[NRV Rocketry] Fiberglassing HP Rockets: Good Videos, Tips or Tricks (for body tubes and nose cones?)

[Thomas Weeks]

"Maier.chris" <maier.chris at gmail.com> said:

> Tweeks - look for "Jim Jarvis carbon fiber" in Senior Google's magic locator
> machine.

I saw links for that while researching.. just skipped over it bc it said carbon fiber, not fiberglass. Guess they're similar enough to use the same howtos eh?

Cool.. I'll check that out... but I think I'm okay for now. I just got done with my second sanding.

I sort of panicked yesterday bc I started glassing the long b.tube with 15min epoxy and almost ended up with a nightmarish mess on my hands. Thinking quick.. I smearing it all out with and mixed the remaining epoxy w/alcohol, smoothing out everything, allowing me to salvage the 15min epoxy mistake.  </whew!>

I had used a single 8oz sheet of glass with some finishing epoxy (on a simple 2.6" phenolic LOC b.tube).  After curing overnight, I trimmed the ends & slots, and  BC of my lack of rotating it while curing, it was a little "lumpy" on the bottom side. Not real bad (luckily), so today I dremeled down the drip bulges and sanded the full length of both tubes with 80 grit sandpaper, then hit it with a 200grit sanding sponge. I could shift up to 800 and 1000 wet grit.. but don't see the need since it's getting primed and painted (and I only have 1 layer of glass).  


> This place used to host the article I borrow from heavily but appears to be
> offline now....  (side bar: Maybe you and I should try and help them out TWeeks)
> 
> http://www.rocketryplanet.com/content/view/3640/38/

Yeah.. Maybe... contact me off list..


> I incorporated many of Jim's tactics and tips in to the fiberglassing of existing
> rockets vs. making my own carbon fiber tubes as Jim does.

Several of Jim's links seem to be unavailable due to the website issues. You know if he still has the content that can be restored?

Regardless.. good tip. I found several other great/related links. I love what this guy did with the root edge of his G10 fins!
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HHaQCnvYvMfhk0KOek3GqgEdrlD7ZV6T3spGgAbQv6w

I think I'll try that on my 1/8th" plywood fins too. :)


> I'm actually gassing a rocket right now, I'll post a few pictures and how I'm
> doing stuff - I can't say my way is right or even a good way, but you are welcome
> to it none the less.

Send it on over! I've started taking pics of what all I'm doing as I document all my builds.

I hope to get a wiki added to the NRVR website so that NRVR members will be able to publish projects, flight logs, etc.  Interested in helping me get the kinks worked out? Hit me up off-list. You a member of TRA + SARS there in SAT?


> I don't use standard epoxy for my glassing - I use aeropoxy stuff as per Jim's
> recommendations.

Yeah.. I'll either have to get some of that or WEST marine epoxy. Have to do some more research there. But you're building larger birds than I'm currently interested in. The biggest build in my near future is probably a 4-5" that I can shove a a GPS/Ham transmitter and either an Arduino or Raspberry Pi. I have all sorts of fun electronics projects planned. :)


>  Main reason is that I'm working with 5.5" and 7.5" rocket tubes
> most of the time and extended pot life is required. 

Gotcha... This one is just a little 2.6"/38mm rocket that I'm trying to mach-proof nad have it not look like crap. :) Not a huge deal.


> Current project is a 4.0"
> madcow baterang
> 
> http://www.avtcomposites.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?display=home
> 

Nice Chris! You've been busy! :)

I suspect I'll go L2 during one of the next upcoming class-2 launches. I've waited long enough. :)


Thanks for sharing on the list... Glad to hear you've been busy. I've barely got to do any launches this last year. Just mainly helped (with the other officers) get NRVR going. Maybe now that we're up and running, I'll actually get to do some flying here soon. :)

Tweeks