Long Body Tube Gluing Technique?

[Hank1986]

I'm building my second rocket--an Estes Citation Patriot. I was wondering how others apply glue for the engine mounts that are deep inside the body tube. I devised this (see photo) using a 14-inch-long dowel and a popsicle stick. Cut the stick to about 5/8" and glued to dowel. Use a Dremel tool to grind out a "bowl" shape for the glue.

What have you engineered to tackle this problem?

 

[Nytrunner]

I'm rather janky. I put the end of a bamboos skewer in the tube at the depth I need, grab it with my fingers right where it exits the tube, then I apply glue to the end and use my fingers as a stop to get it to the right place. Tightbond II in small amounts hangs on the end well enough as I work fast.

Your reaching spoon is a great little creation!

 

[Marc_G]

I tape a q-tip to a wooden dowel, insert it to find the right depth, then noting that depth, I remove it, apply glue to the q-tip, and re-insert it to the needed depth.

 

[kuririn]

I just use a dowel.
Mark the depth I want on the dowel with a Sharpie.
While rotating dowel load it with the glue and keep rotating so it doesn't drip.
Insert dowel up to the Sharpie line and rotate against the tube.
Repeat if needed.
I suppose some sort of pipette could work but I haven't tried it.
Thickness of the glue could be a problem.

 

[prfesser]

I've used a plastic straw. One end in the glue, one end in your mouth. Draw up the amount of glue you want, hold straw horizonal and quickly stick it into the airframe tube (also horizontal) to the proper depth, allow glue to run out to where it will do the most good.

For greater depths one could tape a couple of straws together. Those fat "milkshake straws" would probably do nicely for thicker glue.

Someone mentioned a neat tip: Roll up a sheet of paper, width cut to about the distance between end of tube and where the glue is to go. Slide the rolled-up paper into the end of the tube and let it unroll so that it covers all the space between the tube end and the glue line. Now if any glue drips, at worst it will drip on the paper. Pull out the paper when you're done, and voila! Whoever thought of this is genius!

Best -- Terry

 

[Titan II]

Straws work too.

 

[linville86]

Take a 1/4 inch wooden dowel and drill a 1/16 inch hole in the end. Cut a Cotton swad in half and insert into dowel.
.

 

[jrap330]

I tape a q-tip to a wooden dowel, insert it to find the right depth, then noting that depth, I remove it, apply glue to the q-tip, and re-insert it to the needed depth.

Does the cotton ever come off Q-Tip?

 

[Jee3300R]

I use a plain 1/8” dowel for up to 2” tubes and larger dowels for bigger stuff. Easy enough for me, although it can be a little messy at times.