Wolverine Rocketry Phoenix AIM-54A Build Part 4 Body Tube Joining

The instructions have you join the tubes together after the fins are glued on.
I prefer to join the tubes, and fill the butt joint without the fins or launch lug in the way.

The kit includes a very long 4" coupler.
Check the fit and sand the outside until a easy slip fit in the tube ends is obtained.
You don't want the tubes to freeze up while they are being glued end to end.

I played it safe and used epoxy. Some of the "New Stronger Formula" white Elmer's Glue can freeze up parts in the wrong position.
Epoxy won't shrink much or make an "O" ring pucker at the coupler ends.



Before gluing in the coupler, sand the tube ends square with a sanding block.
Don't ever take it for granted and think that the tube ends are perfectly square.




Here's what the tube ends looked like before they were sanded on the block as shown above.
You can see the tube seams touching in the middle and open at the top.

Sand the tube ends as in picture 2 to remove any high spots.

After sanding the tube ends, dry fit the coupler inside one tube and slide the upper section in place.

Rotate the upper tube until you find a the place where the tube ends best match up.

Mark both tubes with a pencil for a refernece point.

Glue the coupler in halfway in the longer, lower tube.

When the glue starts to set up, slide on the shorter, upper tube (no glue yet) and rotate it so the pencil lines match up. Be sure the butt joint is tight.

If you check the joint before the glue dries you can make small adjustments before everything is locked into place.

Apply glue to the inside of the upper tube and slide into place rotating the tube until the pencil lines match up.