Light and smooth body tube.

[hakudoh]

I want to make my body tube slippery and shiny.

So I used copy paper and laminator film to make a light and smooth body tube.
There is a translation button at the bottom left of the blog, so please have a look.
http://gallery-h.net/top/?p=828

 

[bad_idea]

That was very a very interesting blog post. What were the dimensions of the 2g body tube?

 

[Rktman]

Knowing your example's dimensions would give a good idea how it compares in weight to a standard cardboard body tube, but I'm also curious to know how it compares in strength as well. Also, do you just wrap it with just a single layer of laminator film, or multiple?

If weight and strength are the same as a standard BT, that would be great. It could eliminate the chore of having to paint and/or apply decals -- you could completely customize the rocket's exterior by printing colors, complex patterns like flames and surface details, and decals right on the printer paper before wrapping it.

 

[Rktman]

One last question: have you tried gluing wood or fiberglass fins to your laminated plastic
tube? If so, what adhesive did you use to attach it and fillet it with?

 

[lakeroadster]

And @hakudoh is a poet, too...

Light and smooth, body tube....

 

[Cape Byron]

Very, very cool. Great to see people pushing the boundaries and using alternate materials.

 

[hakudoh]

That was very a very interesting blog post. What were the dimensions of the 2g body tube?

Diameter 25 mm, length 130 mm.

 

[BABAR]

Very nice. How well are your tubes holding up to A, B, and C motors and their ejection charges?

Any issues with 18 mm composite motors? These get a bit hotter. although the old Quest 18 mm motors seemed to get pretty hot too.

 

[hakudoh]

Knowing your example's dimensions would give a good idea how it compares in weight to a standard cardboard body tube, but I'm also curious to know how it compares in strength as well. Also, do you just wrap it with just a single layer of laminator film, or multiple?

If weight and strength are the same as a standard BT, that would be great. It could eliminate the chore of having to paint and/or apply decals -- you could completely customize the rocket's exterior by printing colors, complex patterns like flames and surface details, and decals right on the printer paper before wrapping it.

If you use thin paper, it will be weaker, and if you use thick paper, it will be stronger.
You can also choose the thickness of the laminating film, from 50µ to 150µ.
It will be stronger if you sandwich it between the film from the back and the front like you would with a laminator.
However, I consider the pipes sold for model rockets to be too strong and too heavy.
So I apply 50µ to the front only. I believe that even a light and weak body tube can be made strong enough by devising the structure.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

[hakudoh]

Very nice. How well are your tubes holding up to A, B, and C motors and their ejection charges?

Any issues with 18 mm composite motors? These get a bit hotter. although the old Quest 18 mm motors seemed to get pretty hot too.

I made a ring out of styrene foam to hold it in place. By inserting a tight fitting ring, even a thin body tube will be strong enough.

 

[hakudoh]

Very nice. How well are your tubes holding up to A, B, and C motors and their ejection charges?

Any issues with 18 mm composite motors? These get a bit hotter. although the old Quest 18 mm motors seemed to get pretty hot too.

 

[hakudoh]

A 1/2A6-2 motor is used to launch the rocket, which has a diameter of 25 mm and a height of 250 mm.
Thanks to its light body tube, it can reach an altitude of 240ft even with an altimeter.

 

[hakudoh]

One last question: have you tried gluing wood or fiberglass fins to your laminated plastic
tube? If so, what adhesive did you use to attach it and fillet it with?

I'm using a high viscosity type of cyanoacrylate to glue the 1mm balsa fins. The balsa fins will break before the glue peels off.