L2 Certification, Rocket Building

Gluing the Fins to the Motor Mount

We need to attach the fins to the Motor mount. The first step is to apply epoxy to the root of the fin and set in position to dry. Because the motor mount will get warm, we decided to use JB-Weld glue to attach them.

Like all the gluing steps, I checked, double checked and triple checked how I would go about it.

 

One fin to go. Just need to tape up before I start last fin.
One fin to go. Just need to tape up before I start last fin.

I taped up parts of the fin to ensure it would fit snugly in the slots of the wood frame. I also taped parts of the air-frame so that any accidental spillages of Epoxy would not cause problems or create a mess.

 

Squeezed out equal amounts of JB-Weld Epoxy
Squeezed out equal amounts of JB-Weld Epoxy

Very carefully squeezed out equal amounts of JB-Weld and spent 90 seconds mixing them.

 

Applied a strip of JB-Weld to root of fin.
Applied a strip of JB-Weld to root of fin.

Applied a healthy layer of JB-Weld on to the root of the fin.

Last fin in position and drying.
Last fin in position and drying.

Clamping only required when doing the “Forward” fin.

Making sure both fins edges are level
Making sure both fins edges are level

Checking that they were level was important because it confirmed that the fins were sitting properly (horizontal) on the motor mount.

I always glued the Aft fin first, let that dry and then did the “Forward” fin using wood/bolts to keep them aligned. I tried to keep the fins inserted with equal gap on each side.