Wing Attachement Help

Discussions about rockets, construction materials, adhesives, nozzles, nosecones and fin design.
LearningRockets
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Wing Attachement Help

Post by LearningRockets »

Hello, I am a middle school science teacher. The students want to build some rockets. I have tried building your standard 2 liter Coke bottle rocket. I have tried hot glue and tape to keep the wings on but they fall off after 2 launches. Any suggestions as to how I can better attach them to the bottle ? I am using 3/16" foam poster board from Staples office supply for the wings.
Thank you for ANY help/suggestions.
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U.S. Water Rockets1
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Re: Wing Attachement Help

Post by U.S. Water Rockets1 »

LearningRockets wrote:Hello, I am a middle school science teacher. The students want to build some rockets. I have tried building your standard 2 liter Coke bottle rocket. I have tried hot glue and tape to keep the wings on but they fall off after 2 launches. Any suggestions as to how I can better attach them to the bottle ? I am using 3/16" foam poster board from Staples office supply for the wings.
Thank you for ANY help/suggestions.
What type of glue are you using? A lot of glues will not stick to plastic, so the fins will peel right off. One glue that works exceptionally well is called "PL Premium Construction Adhesive". Many Water Rockets are made from multiple bottles cut and glued together with this glue and it holds hundreds of PSI pressure without coming apart, so it will hold your fins on with no trouble. In fact, you probably couldn't get them off if you wanted to!

Good luck!
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LearningRockets
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Re: Wing Attachement Help

Post by LearningRockets »

Thank you very much......gonna get some,,,,
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U.S. Water Rockets1
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Re: Wing Attachement Help

Post by U.S. Water Rockets1 »

LearningRockets wrote:Thank you very much......gonna get some,,,,
It works great for household repairs too. The stuff is awesome!
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LearningRockets
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Re: Wing Attachement Help

Post by LearningRockets »

Got some PL. Going to take a few days to get to it though. lots of glue there so I think I am going to make a few at one time. Not to waist all the glue. Thnx for all the help. Ill get back after a test flight.
air.command
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Re: Wing Attachement Help

Post by air.command »

LearningRockets wrote:Got some PL. Going to take a few days to get to it though. lots of glue there so I think I am going to make a few at one time. Not to waist all the glue. Thnx for all the help. Ill get back after a test flight.
When working with PL premium, make sure you use some latex gloves. The stuff is difficult to get off your skin. Also make sure you work in a well ventilated area, as PL gives off potentially harmful fumes even though you can't smell them. When you're done gluing, seal the end of the tube really well to stop atmospheric moisture getting into the tube, otherwise it will set in the nozzle.
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