Crimped body tube repair

Zaa are vvvaatching, your every move.... zoooooo, WATCH IT!

Randy

If it's a small crimp, slide an Estes coupler inside of the tube to act as a reinforcement. If it's a major crimp, cut it back to "clean" tubing and replace it with a coupler only, or if the crimp is larger, a section of new tubing. I'd stay away from using a spent D as a coupler. It's overkill and waaaaaayy to heavy. On a 3-stage rocket, weight reduction is important. If you don't have any couplers, use a piece of the crimped tubing. After slitting and straightening it out, cut a small piece off of it lengthwise and reroll it to a slightly smaller size. It doesn't have to be pretty since it'll be hiden inside of the rocket.

Mark Simpson NAR 71503 Level II God Bless our peacekeepers

snipped-for-privacy@home.com (Mark Simpson) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

You can also use CA to "re-stiffen" the tube at the site of the crimp. Let it soak in and dry, then sand it smooth.

len.

I wouldn't use a spent D for this; it would constrict the tube and could lead to the wadding or chute getting stuck at that point.

Where is the crimp located? If it's near the top of the tube, just cut off the tube flush. If it's farther back and you don't want to spoil the looks by doing this, cut the crimped section out, plus about 2" extra. Use this extra piece to fashion a joiner by slicing it down the side and removing about

1/8". Glue the two halves back together (use epoxy preferably, as wood glue won't stick well to the paint on the outside of your joiner.

If you have any scrap BT-50 lying around you won't need to take out the extra bit to make a joiner, obviously.

After crimping too many "Mongeese", I fixed the last one with a wrap of masking tape and some thin CA.

It still lives.

(some snippage)

Switching geese for chickens, Kurt?

~Duane Phillips.

That is what that Mongoose gets for hunting me chickens. A crimpin'.

That's how I fix zippers on my Estes rockets.

Mark Simpson NAR 71503 Level II God Bless our peacekeepers