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Fiberglassing

Hi,

I forgot to ask how the glass class went. How many came? I'm still doing things the hard way. On my 9 foot 4 inch model I used a nylon stocking for a sock and Environ-Tex lite as the binder. It's two part, not too thick but really wets the sock nicely. I am curious if it will hold up to an L-1987. Am going to use an extra long coupler in the single coupler joint and am going to have one of my 1/4" thin centering rings epoxied inside of the coupler and one of your 3/8" rings actually abutting up against the coupler. I will have three of the 3/8" rings and one of the 1/4" ones. I am also going to use Duralco 4525 epoxy that is actually stronger than J & B Weld on the centering rings and in securing the engine tube and the couplers to the body tubes. I might put a tube coupler just behind where the electronics bay slides into the booster/drogue tube as sort of a narrow thrust ring.

I know I need to use shear pins for the upper main chute bay and nosecone but should I use them for the lower drogue bay and the electronics carrier? I suspect I just need to make sure I have a not too tight "Will Carney" :-) type of fit with the drogue bay and not bother with shear pins there.

I have a bunch of sanding left on the three 4 inch tubes and then it is on to the third coat of the Environ-Tex Lite. They look so good after two coats, I'm going to stop at three as that should be more than adequate. I let them cure for at least two days between coats.

Will spray some white paint on the 24mm today and the Navy later in the week.

Kurt

Reply to
Kurt
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I just finished some of the easiest fiberglassing I have ever done. I glassed a 2.56" phenolic kit with the Aerosleeves fiberglass sleeve material. It was way too easy.

Check out the review at:

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Reply to
Planet News

Thanks,

I accidentally posted that personal note here but it was a general thing on tube coating. I'm actually using a modification of "Rocket Rik" Boyettes' Quasi-glassing method. Rick uses water soluble minwax polyurethane to bond a nylon stocking on a tube. He then uses spackling to seal the weave. This method is to seal a tube and the spiral and is not necessarily to add strength nor is it advertised for that. I used the method on a small model and it turned out nice. A bit heavy but nice. I just go to a bigger motor if need be. (How about a homemade 12", 24mm casing?) :-) Instead of spackling I used the epoxy coating product Environ-Tex lite. Yes I know there are other methods out there and if I go on to a Level 3 project I will use West Systems or some other mainstream epoxy for laminating (with a kevlar sleeve or fiberglass) I just want to see if this off the self stuff could withstand an L-1987. So far after two coats it is looking pretty good. I have one more coat to put on the four inch diameter tubes before I can start on the motor 54mm motor mount. Thanks for the pointer to rocketry planet. I was unaware in existed.

Kurt

Reply to
Kurt

I think that would be a interesting test of physics to see how well it withstands the abuse from an L-1987. But we all might be surprised.

Glad to!

Reply to
Darrell D. Mobley

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