Article - Carbon Spars the Easy Way

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How-To: Carbon Spars the Easy Way

2 sizes of Flat Carbon Rod next to a quarter for size comparison.
The one on the left is .020" x .120" and the one on the right is .030" x .130".
These and other sizes are available here.
To embed a spar into a styrofoam wing start by making a thin slit in the foam using a knife or saw blade. (Because you need some room in the foam to dribble glue into before inserting the rod, making this cut with a saw blade works better than a knife.)
After making the slot, fill it with ODORLESS CA glue (regular CA glue will melt the foam).
Press the flat rod to the bottom of the slot.
You can press down on the .020" - .030" rods without fear of messing it up.
Use medium CA for the step. Thin CA will set too fast and you might end up with the rod not quite in position. Do NOT use any "kicker" here as it will make the joint brittle and weak.
After the rod is seated in place dribble some more CA over the top of the rod but watch that it does not ooze up to the surface. Keeping all the CA stays below the surface of the wing will allow a much nicer finish later on.

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		2 sizes of Flat Carbon Rod next to a quarter for size comparison. The one on the left is .020" x .120" and the one on the right is .030" x .130". These and other sizes are available here. To embed a spar into a styrofoam wing start by making a thin slit in the foam using a knife or saw blade. (Because you need some room in the foam to dribble glue into before inserting the rod, making this cut with a saw blade works better than a knife.) After making the slot, fill it with ODORLESS CA glue (regular CA glue will melt the foam). Press the flat rod to the bottom of the slot. You can press down on the .020" - .030" rods without fear of messing it up. Use medium CA for the step. Thin CA will set too fast and you might end up with the rod not quite in position. Do NOT use any "kicker" here as it will make the joint brittle and weak. After the rod is seated in place dribble some more CA over the top of the rod but watch that it does not ooze up to the surface. Keeping all the CA stays below the surface of the wing will allow a much nicer finish later on.



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