So how about the Nylon hose with Epoxy? Or will the epoxy react with the nylon and dissolve/melt the nylon?
Start with the costs, a pair of panty hose $4 for two legs or two body tubes, not a lot of man hours at all. One small piece of sandpaper, which is also the one used to sand the nose cone bondo fill ins, and the fins. If you know how to manage and keep sandpaper properly it can last a surprisingly long time. As for masks, well this last 18 months has left me with a ton of them. As for fiberglass kits, I have a few dozen of them. Don't have anything against them. I like to build and I like to build many different kinds of kits. I also have canvas frames from MAC. I also have blue tube rockets. Nothing wrong with having a varied and diverse fleet.Starting with a $100 kit, then add the cost of all the extra materials this method requires (epoxIES, urethane,, tons of sandpaper, dust masks [hopefully], Kevlar, brushes, etc)...and not figuring in a penny for what seems like 10+ man-hours just for the airframe...seems to me like a Wildman Punisher 3 is less $$, much easier...but still satisfying/challenging...to build, more flexible (L1-L2), and infinitely more durable.
Also Giant Leap's Easyglas sock (which is lightweight cloth, not 'glas'), is probably cheaper than new pantyhose, and a lot stronger. I used that on a 4"Thor years ago; flew a bunch, but one hard landing from a tangled chute and both segments cracked badly. And that was epoxy, not water-based polyurethane.
I'm not saying fiberglass is 'better' than other stuff. (even tho it is!). Flying raw cardbo...er, 'phenolic' is challenging and fun to try to work within it's natural limitations. Bluetube seems great, and REAL laminating adds enough strength to make it worthwhile to some. But imo this hose/urethane thing doesn't seem to bring NEARLY enough to the table to balance out the massive investment in time & modest, but significant, amount of $.
And why use a chip brush for water soluble acrylic vs. Foam or a cheap 'real' paintbrush?
Oh yeah, $4 for a pair of hose. This gets me two legs enough for two 3-3.5 foot body tubes. vs. $14 for easy sock. And easy sock says to go longer than the tube, so make it more like $18. I also imagine this soaks up a lot more resin. Maybe I will do a test of this method vs. the easy sock method and I think there was another method offered up here as well. Be a good and fun test to do. Plus I will have three different stiffened tubes I can use.deandome Also Giant Leap's Easyglas sock ….. is probably cheaper than new pantyhose, and a lot stronger
Let's speak to Giant Leap's Easyglas sock
I have nothing against this product but the website is confusing. There are two sizes listed at the top but scroll on down and there are two different size mediums and one large. The smallest of the medium sizes is for 4" tubes. I build mostly 2.5" to 3" rockets so that's a problem. Also is that $1.99 per tube and if so how long is the tube. If it's $1.99 per foot then it's not as cheap as nylons. Can't speak for the strength part as I have never actually tested either.
Oh, and the whole process is not nearly as expensive or as hard as you make it sound but to each their own...
-Bob
Try these sleeves next time! Build is looking good, i have found those slots to be surprisingly durable still in bunches of zephyr flights, adds a unique touch to the look
One thing about that video, I don't see a reason to completely peel that outer layer of paper/glassine. If you rough it up with some 80 grit that will give more than enough for resin, polycrlic or sanding sealer to bond to.
One thing about that video, I don't see a reason to completely peel that outer layer of paper/glassine. If you rough it up with some 80 grit that will give more than enough for resin, polycrlic or sanding sealer to bond to.
Interesting observation. Wonder if roughing up the tube more would help. I just see taking that top layer off on a lot of tubes making the tube sometimes not even to handle the weight of what you are putting on it for lamination. Probably not an issue with LOC tubes, but certainly could be for Apogee 4" tubes.I didn't either until having one come in ballistic and seeing how neatly the epoxy/glass layers separated from the paper tube. I probably used 120 grit or so and didn't get way into the cardboard, but if 70% of the tube surface still has glassine attached, I'd expect a similar proportion of good adhesion to the lamination.
I know it's a pain, but I'm not sure an unpeeled/laminated tube is a fair evaluation sample.
Wonder if roughing up the tube more would help. I just see taking that top layer off on a lot of tubes making the tube sometimes not even to handle the weight of what you are putting on it for lamination. Probably not an issue with LOC tubes, but certainly could be for Apogee 4" tubes.
I'm not familiar with Apogee's tubes, but if they're model rocket tubes like Estes, I'd agree.
then finished the prep on the fins prior to attaching them, by sanding them down, removing the mask and inspecting that they are all filled well. You can see where I had some small bubbles in the areas I filled with epoxy, bondo and filler.
View attachment 471969
I used some acetate that I had, don't recall where I got the acetate, I think it was wrapped around something I got for another project. I cut it just a hair larger than the opening and then taped it to the underside of the fin. I mixed up some West Systems epoxy and put the fins on a very flat level surface then poured in till it was at the top level. After curing there was a small dip in the epoxy. This I filled in with some bondo and then once that cured sand sand sand and then sand again. High fill primer, sand again, then final paint.I’m thinking about doing something similar with the Apogee Katana fins.
Would you be able to give more info on exactly how you filled the gaps In? I’m picturing putting tape on one side of the fin gap, and then fill up the gap with rocketepoxy? Once dry, use wood filler as needed to make the non-tape side smooth?
I decided to fill this after I saw a few people fly this rocket and the fin broke at that spot. I imagine the Katana might do the same. I have the Katana on my wish list, might fill it as well now that I have looked at it again. I have a FG rocket with a similar design to the Katana fin and I have not had a problem with it breaking, but then again it is FG. Though a hard landing in just the right spot would break it, but in all honesty a hard landing in just the right spot can break any fin profile.I’m thinking about doing something similar with the Apogee Katana fins.
Would you be able to give more info on exactly how you filled the gaps In? I’m picturing putting tape on one side of the fin gap, and then fill up the gap with rocketepoxy? Once dry, use wood filler as needed to make the non-tape side smooth?
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