JusRocket's tube

L3 build - Fin attachment

The fins were bonded with structural aeropoxy with little bits of 5 minute at the ends to hold them while the aeropoxy set. 

It's looking like a rocket! 

L3 build - Fin Lamination

Lets reinforce some fins! I got to thinking about what was really necessary for an M3 flight and I decided that 2 layers would work fine, just to save on weight and carbon. After all, I'm doing 3 layers of T2T anyway. It'll be fine. I used a foodsaver for the vacuum bagging. This is my first time with a foodsaver, and I've got to admit I'm pretty happy with it. It's about as simple as it gets. 

Here's the process:

Fin was prepped with a pass of 120 grit and acetone.

Here are the fins, the +-45 layers, the Peel Ply and the 90 layers

Here we go! 

Foodsavers make really easy work of vacuum bagging small stuff. They don't pull the strongest vacuum, but for 2 layers it shouldn't really matter all that much. 

Fin Removed from Bagging

Here are 3/4 fins I did. I wonder where that 4th one went...

They turned out alright. Onto attachment!

L3 build - Fin Beveling.

Beveling fins is quite possibly my least favorite part in rocket construction. I brand new belt sander helped easy my pain a bit. I clamped a small basswood support onto the edge of the sander. The fins rest on this and the sanding belt. I could change the angle of the bevel based on how far the fin was offset from this support. 

I picked up this belt sander from harbor freight for about $60. Gone are the days of hand beveling! 

I marked lines about 2in from fin edges where the fins would rest on the support.

Here's how the whole setup works. Very simple. 

Not too bad for a first shot! 

I did all 4 of these in about an hour. That's maybe 1/5 the time it would have taken by hand.