Hello from India

[Dratinia18]

Hello everyone, Im a 20 y o fellow from India, currently pursuing Mechanical engineering. I have done few launches (4 to be precise) of which 3 were kit models and 1 I built myself. Currently working on my 5th rocket which I'm (with friends) building from scratch (apart from avionics) and targetting 1km apogee. I had a very simple problem which I could use a little help. So our body tube will be made out of cardboard and the rocket is gonna be long, so I was wondering how can I join 2 tubes of cardboard the most optimal way.

 

[MarsLander]

Welcome to TRF!!!

Best thing to use is a tube coupler:

 

[NTP2]

 

[smstachwick]

Hello everyone, Im a 20 y o fellow from India, currently pursuing Mechanical engineering. I have done few launches (4 to be precise) of which 3 were kit models and 1 I built myself. Currently working on my 5th rocket which I'm (with friends) building from scratch (apart from avionics) and targetting 1km apogee. I had a very simple problem which I could use a little help. So our body tube will be made out of cardboard and the rocket is gonna be long, so I was wondering how can I join 2 tubes of cardboard the most optimal way.

As @MarsLander mentioned, a tube coupler is by far the most common solution, I don’t believe I’ve ever actually seen anything else.

Couplers are also neat in that they can serve as electronics bays and separation points for staging or recovery.

What have you got so far for your design work? Any OpenRocket file or anything like that?

 

[Zeus-cat]

Welcome. Most of the people on this forum are in the United States. We use cardboard tubes specifically made for model rockets as they are easy for us to buy and fairly inexpensive. Tube couplers are tubes made to be slightly smaller than the standard tubes and can be used to join them.

I'm guessing that in India you don't have easy access to model rocket parts like tube couplers. However, you can make your own quite easily. The easiest way is to cut a short section of a tube that is the size that you wish to join together. For example, you want to join two tubes that are 50mm in diameter. Get a third piece of tube that is 50mm in diameter that is at least twice the diameter in length (at least 100mm). Cut a thin strip down the length of this tube (5mm x 100mm). Discard this strip. I'm guessing on the 5mm width. It may need to be more or less than 5mm. Mark the cut tube halfway down so you know where the middle of it is. Now you can insert this cut tube halfway into one of your other tubes.

I always use epoxy to do bind the three tubes together as many glues will instantly grab when you insert the tubes into each other and not allow you to fully connect the tubes. You also want to make sure that the exposed end of the coupler does not flare out (or inwards) to keep you from attaching the other 50mm tube.

Good luck on your project.

 

[tfish]

And you can make your own coupler..from another piece of tube.



Tony

 

[prfesser]

Welcome. Most of the people on this forum are in the United States. We use cardboard tubes specifically made for model rockets as they are easy for us to buy and fairly inexpensive. Tube couplers are tubes made to be slightly smaller than the standard tubes and can be used to join them.

I'm guessing that in India you don't have easy access to model rocket parts like tube couplers. However, you can make your own quite easily. The easiest way is to cut a short section of a tube that is the size that you wish to join together. For example, you want to join two tubes that are 50mm in diameter. Get a third piece of tube that is 50mm in diameter that is at least twice the diameter in length (at least 100mm). Cut a thin strip down the length of this tube (5mm x 100mm). Discard this strip. I'm guessing on the 5mm width. It may need to be more or less than 5mm. Mark the cut tube halfway down so you know where the middle of it is. Now you can insert this cut tube halfway into one of your other tubes.

I always use epoxy to do bind the three tubes together as many glues will instantly grab when you insert the tubes into each other and not allow you to fully connect the tubes. You also want to make sure that the exposed end of the coupler does not flare out (or inwards) to keep you from attaching the other 50mm tube.

Good luck on your project.

Good description. About all I can add to this is: masking-tape the joined tubes to a piece of angle iron before the glue sets/cures, to ensure that the two tubes are aligned.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Post up a picture of your rocket for us when you're done.

 

[teepot]

Welcome to the Forum. You came to the right place for information and help.