Estes Gauchito Build #1279 OOP, Part 5, Nose Cone Fit, Tube End Strengthening

The plastic nose cone base was glued in place with my standby glue - Beacon Fabri-tac. The fabric glue contains acetone and does a good job with some plastic to plastic and plastic to Kraft tube (body tubes) joints.
DON'T use Fabri-tac glue to assemble a Mercury Redstone or Saturn V tower. Use a bottled liquid glue, the ones that have a brush in the bottle cap.

TIP: Before wiping some CA glue on the inside of the body tube end, roll down the cutting burr with a smooth round object, like a plastic pen barrel. Notice my middle finger outside the tube edge to support the tube while it is under pressure.
 It's easier to roll, compress and flatten the burr before applying some CA glue. The burr would be hardened with CA glue.
Then - Wipe the CA glue on with a Q-tip and let dry. The sand smooth with some 400 grit sandpaper.

TIP: Plan ahead - you don't want CA glue in an area that will get wood glue later. The CA glue will seal the tube and the wood glue won't be absorbed.




The nose cone shoulder was too tight in the BT-58 tube.
it took quite a bit of sanding with 220 grit followed by 400 grit to polish it out.