CA Glue

[clhug]

I guess I'd call myself a BAR. I never really got out of rockets (still have all my stuff from when I was a kid even) but haven't launched or built any for a long time. Though I've got about 20 kits waiting to be built, but it's been probably 10 years or more since I've built one. Launched some rockets a few weeks ago for the first time in probably 5 or 6 years and it got my blood burning to get back into it. I love that I found this web site and these forums to help me!

Does anyone use CA glue for building their rockets, especially for fins? I used to have an article from a model rocket magazine that's about 15 years old that gave tips for using CA glue but I can't find it. I figured CA would certainly help speed up the building, not having to glue a fin on and then wait an hour or so for it to dry before gluing the next one on.

I think the basics were using thin CA for attaching the fins and thick (or "gap filling") CA for the fillets, but I also seem to recall some instances where they suggested you use accellerator but can't remember what.

I will admit, I've never been all that big into the building of rockets, I just like to look at and fly them. I "suffer" through the building part, but do do a good job, to get to the admiring and flying part, but I don't really enjoy the building process. I think being able to speed up the process using CA glue would help me get more built.

On a side note, my prize possession is my Estes Saturn V. Built that about 15 years ago (maybe more). I managed to fly it when I flew those weeks ago and it flew just as beautiful as ever!

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

I do most of my initial fin attachment with Loc-Tite Gel CA. There's probably a cheaper way, but I've gotten pretty good with this stuff, and they sell it right up the road at Lowe's. :cool:

[CPMcGraw]

...Does anyone use CA glue for building their rockets, especially for fins?...I think the basics were using thin CA for attaching the fins and thick (or "gap filling") CA for the fillets, but I also seem to recall some instances where they suggested you use accellerator but can't remember what...

Use accelerator on medium and thick. It causes thin CA to foam up, and that tends to weaken the final joint excessively.

I use thin CA for some assembly stages, where there is little or no stress on that joint. Example would be long, separate strakes ahead of the main fins, such as the old Centuri Nomad. For the main fins, I use good-ole yellow construction glue (Aliphatic resin). CA joints will give way after a few flights and it's very difficult to repair without trashing either the fins or the tube. Occasionally I'll use CA to build the motor mounts, but I'll still use yellow glue to set the mount in the tube. I have not had one fail yet, but that's not a complete endorsement.

I will admit, I've never been all that big into the building of rockets, I just like to look at and fly them. I "suffer" through the building part, but do do a good job, to get to the admiring and flying part, but I don't really enjoy the building process. I think being able to speed up the process using CA glue would help me get more built.

I love the building part, and have picked up a few sequencing tricks that really shorten the build time. Many instruction sheets are just not optimized for speed builders...

On a side note, my prize possession is my Estes Saturn V. Built that about 15 years ago (maybe more). I managed to fly it when I flew those weeks ago and it flew just as beautiful as ever!

Have you seen the Retro-Repro of the Saturn 1B from SEMROC? Grab a drool bucket...:D

[Tau Zero]

Have you seen the Retro-Repro of the Saturn 1B from SEMROC? Grab a drool bucket...:DOr nine. :eek: :rolleyes: ;) :D

Cheers,

[Solomoriah]

I use CA pretty much exclusively to reinforce cardboard parts. I put on fins with yellow glue, and if I'm worried about strength I fillet with slow-setting epoxy. Same story for engine mounts... build with yellow glue, reinforce with epoxy.

[clhug]

On a side note, my prize possession is my Estes Saturn V. Built that about 15 years ago (maybe more). I managed to fly it when I flew those weeks ago and it flew just as beautiful as ever!
Have you seen the Retro-Repro of the Saturn 1B from SEMROC? Grab a drool bucket...:D
I did see that, but I was always way more interested in the V than the 1B. As long as I got the V I didn't really want a 1B. If I had lost my V I might get a 1B to replace it since a V is hart to come by these days. But if they ever rerelease the V I'll probably buy one of those kits just to have on standby in case I ever do lose my current V.

On a side note, I have the forums on this web site to thank for pointing me to Semroc and PDRocketry as alternate sources of rocets. They both have a few I'll probably order.

Soon I'll be up to about 30 kits waiting to be built (plan to buy some of the current Estes ones to add to my collection too, and can't wait for the new Satellite Interceptor).