Cutting G10 Tubing – Airframe and Couplers

[slipstick]

The topic here is to how to cut G10 tubing square and clean. I am in need of a short piece of 3″ Airframe (for part of my avionics bay) and a short piece of coupler (for the boost section shock cord mount). I, like many others, am having trouble getting parts I paid for in a timely manner from Performance Rocketry. Since I have a longer-than-necessary rocket (the perfomance Rocketry G3 kit for my level 2) I thought I would cannabalize my existing parts and cut away what I needed.

I have a chop saw with a carbide blade but I think it may spin too fast for this. I also have a vertical-horizontal metal cutting bandsaw that I used when I built Battlebots that utilized thin walled 4130 steel tubing. I’m not sure how square it would be as it may wander. I think this is my best bet at the moment, unless someone else has a better idea (or G10 parts I can get).

3X3-921-8709

[Tim Thomas]

8) The folks I know , use a a chopsaw with one of those brown or black cut of wheels. The idea is to grind thru the G10 as it does not cut well. The wheel will leave a nice smooth finish. WARE A MASK! 8)

[Doug GerrardParticipant]

I cut it rough (not worrying about being even or square) with a Dremel cutter with a diamond saw and then finish the edge with an edge sander.

Doug

[Bruce R. Schaefer]

I just mark the tube and use an Xacto diamond cutoff wheel (cuts it like butter). I know what you’re asking, Mike. I don’t know of any saw that will do a perfect job without damaging the G10. Not that there isn’t one. I just don’t know of any. You can gently sand the cut to mate up the sections if you use the cutoff wheel. Works pretty well. There’s no “longer-than-necessary” rocket for L2. I’ve seen them all shapes and sizes. And, DO USE A MASK!

[Warren B. MusselmanModerator]

I use a 10″ chop saw with a cut-off wheel and then dress the cut edge with my benchtop disk sander. After that I go over the cut edge by hand with some 220 wet/dry paper under water. Wear a breathing mask when doing the cut and remove the clothing you were wearing when you made the cut before going back in the house. Nasty stuff G10 dust is… very nasty.

Warren

[slipstick]

Thanks everyone for jumping in and being a part of my project team.

Well, before I got back to the computer, I went ahead and used the tools I had, the hor-vert metal cutting bandsaw. See pictures. It has a hydraulic drag that only allows it to fall at whatever rate you set it at so I set it slow. The blade speed is the slowest possible (because of the 4130 tubing it used to cut). I clamped the rocket in the vise (it goes up to 14″ dia), using the avionics bay on the inside to keep the body round. I leveled the rocket so that it rested flat on the bed of the saw, using whatever objects in the garage were handy to prop the fin end up.

The cut was very clean and was square within .020″. A slight touch on the disk sander brought it to within .010 and cleaned the edges nicely. No I didn’t (have) use a mask, I’m still a rookie, I can change, if I have to, I guess.

Anyway, I got the 2″ piece of 3″ dia airframe that I needed to keep working. The rocket ‘SLIPSTICK HP2’ is still the same overall length of the G3 (it was going to grow that 2″ before). I CA’d it in place and then drilled/filed the holes to hold the 3 SPDT lock switches (#1 altimeter power, #2 deploy charge arm, #3 radio/accessory power). They will be lined up with the fins in flight. See other pictures.

I bought some PML bulkhead and coupling material as well as a wood centering ring from Hobbytown today. I think I can modify the centering ring to replace the G10 one I am missing. I’ll hold off until the last minute to see if Curtis comes through.

If anyone needs to use this saw, you are welcome to come and use it. I’m in Louisville.

Its Christmas! Why are you reading this? 😀

[SCOTT EVANS]

Hey thats all moast as high tec as the hack saw I use! 😉
Must be nice to have an ebay that size.

Scotte

[Warren B. MusselmanModerator]

Ya gotta love machine shop tools. I have access to one, but have never used it for G10 tubing. A definite improvement over the cutoff wheel – the slow speed keeps the dust down.

Warren

[SCOTT EVANS]

Hey Mike

I noticed in picture 5 how you subtley 8) showed the emblem on you Yellow Corvett in the back ground. 😉

Scotte 🙂

[slipstick]

The sander is in front of the Corvette (Z06) on that side of the garage, so it was ‘mostly’ coincidence that it was there as I was trying to find light to take the picture, standing next to the sander. The P/U takes up the space next to the bandsaw.

Since you brought it up, here’s a picture of my wife, Becky piloting it at the Colorado State Patrol Track in Golden. She’s the 2007 NCCC/RMR Ladies Champion and I squeaked into the #1 spot as the 2007 mens champion at the last event of the season. She’ll be defending her autocross title while I’m trying to punch holes in the sky. John Nelson (L3) of NCR is also a member of Top Of the Rockies Corvette Assn http://www.torcavettes.com based out of Longmont. We’re the largest NCCC Corvette club in the region

[Author]

Posts