Milled Fiber

[Mad Rocketeer]

I was in the hobby store today, drooling over all the nice stuff, and I saw two packages of milled fiber. One was 4 oz. for $4.25, and the other was 16 oz. for $5.50. The smaller container was a see-through screw-top plastic jar as seen on the BVM site. It said the fibers were 1/32 inch long, but looking through the jar, it looked like a powder. The larger container was a cardboard box, so I couldn't see inside. It was from CST. I was set to buy the small one until I saw the larger one. I ended up buying neither yet.

Has anyone here used either of these? Any advice? I like the unit price of the CST package, but I don't know if it is nicely packaged inside or maybe just a bag, and I kind of doubt I'll be needing that much anytime in the foreseeable future.

Interestingly, the BVM package suggested a mix of 1/4 milled fiber to 3/4 microballoons to be mixed into epoxy (after the hardener is added and stirred in) for crack-resistant fillets.

 

[lalligood]

Ever for LARGE HPR birds, the 4oz jar should last you quite a while. I have built a crayon rocket w/ 38mm MMT, BSD Thor, BSD Apache, & a scratchbuild rocket using a 4oz container from BSD of milled fiber in my fin fillets. I'm sure that I have at least 1/2 of it left... Then again, you're talking about the difference of $1.25 here, so go wild man! hehe

FWIW, my fiber is 1/32" & looks just like the powder you described. That'll change once you mix it into the epoxy...where it'll turn it into a gritty paste I also forego the microballoons & just use 30-min epoxy so I have plenty of time to make smooth fillets with a gloved finger & rubbing alcohol. No sanding & pretty much indestructible fillets afterwards!

HTH,

 

[Mad Rocketeer]

Originally posted by lalligood
Even for LARGE HPR birds, the 4oz jar should last you quite a while. I have built a crayon rocket w/ 38mm MMT, BSD Thor, BSD Apache, & a scratchbuild rocket using a 4oz container from BSD of milled fiber in my fin fillets. I'm sure that I have at least 1/2 of it left... Then again, you're talking about the difference of $1.25 here, so go wild man! hehe

FWIW, my fiber is 1/32" & looks just like the powder you described. That'll change once you mix it into the epoxy...where it'll turn it into a gritty paste I also forego the microballoons & just use 30-min epoxy so I have plenty of time to make smooth fillets with a gloved finger & rubbing alcohol. No sanding & pretty much indestructible fillets afterwards!

HTH,

Heh Heh Heh. The big pack could be fun, but packaging and space matter. If this is a Zip-Loc bag in the box, then I'd have to transfer the stuff to something sturdier. And at that low price, I can afford to afford to buy at the higher unit price, so that cuts both ways.

I think the microballoons are suggested for weight as well as sandability. I bought some several months back, but I've not used my epoxy on any rockets yet, so I've not needed the balloons either. I too chose 30-min. epoxy, though it's the 1:1 Bob Smith variety. I wanted something stronger than the 5-min. wonders.

I posted some speculation some months ago about making fillets using milled fiber (or similar) for a small tough fillet, to be covered while still uncured with a microballooned layer for bringing the fillet up to size and smoothness while keeping the weight down.

For my wood glue projects, I bought some Aileen's Tacky Glue to do fillets with, as I understand it doesn't shrink like the Elmers Wood Glue I use. Making fillets with yelow wood glue is a real exercise in patience. "That's the ninth layer, and it still isn't thicker than a pencil lead!"