Source for Mylar

[Ken PlattnerParticipant]

Well, all have mine done before then, but I’d still be interested in seeing a live demo. Called Ft. Collins Plastics today and they are sending the mylar to my home. Shipping is much cheaper than driving up there. Hope to have some tubes done this weekend.

Ken.

[Ken PlattnerParticipant]

Conway, what would you think about wrapping the tube from the center out – one side first, then the other?

[Conway StevensParticipant]

Ive tried that and it can cause an uneven gel coat. It has always worked best when going from one end and evenly pushing the epoxy one direction. The other reason is we want to squeeze of the excess so as to not make it to heavy. Going both directions may not help that as what I recommend not laying it on its side or anything horizontal as the epoxy gel coat may be out of round or pool. I always set it on end let the excess epoxy run out of the one end. It wont do that if you start in the center out. Starting one end and working you way to the other has always given me the best results.

[edwardModerator]

With the Aerosleeves I do this to get it nice and tight to the airframe. You need two sturdy posts (I used my fence posts on a corner) ratchet tie down strap and two 3/8″ pieces of cord about 5′ long and then some zip ties. Here is what you do. Put a loop in each end of the cords and then a big honking knot in the other end. Big. Next slip Mr. Aerosleeve over the airframe with about 6″ extra on each end. Now put Mr. Knot into the extra and pull the Aerosleeve around the knot. Zip tie on the other side of the knot so it can’t pull through. Repeat for both ends. Now take one loop and put it around the post. Take the ratchet strap and put it around the other post and connect the other end to the loop. Pull tight and then ratchet it pretty tight. It should pull the weave very nicely and keep it tight to the body tube. I’ve always done this and came out with very nicely glassed tubes.

Edward

[Anonymous]

I have also seen where glass is laid dry over a tube, and then a woman’s nylon stocking is stretched over the assembly, pulled tight and knotted on both ends. The epoxy then gets painted over the whole works. When it is dry, you sand the ends.

It really works incredibly well! Weave is tight, etc. Pretty clever technique……..

[Ken PlattnerParticipant]

The first time I used Aerosleeves, I wrapped the tube with peel ply and then taped it as Conway suggests. The sleeve compressed really well and all of the excess epoxy was absorbed by the peel ply. The tube turned out out really well except there were many places on the tube where wrinkles formed from the peel ply and tape. I haven’t received my aeropoxy yet (hopefully today) so when I do I’ll try the mylar technique on a smaller tube to see how it turns out, but I feel this should work really well.

[Warren B. MusselmanModerator]

When I’ve done Aerosleeve tubes (or hand lay-ups for that matter), I generally wrap with peel ply and then breather, then either vacuum bag it (big chance of wrinkles until you get the touch for doing the bag) or if the tube is less than 3″ in diameter, I use heat shrink tubing and a heat gun and work my way from the center on out. If it’s bigger than 3″, I use heat shrink tape on top of the breather.

Warren

[Author]

Posts