10 replies to this topic

[pyrotechnist]

I am after building nice strong good lucking tubes and am wondering is Virgin paper any good for making tubes? Is this good Virgin paper from this site http://www.ask.co.uk.....MAVLP/&adurl=

?

If it is good paper which one in that list is the right weight for me to use?

[Dan]

i just use the regular postal wrapping paper that is brown and wood glue

[pyrotechnist]

Thanks but is Virgin paper good paper if so pleas read my first post? Thanks.

Because i am stuck on this one.

[BigG]

Thanks but is Virgin paper good paper if so pleas read my first post? Thanks.

Because i am stuck on this one.

How can one tell? Nobody uses this paper.

Ask for a sample, and try it.

[Dan]

Thanks but is Virgin paper good paper if so pleas read my first post? Thanks.

Because i am stuck on this one.

pyrotechnist I did read ur post. i have never heard of virgin paper before or at least not that i recall. i was just suggesting an alterative since it is readily available. that all

Dan

Edited by Dan, 23 July 2004 - 04:11 PM.

[alany]

Virgin kraft is ideal, the longer fibers make it stronger.

The thicker the weight of the paper the less turns you need to make the required thickness, this is good for rolling thick-walled tubes. However thicker paper is also more difficult to work with, especially for other things, like pasting in shells.

If you are rolling rocket tubes get the highest grade paper you can and the best value/thickness/workability proposition you can get. Canister shells can use recycled, especially for the pasting-in. Ball shells really need the virgin kraft, even if only for the wet strength.

I use 90 gsm virgin kraft the most often, it is cheap and easy to use, but something like 150+ gsm would be better for easily getting thickness I often need. The hard part is getting a smooth transition inside the tube, you need to tear the edges of thick papers so they lay down well. I usually just use chipboard for really thick tubes with a sheet of thin kraft to hold them together and give good internal surfaces, or buy them commercially, which is really the best option for high performance rocket and gerb tubes.

For match piping, nosing, general pasting-in and other non-critical applications I use the cheap and nasty recycled wrapping paper kraft, it is around 35 gsm I believe, but the brand I use has reasonable wet strength.

[paul]

From a friend I got a formula, to calculate the needed lenght of a piece of paper, if you know the papers thickness. Printing paper has a thickness of 0,1mm. Don?t know it for Kraft paper.

It is:

Needed length of Paper = pi * (desired wall thickness / paper thickness) * (inner diametre + desired wall thickness)

It is very accurate and works fine. Now I can make tubes of a desired wall thickness and inner diametre.

PS: The "inner diametre" means the diametre of the rod on which you roll the tube.

Edited by paul, 23 July 2004 - 05:16 PM.

[Phoenix]

That is lining paper - a variety of wall paper, but it is made from virgin pulp, that is, it is made from fresh plant fibre, rather than old paper, so is stronger.

As I have said before, I use lining paper, and it is excellent for larger tubes. I have a big roll that was just lying around, so I'm not sure how thick it is, or whether or not it is recycled or virgin, but it is great stuff.

I'd suggest the 150gsm "1000 grade" to start with. I guaruntee you it will be good for something, and it's not like ?1.79 is a huge investment. I should be excellent for rolling tubes for fountains, rockets, candles etc, in the 10-25mm range.

[pyrotechnist]

Thanks i am wondering if this stuff is brown or not. Hey Alan were do you buy your chipboard from? Do you live in UK to? Thanks for all your help upto now thanku all.

EDIT: Hey Phoenix is that paper on that web site good prised for tube production? It comes to ?8.00 i think it did anyways. That is for packing and the paper, you don't need to pay for the postage. Can i also make like 6-7" tubes with lining paper? Thanks agian.

Edited by pyrotechnist, 24 July 2004 - 01:45 PM.

[alany]

I live in Australia.

I get large sheets of chipboard from Lincraft or Spotlight which are local craft chains.

I also keep all the cereal and frozen food packaging I can, it works great.

[Phoenix]

I wouldn't mail order it. Homebase, B&Q etc - any store that sells DIY stuff will have it. Guarunteed. Just go in and buy a roll. It'll be with all the other rolls of wall paper.

I think that whatever paper you used, you would have a hard time rolling anything larger than about 3" by hand. If you've actually got the space or nerve to shoot 6" shells (which most hobbyists probably haven't), you will almost certainly need to buy the mortars.