02-12-2021, 04:50 PM
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Craftsman
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Washougal Washington
Posts: 375
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The fins were made of 1/8" balsa. Almost all fins have a strake attached, much like the fins on the old Estes Interceptor.
The main fins - the wings - are glued against a dowel fastened to the edge of the body tube. This gives a strong bond without needing to bevel the edges of the fins.
Before attaching the fins to the rocket, they are all covered with self-adhesive paper. This makes the fins really strong. The edges are then sealed with thin CA glue.
I'll note that after I assembled the rocket, I noticed some delamination of the adhesive paper from the balsa. I'm not sure if I press the paper hard enough, or maybe didn't sand the balsa smooth enough and maybe left some fuzz on the balsa. But, it's a small blem that one must look for, so I'll mention it never again.
I also added some red putty to fill the joints before priming and painting. There's no need to show that stuff get sanded, however.
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