R

ron sterba

Well Known Member
OK I,am ready for the installation of the tips. Any videos out there or words of Wisdom? What to buy and from whom? Foam or Balsa wood with glass cloth? Thanks Guys

Ron in Oregon
 
Ron,

Sounds like you are describing installation of the rib in the HS tips. After trying styrofoam and fiberglass (which absolutely doesn't work - the styrofoam melts - my first experience with fiberglass), I ended up fabricating a piece of 0.032 Al to fit this and epoxying it in place, then filling around the edges.

greg
 
Greg Arehart said:
Ron,

Sounds like you are describing installation of the rib in the HS tips. After trying styrofoam and fiberglass (which absolutely doesn't work - the styrofoam melts - my first experience with fiberglass), I ended up fabricating a piece of 0.032 Al to fit this and epoxying it in place, then filling around the edges.

greg
Click to expand...

Louise can chime in, but she just used the pink foam from Home Depot yesterday to do bulkheads in the empennage tips, and it worked fine with the West Systems Epoxy. (I have had white styrofoam melt away with Epoxy - maybe htat's what you tried Greg?)
 
I had some blue 1/2" foam which I trimmed and epoxied in place, filling in the gaps with micro. I then covered with fiberglass cloth bonded with epoxy, trimming along the ege. A few coats of micro and some sanding made a very smooth surface.
 
I want to say thanks to Bruce,Jeff,Greg,Louise,Paul,Rick and Roy Thoma. These were the two Ideas (metal plate and foam ) backed up by using epoxy and micro and cloth to get a nice blend in either of the end pieces. I'am on my way to order the list of items by Roy. Sounds like Aircraft spruce is the first item of the WEST SYSTEMS material.

Thanks for all your help.

Ron in Oregon 9A QB
 
West Systems is also sold at WEST MARINE in Portland. I love being able to pick up all my WEST SYSTEM stuff without worrying the box will be sticky when it arrives.

1176 N Hayden Meadows Dr
Portland, OR97217-7546
 
Thanks Jason, I maybe up in Portland later this week after all. My friend Roy said to get 105 level and it looked good on his 7A. Is that what you used? Ron
 
Ron,

I have yet to start my tail...however, I have used the 105 resin and the 205 and 206 hardeners with good success. I also use the 406 filler.

Keep in mind, this was for high powered rockets that saw much greater forces at much greater speeds for much shorter durations with no ill effects.

Make sure to get your self the set of metering pumps too. Worth every penny.
 
Stuff in Salem..

Ron,

I'm in Salem and have cloth, foam, micro balloons, 403 filler and various other stuff. You're welcome to have some to use and see what you like before you buy a bunch of stuff.

Kai
 
To fabricate the end ribs for the HS and VS tips I used the flox corner technique I learned when building a Vari-Eze. This structurally attaches your fabricated end rib to the Vans fiberglass tip ensuring that it should never come loose and possibly jam the control surface.

I filled the end of the gap by gluing in a shaped block of suitable rigid foam. Be careful using pour-in or aerosol foams as they can distort the shape of the fiberglass tip as they expand. Sand/shape the foam to the desired contour. Next remove a small wedge of the foam (say 1/4" wide) all around where the foam meets the fiberglass. Carefully sand/rough-up the internal approx 1/4" wide strip of glass that was exposed when the foam wedge was removed.
Remove any loose foam scraps/dust and fill the area where the foam wedge was removed with a flox/epoxy mix then immediately lay a few layers of glass over the whole area. When the epoxy has partly set the excess glass can be trimmed away with a razor blade. This makes a strong 90 degree corner.

Fin
9A
 
Thanks Fin. I like how you discribed the procedure. I'am getting close and feeling good about the glass work. Hope to start friday. Ron
 
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