Actually, Dremel has great diamond blades for this... unless you can be-friend Mike Konshak, who has a cutter that will take care of any diameter of f'glass you have, dead even. Check with our friend, Slipstick, for that. Glass is the only way to go if you want a solid, durable rocket. 😉 Don't go filiament wound, it'll snap on you. Stick with convulute. Period.

A wet tile saw works wonders - I have one setup in a table so I can rest the tube against stops and rotate it to cut. I've always had dead even cuts also.

Edward

Kevin
I dont know where your at, but.
If you need the use of a power Miter saw. (chop saw in slang) Me, and a coulple of others probably, have one. Fast, strait and no non-sense. 🙂 You just need to no where to make the cuts. I have cut 6" CF with it.

Scott e

Same here, I use a 10" miter saw for most of what I do.

See, that's the thing about this Web site and club... there is no ONE way to do anything. We all find things that work, and fly with it. Done deal. 😉

A masonry blade (one of the cheapest, by the way) does WONDERS... Convolute cuts cleaner than filament and it sands easier, too - just in case you need to square things up.

With any of the above -- make sure you cut outside, get yourself upwind, etc. That dust is nothing to mess with!

I use a 10" miter saw with an abrasive blade and connect the shop vac to the back of the saw for dust collection.

Wow, that's alot of good advice. I might have to hit Mike up, gotta check in with him anyway. I had thought about a chop saw, but was worried a 10" wouldn't get 4" tube, and a 12" is a bit much. Sounds like the specs allow for more error than I thought. I like the tile saw idea too. I actually read John Coker's write up on using one, but don't have room for a proper setup (unless my wife is ok with not using the garage ).

That's interesting to hear about filament wound. Too bad I already purchased that type. Is it strong in the axial direction, but not as strong w/respect to side impacts? Maybe I'll fill the fin can w/expanding foam, and replace the body tubes if/when they break. Will know better next time. I am putting a tailcone on, hopefully that will protect the can during landings well enough.

I hear you on the dust, neither glass nor epoxy dust is good for the lungs. For cutting and sanding G10 fins I always go outside and use a mask. Speaking of which, I do have a combination belt/disk sander if anyone would like to use it.

FYI, the 10" miter just barely makes it through 4" tubing, you need to push down hard to get the tube to compress a little to go all the way through. If I did not already have a 10" saw I would get the 12".

That's interesting to hear about filament wound. Too bad I already purchased that type. Is it strong in the axial direction, but not as strong w/respect to side impacts?

Both filament and convolute are way more than strong enough in all directions. I've flown many minimum diameter M's on 75mm and many a J570 minimum diameter shot on 38mm. I've never been able to fold the stuff.

The real differences are that the convolute drills very, very cleanly vs. the filament wound and if you have to square up an end - for example, if your cut is off by a bit - it is easily done with convolute... it sands like a dream.

I've worked a lot with both. It is convolute for me!

Filament wound is a little heavier then the convolute. I will also add that I have seen both zipper but the convolute seemed to zipper easier and with less force.

I have an old 12" chop saw I use only for cutting tubing. Have a masonry cut-off blade in it and it works perfectly. If you're relatively nearby, feel free to contact me and I'll happily invite you up to cut your tubing.

By the way, convolute is a dream to work with compared to filament-wound. Stronger too.

Filament wound is a little heavier then the convolute. I will also add that I have seen both zipper but the convolute seemed to zipper easier and with less force.

I can honestly say I have never zippered an airframe. Not cardboard, not phenolic, not glass. I see it all the time, but somehow I have avoided it.

Perhaps it is because I use such L-O-N-G shock cords?

I can honestly say I have never zippered an airframe. Not cardboard, not phenolic, not glass. I see it all the time, but somehow I have avoided it.

Perhaps it is because I use such L-O-N-G shock cords?

You lucky son of a gun, my friend. 😆 Actually, the only zipper I've done so far was on phenolic--and as always on a long shock cord--though they DID get longer in time and experience, my L3 harness was 100' (convolute glass). A bit too much? Of course. But by then I was burned one too manys times--only one zipper, but I like to be not only safe but ridiculously safe. The only filiament I ever used just crushed and was torn to smithereens. But then again, I use a LOT of black powder, like a friend I know, who sets off car alarms in his neighborhood. 🙂