shell pasting

[pyrogenius007]

Hi, I have been making 2 & 2.5 " shells for some time, everything's going fine except for the pasting part which takes a very long time, I have seen many homemade pasting machines but frankly I have neither the mechanical skills nor the resources to make one. I am using paper hemispheres as plastic ones are not available at the place I stay. I was just wondering if the shells could be pasted with organic material like jute fiber or cloth strips and bound with some kind of epoxy resin (the sort that is made up of a resin & hardener) this may require just a few wraps of fiber and a few layers of epoxy resin. I would like to have the opinion of experienced members on this idea.

 

[Nessalco]

Pyro, my objection to epoxy is that it is not biodegradable..

 

I've taken to pasting in ball shells using disks of paper rather than strips. Two disks to the layer. Goes pretty quickly, all in all.

 

Kevin O

[dynomike1]

Pyro, my objection to epoxy is that it is not biodegradable..

 

I've taken to pasting in ball shells using disks of paper rather than strips. Two disks to the layer. Goes pretty quickly, all in all.

 

Kevin O

Kevin on a 8" shell i figure with my paper thickness = 19 sheets. Approx how long would it take to dry?

Edited December 6, 2016 by dynomike1

[Seymour]

Disks is one method, strips of paper half the shells diameter wide is another option.

Thin strips makes a pretty last layer for showing off, but is not a requirement for good shells.

[Tim1877]

Pyro, my objection to epoxy is that it is not biodegradable..

 

I've taken to pasting in ball shells using disks of paper rather than strips. Two disks to the layer. Goes pretty quickly, all in all.

 

Kevin O

Hey how do you cut your disks and what kind of paper do you use?

[OldMarine]

I like this video though I can't understand a word he says:

[Nessalco]

Patrick, that's the video that got me started. I cut my disks a little larger than in the vid (anbout 1/2" of overlap), but otherwise it's the same deal. I do paste the disks generously, then stuff them in a plastic bag to soften for about an hour before I start pasting. Works like a charm.

 

Kevin

[NeighborJ]

I really like this idea, but I'm wondering if square cut Kraft would work just as well. Idealy the papers would work best if cut into flower petal shapes so they won't develop pleats but that seems like a pain to glue and a special made cutter.

[OldMarine]

Patrick, that's the video that got me started. I cut my disks a little larger than in the vid (anbout 1/2" of overlap), but otherwise it's the same deal. I do paste the disks generously, then stuff them in a plastic bag to soften for about an hour before I start pasting. Works like a charm.

 

Kevin

How large are your discs in relation to your shell diameter? I like this idea much more than gum tape or pasted strips.

[Nessalco]

How large are your discs in relation to your shell diameter? I like this idea much more than gum tape or pasted strips.

Half the circumference of the shell case, plus 1". Some examples:

 

Nom D Cir ½ Cir Plus 1”

3 2.5 7.85 3.93 4.93

4 3.5 11.00 5.50 6.50

5 4.5 14.14 7.07 8.07

6 5.5 17.28 8.64 9.64

 

In practice, I find a dish or container about the right size, use it as a guide, and call it good enough.

 

Here's a vid that shows how I do shell pasting these days. As in this video, I took to spiking the ball shells, then pasting them in. I usually use 4 layers for 3" shells, 6 layers for 4" and 5". I don't make anything bigger than 5" at this time. No more than 4 layers at a time to ensure good drying.

 

I prepare the disks differently. I'll paste them well, break the grain, then stuff them in cheap ziploc bags, each bag containing the disks for 1 shell. Let 'em sit for a while (I've gone as long as overnight) to soften them up.

 

 

I've found that smaller shells are the hardest to paste with this method. You end up working some very small pleats. Also, I punch a 1/2" hole in one disk on each shell. That is the final disk, goes down over the time fuse or spolette, and overlaps around the original equator of the shell.

 

Don't expect works of art. I figure I'm going to blow it up anyway, and don't really care.

 

Kevin

Edited January 5, 2017 by Nessalco

[Nessalco]

For example:

 

[OldMarine]

Mine will be going on the end of a rocket so pretty isn't that big of a deal. Thanks!