boatgeek
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2014
- Messages
- 7,382
- Reaction score
- 7,899
A pan of suitable solvent might work for epoxy too. I just don’t have that extensive a setup.
Questions about fiberglass imperfections
- Thread starter cthunter01
- Start date
Help Support The Rocketry Forum:
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2009
- Messages
- 3,531
- Reaction score
- 2,785
mtnmanak
™
- Joined
- May 5, 2020
- Messages
- 2,062
- Reaction score
- 2,783
I have been glassing my own cardboard tubes for many years and love doing it. Always felt like an essential skill to have 
. I also think it is fun to do. Like a bunch of people on this forum, I think it is fun to grab random cardboard tubes and see if I can make a rocket out of them.
Parchment paper is great stuff - certainly a great choice. If you plan to do a bunch of layups and/or just want a large surface area to work with, I recommend getting yourself a roll of coated paper like this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XZM2ASU
$130 for a roll of paper sounds expensive, but this is a 2ft wide roll, 1000 ft long. The current roll I have has lasted me 2 years and still has about 30% left on it. I love the large size of the roll and having only one side coated comes in handy. Like parchment paper, nothing sticks to the coated side of this Dixie paper. If/when your layups get larger, this is great stuff to have on hand. I recently did a layup of carbon fiber honeycomb (nomex honeycomb interior) for some fins for a 12" diameter rocket. I would have needed about 2 rolls of store bought parchment paper per fin. Since the coated side is nice and smooth, I have even used it in place of mylar when wrapping tubes. The 2ft width can wrap any tubes 7.6" in diameter or smaller at any length. Good stuff.
+1 on the grooved roller. Essential layup tools. Also recommend having some brayers around (rubber rollers). They are harder to clean up, but can help you spread epoxy around very smoothly. Work slow so you don't get the epoxy in the parts near the rod. They also work great for woodworking if you need to laminate sheet materials.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IFY622
Have a bunch of different sized squeegees on hand, they can help you out of bubble problems.
Soller socks are awesome, love them. But, they are a bit expensive and limited in scope. If you get into doing your own layups (and, eventually, vacuum bagging), shop around. You will want to acquire different weights/type of fabric. The larger bulk you can buy your composites, the cheaper they are per sq ft. Tony mentioned TAP plastics above and they are a good source, but I would look around when you go to buy materials - the prices fluctuate a lot. One company may have the best deal this month and the worst deals the next. Lately, in a addition to Soller and TAP, I have been shopping for composites from the following companies:
https://compositeenvisions.com/https://www.cstsales.com/https://www.uscomposites.com/https://www.eplastics.com/https://www.aircraftspruce.com/Sometimes, McMaster-Carr has great deals on tools/materials (usually, they are pretty expensive, though)
Sometimes Giant Leap has good deals and their "Easy Glass" is an alternative to Soler socks
Sanding and re-coating the tubes with laminating epoxy will get rid of high/low/dry spots, but, for the final coat of filler, I usually use a thin coat of bondo. Easier to sand and fills all the imperfections nicely.
Keep practicing! If you ever get a tube done the first time with no wrinkles, dry spots, pin holes, etc - be proud of it because it will be a unicorn!
. I also think it is fun to do. Like a bunch of people on this forum, I think it is fun to grab random cardboard tubes and see if I can make a rocket out of them.Parchment paper is great stuff - certainly a great choice. If you plan to do a bunch of layups and/or just want a large surface area to work with, I recommend getting yourself a roll of coated paper like this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XZM2ASU
$130 for a roll of paper sounds expensive, but this is a 2ft wide roll, 1000 ft long. The current roll I have has lasted me 2 years and still has about 30% left on it. I love the large size of the roll and having only one side coated comes in handy. Like parchment paper, nothing sticks to the coated side of this Dixie paper. If/when your layups get larger, this is great stuff to have on hand. I recently did a layup of carbon fiber honeycomb (nomex honeycomb interior) for some fins for a 12" diameter rocket. I would have needed about 2 rolls of store bought parchment paper per fin. Since the coated side is nice and smooth, I have even used it in place of mylar when wrapping tubes. The 2ft width can wrap any tubes 7.6" in diameter or smaller at any length. Good stuff.
+1 on the grooved roller. Essential layup tools. Also recommend having some brayers around (rubber rollers). They are harder to clean up, but can help you spread epoxy around very smoothly. Work slow so you don't get the epoxy in the parts near the rod. They also work great for woodworking if you need to laminate sheet materials.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IFY622
Have a bunch of different sized squeegees on hand, they can help you out of bubble problems.
Soller socks are awesome, love them. But, they are a bit expensive and limited in scope. If you get into doing your own layups (and, eventually, vacuum bagging), shop around. You will want to acquire different weights/type of fabric. The larger bulk you can buy your composites, the cheaper they are per sq ft. Tony mentioned TAP plastics above and they are a good source, but I would look around when you go to buy materials - the prices fluctuate a lot. One company may have the best deal this month and the worst deals the next. Lately, in a addition to Soller and TAP, I have been shopping for composites from the following companies:
https://compositeenvisions.com/https://www.cstsales.com/https://www.uscomposites.com/https://www.eplastics.com/https://www.aircraftspruce.com/Sometimes, McMaster-Carr has great deals on tools/materials (usually, they are pretty expensive, though)
Sometimes Giant Leap has good deals and their "Easy Glass" is an alternative to Soler socks
Sanding and re-coating the tubes with laminating epoxy will get rid of high/low/dry spots, but, for the final coat of filler, I usually use a thin coat of bondo. Easier to sand and fills all the imperfections nicely.
Keep practicing! If you ever get a tube done the first time with no wrinkles, dry spots, pin holes, etc - be proud of it because it will be a unicorn!
Last edited:
