Rolling/Gluing Large-Long Paper Tubes

[mbauer]

Hi,

To make long fuselage tubes for Rockets and Airplanes, a third hand helps. To get around this, some , rubberbands, double sided tape and a wood dowel come in handy!


First step, cut out the part (tube) needing rolled. roll the part. Now wrap the tube with rubber bands to hold it in the new rolled shape. Set aside. Cut out the other parts etc... Use one rubberband at each end, then cut a rubberband and wrap around the tube-see photos.

Make sure to keep the end edges aligned and the tube will not try to diagonally misalign itself when gluing.

Make wraps of the double stick around the dowel about 2-3 inches apart. Square dowel 4ft long works best, round dowel works too, but rolls around during the next step. Clothes Closet dowel works great if doing 9ft long fuselages. Dowel needs to big thick enough to handle pressing hard on it.

Now place the dowel on the edge of your work table, and the arm of your chair (back rest can work too) to make a "bridge" of the dowel.
I sometimes use spring clamps to hold this bridge in position.

Now uncurl the prerolled tube and place glue tab (but joint backing) along the dowel pressing at each place it contacts the double stick.

Now run your bead of glue.

Next step can be done from either the center working towards the ends, or from the front end to the back, press hard and seal the glue joint.

Very carefully roll the tube back and forth to get it to release from the tape.

Hope this helps with building rolled tubes.

Also can use the prerolled rubberband trick on cones.

Mike

[Retired_for_now]

Nice trick(s). You've had no problems with distortion from the double-sided tape releasing?

Yogi

[SJPONeill]

If double-sided tape is too sticky (which the stuff we have down here would be) possibly glue stick would hold when you want it to and then release more easily?

What on earth would have a 9 foot fuselage?

[mbauer]

Yogi,

Make sure to wrap the tape all the way around onto itself. No problem that way, plus as the tape wears out, just add more strips inbetween ones already in place.

They do release as more and more tubes are done. Paper delams and sticks to it, but once you have started gluing and have a good bond, just make sure to keep it aligned. Tape is to help with hold/position, dowel is the real worker, to give a nice surface to press against while allowing the reat of the tube to hang free from any interference.

SJPONeill - 9ft fuselage for a 1" = 1ft SR71 Blackbird. (112ft long = 112 inches or 9.333333333333ft).

Just something I wanted to do. The model was never finished. But, the next one will be! Learned allot building that big!!!

Don't know about the glue stick, but the removable type tapes don't work worth anything! I use permanent by scotch brand, if you roll back and forth while applying pressure to lift it up, it breaks free fairly fast.

Mike