What th' hey????

[BlueNinja]

Ok, so I finally got around to unpacking my rockets from last weekend a few minutes ago. I look at my deuce, and notice "Something's wrong here. Terribly wrong." The darn thing has no fins aligned, yet before the launch and at the launch they were in perfect alignment. Check out the pic, you will know what I mean. What could have caused this? The joints are intact and not flexible, meaning it was not smashed down. They are secured on with CA and Elmer's fillets.

 

[Karl]

Hmmmmm.........What conditions where they stored in , ie garage? They could of warped......
-Karl

 

[wwattles]

I've seen very long rockets warp just from being leaned up against something for a few hours. It's possible that the cardboard tube and/or the glue warped a little from having just the weight of the rocket body/MMT's resting on them.

WW

 

[sandman]

You are going to have to store them better!

Elmer's is always a little "soft".

Take heart, they can be "gently" persuaded back to alignment. Just don't force them.

It's not serious...really!

sandman

 

[BlueNinja]

Phew. That's a relief. SO it just softened? It was in the trunk of the car for a week or so, and it could have faced some temp. extremes.

 

[Neil]

I had an Estes Monarch that did that same thing... It was perfect, but then something fell over on it and I didnt notice for a few days... (this is all happening in my closet a year or two ago, of course...). It was WAY warped. Every time I flew it, I would bend it back to the right angle, put it on the pad, and give a very fast count down before the fin went crooked again... It worked for me during personal launches, but good luck getting it past the RSO like that!

Thats a big batch of bad luck... I hope it fixable! You might be able to just take the fins right off and put em back on again if you have to...

 

[SecretSquirrel]

I've been able to re-align fins attatched with Elmers by heating the glue joint with a blow dryer and then gently moving the fin back into position.

 

[Ryan S.]

elmers doesnt do good with water so you might have gotten some on there. I would think that maybe putting them over some steam and then bending them back might work then putting them in a jig or something to hold them straight

 

[Neil]

Thats a pretty good trick! I wish I knew that when I had my Monarch problems...

 

[Neil]

Thats what we do with arrows to get the fletching back together... Just get a pot of water going (preferably in a tea pot to direct the steam), and stick the arrows (or in your case, rocket) over the pot. Carefull you dont get the cardboard too wet from the steam, though.

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by Blue_Ninja_150
Phew. That's a relief. SO it just softened? It was in the trunk of the car for a week or so, and it could have faced some temp. extremes.

yep, that' s what did it...

what I would do (have done this myself in the past) is to gently heat the joint (hair dryer works well) and **carefully** ease them back into position. This could take several minutes (2-30) per fin, so take your time.

When in position, a length of masking tape, from the tip of one to the body or the tip of another, can help hold them in place till the glue stiffens up again.

then, don't leave them in the trunk (or any part of your car) again for long periods...