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  1. Seeing as the cure cycle for System 3000 epoxy is around 12 hours, got four people to sign up for shifts (this requires planning in advance!)
  2. Positioned fin can vertically as shown and router the vacuum tube through a port hole on the right side of the oven. Positioning the fin can vertically is important so the fins don't splay and become misaligned. 
  3. Followed the cure cycle for System 3000 High Temp epoxy. Note that the epoxy changes from clear to amber-colored after the cure is completed.
  4. Once the cure cycle is complete and the fin can has cooled to room temperature, put on gloves. Then,
    1. Turn off the vacuum pump
    2. Detach the vacuum fixture from the vacuum tube
    3. Remove the fin can from the oven
    4. Carefully remove the bagging materials and discard

Need 2-3 people, not just one person, and do it during the day time! make a nice graph

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Required Materials:

Procedure:

  1. Sanded CF on leading edge so that only phenolic remains (careful not to remove the phenolic)
  2. Cut off ends of tubes using Multimaster

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  1. tool or Dremel
  2. Sanded high spots on tube and fillets, but be careful not to oversand or this will decrease the strength of the fillets
  3. Filled in low spots with Bondo and sanded (Bondo is way easier to sand than carbon fiber. Consider filling in the low spots with epoxy instead of Bondo to increase strength of fin can, but remember that this will take longer to sand)
  4. Manufactured aluminum transition piece to match the outer diameter of the fin can with that of the motor case (used a lathe --> it's a simple part but it took a couple tries)
  5. Epoxied the transition to the motor case, then slid the fin can on, and the Propulsion subteam attached the boattail 

need to: sand creases, sand phenolic down to be flush with CF

Add more fillets once high spots sanded because sanding all high spots removes too much CF

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Lessons Learned

  • Make the phenolic slot thicker to account for fit between phenolic and G10
  • When doing the tube layup, make sure there are no bubbles (use heat shrink to help with this)
  • Make sure the fin jig layers are properly spaced and insert the fins and make sure the tip-to-tip distance is identical before doing the root bond
  • Take care to do root fillets correctly the first time so you don't have to touch them up later
  • Cooling the fin can to room temperature during the oven cure takes longer than you think it will
  • Don't spray glue carbon fiber to wax paper until after it has been laser cut (wax paper will catch fire in the laser cutter)
  • Make sure the cutout squares are large enough so that there won't be tape on the cutouts after they are laser cut (removing tape is difficult and causes frays)
  • If any pieces of the cutout are still attached to the carbon fiber, don't pull on it- use scissors to cut or you'll get lots of frays
  • Make sure you have enough wax paper
  • Make sure you have SHARP scissors for the layup