John, I just used this technique to glass some plywood fins. It came out perfectly! They will be glued to the 7.5 inch body tubes I glassed earlier, also using your tutorials. Thanks so much for your work.
Great video on fins but you scared the crap out of me when you were using that this metal ruler with your X-acto knife. Might think of a wider one with cork backing so that it does not slip and we end up naming you Stumpy!
Not sure if I did a good job or not, but I think the key to safety with knives is to use a fresh blade and multiple light passes. It's always tempting to push harder to cut faster, but you get a cleaner cut and it's safer to be gentle.
John, love your videos, I work in the audio/video industry and fully appreciate the work that they require. Do you find that enhancing a slab-side fin to a symmetrical airfoil shape changes the CP at all? I am going to build a LOC IV as a mid-power local field flyer, but with an extended payload option for dual deploy for my L1. I know the fins on the IV are the weak point of the rocket, so this video is perfect timing. I always thought vacuum bagging was too advanced to do simply, but this process was an epiphany!
Hope you see this. Love your DIY videos. Why do you cut the carbon fiber after full cure but cut the fiberglass at the leather stage? Are you using the same epoxy?
Yes, I'm using the same epoxy for both. It's mostly a matter of when I get back to it. I always try to cut off the excess at the leather stage, because it's just easier and less messy. Thanks for the kind words.
I like the "teflon release film": www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/vb7025.php and "breather" is pretty much just batting: www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/vb3450breather.php
