I fiberglassed the body tube with 3.1 oz. satin weave glass (Picture 1). This is some stuff I got from an Ebay auction. It is very nice to work with. I started off by wicking CA (super glue) into both ends of the tube after it was cut to length. Then I cut the fiber glass about 2 inches longer for a double wrap. Then I drilled the holes for my altimeter bay, the hole for the altimeter pressure relief and both upper and lower chute chamber (you can see the holes in (Picture 6)). Next I applied the epoxy to the body tube and applied the glass. I worked slowly from the middle out being careful not to stretch the glass and get air bubbles (Picture 2). After all the glass was matted into the tube, I applied a light amount of epoxy where it was slightly dry (Picture 3). Then I taped the ends very carefully with electrical tape. I was careful not to pull the ends while I applied the tape (Picture 5). I have found that electrical tape does not stick to the epoxy I use and it keeps the ends from coming away from the tube. I have done the tape thing (wrapping the entire tube with tape) on entire rockets with very good success.
After the epoxy dried, I cut the ends glass hanging over the end of the tube with razor blade. You have to be careful so you don't cut into the tube. With about a 1/16th of an inch left, sand the rest of the glass down with 150 grit sand paper by hand. This helps to keep your BT edge straight. I did a light sanding on the glassed tube to take off some of the big bumps and the very edge of the glass wrap (Picture 4). Then I put on some micro-filler/bondo to fill in the valleys. Next was sanding, sanding, sanding. Then I completed a finial sanding. I used 100 grit sandpaper in a sander to get it close to level and 200 grit for the finial hand finish sanding. I also cleaned up the inside edges of the BT with a 150 grit paper so the nose cone and tube coupler would slide in smoothly. The BT is now ready for painting.
The nose needed some way to attach a shock cord. I wanted to place a 1/4-inch eye bolt in the PML NC. First I roughed up the inside and outside hole at the bottom of the PML NC with 80 grit sandpaper. Then I rolled up some paper and test fitted the paper and eyebolt into the hole for a tight fit (tight enough so you have to screw the eye bolt into the paper). After it was test fitted, I dipped the paper into some 30 minute epoxy and inserted it into the hole. I then screwed the eyebolt into the paper and put epoxy around the outside as well (Picture 7). This has worked very well for me with no separations at all. You also don't have to cut the NC to fit a nut and washer for the bolt either. I have done the nut and washer through the hole, I don't like doing this method.
