go. Will not deform the wraps.
Is MMT "motor mount tunnel"? I'm not that familiar with synonyms for the rocketry forum. What did you use the spray adhesive for. It seems that epoxy would be easier to apply for both the issues I mentioned but does the epoxy shrink for this application of the motor mount. I've already attached it and resolved the effect of the shrinking but for reference I would like the best process for any future build.

Thanks Bryan
 
Epoxy is certainly a good choice for motor mounts. In addition to not shrinking (at all), it doesn't "grab" like wood glue, so you'll never get your Motor MounT (or maybe it's actually Motor Mount Tube), stuck in the wrong place.

White glue (e.g. Elmer's Glue-All) is also a good choice. It shrinks but less than wood glue, and it's also less grabby.
 
Is MMT "motor mount tunnel"? I'm not that familiar with synonyms for the rocketry forum. What did you use the spray adhesive for. It seems that epoxy would be easier to apply for both the issues I mentioned but does the epoxy shrink for this application of the motor mount. I've already attached it and resolved the effect of the shrinking but for reference I would like the best process for any future build.

Thanks Bryan
Oh I see now what you mean by the spray adhesive and I use that for the wraps, it's the fins and fairing on the Saturn V that I was concerned. I want to try epoxy but wat to make sure it doesn't deform the fairings. I guess I can just test a piece of scrap plastic to find out
 
Epoxy is certainly a good choice for motor mounts. In addition to not shrinking (at all), it doesn't "grab" like wood glue, so you'll never get your Motor MounT (or maybe it's actually Motor Mount Tube), stuck in the wrong place.

White glue (e.g. Elmer's Glue-All) is also a good choice. It shrinks but less than wood glue, and it's also less grabby.
Ah yes I understand. I like the idea of epoxy as a diffinitive solution since it doesn't shrink. It fairly simple to use and enough time to apply to both MMT and the far/fairings which you want fast curing time

Thanks again for your quick reply

Any idea why my photos won't upload?
 
Ah yes I understand. I like the idea of epoxy as a diffinitive solution since it doesn't shrink. It fairly simple to use and enough time to apply to both MMT and the far/fairings which you want fast curing time

Thanks again for your quick reply

Any idea why my photos won't upload?
Correction to previous reply "fin/fairings"
 
I have been working on an Estes Saturn V and had a few problems. Can anyone offer solution.

1. I was installing the engine mount with the center rings and I just used wood glue and the body tube contracted showing sunken rings. I've already filled, primed, and sanded them smooth so I have rectified the issue. I read in another forum that epoxy works better to prevent the contraction in the areas where the centering rings adhere. For future reference is this the solution using Epoxy to glue the Rings to the inner body?

2. I used CA super glue to attach the the plastic fins to the fairings but since they have some gaps I found that they were not very secure. I then applied some hardware store Duco Plastic Model Cement on the inside of the fairings but I noticed some distortion in the fairing in a few places. Not too bad that I can't accept but is there a better glue that won't melt this this fairing. Again for future reference. Possibly Epoxy again. I've used Epoxy many times on other repair projects outside of rockets and it works well for many applications. Any other suggestions for an adhesive that doesn't distort plastic. Outside of CA? I really wouldn't use CA for almost anything as it is brittle and it's been my experience that it degrades over time.
Not all wood glues shrink, but all white glues do shrink. Buy a non shrinking carpenters glue…it will not shrink or show any deformations in the body tube where the centering rings or couplers are attached. Epoxy is a hassle and really messy for rings…wood glue is just as strong, lighter, and better over decades. Spraymount 77 for lamination with paper, plastic or whatever as suggested earlier is the way to go for fins.
 
That was advanced for 1978. Of course the engines had issues on those early models. I'll try to find them but when I tried to upload photos of my rockets they just didn't appear.

And that same dual coil-over shock rear end with inboard discs debuted in 1961 on the E-type!

Are you using the "insert image" button / Ctrl+P?

1660544505813.png

The forum has size limits, pics from my phone have to be reduced to be accepted. I don't know what the limit is, but I usually resize the largest dimension to 2500 pixels.
 
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