Model Rocket Building

Mini Honest John Build Part 10 Engine Mount Install

2012-02-12T00:13:00.005-05:00

Gluing an engine mount doesn't get much easier than this.
Apply a light bead of glue with the end of a dowel 1 1/2" inside the end of the body tube.
The instructions show a glue bottle being used to lay the glue bead.

You'll never get the glue nozzle that far inside the tube. Use a scrap stick or rounded dowel.

In the picture the bead of glue above the mount is smoothed out and the excess removed with a rounded dowel.

After the glue dried, some CWF was brushed over the tail end to get rid of the small gap between the body tube and centering ring.

You can see the added Kevlar rolled up inside the engine mount tube.

My New Gloss White Paint

2012-02-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

After all the bad luck I had with the Rustoleum 2X Gloss White paint I may have found a new white.

This is the generic Duplicolor Gloss White available at auto supply stores.
I'm calling it the "generic" white - smaller cans of gloss white are sold that match individual white tints from different car manufacturers.

This paint goes on smooth and dries very fast.
I don't think I can lay it on as thick as I normally would on the final coat for a wet gloss. I'm still getting used to the way this stuff coats. This paint is meant to be buffed and polished and right out of the can may not dry quite as glossy as the Rustoleum once did before.

I tried Valdspar and found it takes WAY too long to dry.
I've sent a email to Rustoleum with pictures and the batch numbers off the bad cans.
I'm still waiting on a response.
The other Rustoleum 2X colors seem to be okay - for now.

Mini Honest John Build Part 9 Fin Shaping 3

2012-02-11T00:40:00.002-05:00

When sanding the upper and lower surfaces flat, it helps to set the block edge to the side of the high point pencil line.

While sanding, constantly check the diamond shape profile on the root and outside edges for continuity.

Here's the finished fin.

In this picture, the balsa coloration makes it look like the taper doesn't extend to the middle root of the high point pencil line. It's there, it's just subtle and should show up after filling and painting.

When the balsa grain is filled, the filler will help sharpen the high point line. You'll have to be careful when sanding the filler to keep the leading and trailing edge thickness consistent.

Striker AGM Launch Repairs

2012-02-11T00:35:00.004-05:00

When you consider what a rocket goes through during boost, ejection and recovery you can expect some dings and cracks.
Sometimes I get away lucky - not this last launch.

If the rocket is valuable or a favorite, I spend more time fixing them. These two were quick fixes.

On the Striker AGM the rear of the fins didn't adhere well to the plastic boat tail reducer. Every flight one fin breaks away from the plastic.
The fin root edge was set back with medium CA. There was still chipped paint, the balsa showing through.
Without getting out the paint, Sharpie pens make for a quick touch up.

I usually weigh out if a major repair is warrented.
This is the second time a root edge has broken away when this model touched down.
Chances are, it'll happen again. It may not be worth the time for a major fix of gluing, filling, sanding, priming and paint.

At ejection you could hear the nose cone snap back and hit the body tube with a loud, hollow "thunk".
The nose cone was set back into the body tube to give a solid backing for the repair.

First, a white eraser was used to remove the dirt and paint smudge.

White glue was rubbed into the bends and creases on the damaged end of the tube.
A clean dowel was rolled over the bent areas working the glue into the tube.
TIP: Don't use yellow glue for an exposed repair like this. White glue dries clear, yellow glue dries yellow.

It's not perfect, but certainly stronger than it was after the flight.
In the last picture there was no paint used in the repair.

Mini Honest John Build Part 8 Fin Shaping 2

2012-02-10T00:59:00.001-05:00

While the pictures show one side of the fins being sanded, here's what the leading edge would look like. As mentioned before, I don't sand to a knife edge but leave the top a little square for strength.

After the sharp tapers of the leading and tailing edges are established, then flatten the upper and lower face surfaces leaving the pencil line or high point in the middle.

Start flattening out the top and bottom surfaces of the fin. You'll be removing the pencil line areas shown in the last blog entry picture.

As the upper flat surface is sanded, you'll take off the outside end of the (high point) pencil line.
There is no way to avoid this and it will make the outside edge a little thinner than the root edge, just like the real HoJo fins.

The pencil tick mark at the left shows where the sanded taper took off the pencil line.
When you sand the lower face flat, the high point line will again follow the pencil line to the outside edge.

Mini Honest John Build Part 7 Fin Shaping 1

2012-02-10T00:54:00.003-05:00

From the instructions: "Use alternative fin profile for a more scale like appearance." (That's the way it's worded.)

The dimensions are wrong. 5/32" or 40mm? They meant to say 4mm.
17/32" or 135mm should read 13.5mm.
Enlarge the picture to see the detail.

When you sand this profile, the fins will end up wider at the root edge and narrower on the outside edges.
I'll try to explain how I'd sand this shape step by step, you might have other successful methods.

Draw a light pencil line across the fin. Draw light, don't scar a line in the balsa, but make it dark enough to see.

The kit balsa is stiff and strong, it should be good for sharp lines when sanding.
I'll be using 220 grit on my sanding block. This adhesive back, rolled 220 grit (made for the Great Planes block) is a little finer than a hardware store 200 grit.

Sand from the pencil line on the outside edge. Sand part of the taper only as wide as the line at the outside edge.
I've drawn a pencil line where the high point is now after the first stage of shaping.

Sand the leading and trailing edges almost to a knife point taper. Note I said "almost". I keep the leading and trailing edges a little flat for strength.
On the outside edge you can see 1/2 of the diamond shape taking form.

Mini Honest John Build Part 6 Laser Cut Fins

2012-02-09T11:46:00.002-05:00

At group launches, sometimes you'll see flying models with the burnt laser cut edges under the paint.

The tabs haven't even been sanded off. If the tabs are left on, the root edge gluing surface won't be as strong. The attachment tabs will slightly raise the root edge off the body tube.

You don't have to remove every last trace of the laser burn and hold-down tab. If you sand too far, you've changed the shape of the fins. Just sand enough until the darker brown color is almost gone.

The instructions still say to stack and sand the four fins. I can understand this back when fins were die-cut using razor blades set in a block. The blades could shift when punching out fin sets by the hundreds.

But now, fins are drawn on a computer screen. Draw one fin, copy it and paste. There shouldn't be any difference between the first, fourth or thousandth laser cut fin.
But for whatever reason, some kits with "identical" laser cut pieces have have had slight differences in size. Always check them by stacking to see if they match up.

Mini Honest John Build Part 5 Nose Cone

2012-02-09T11:42:00.001-05:00

The blow molded nose cone was very well made.

A slight seam was down the length both sides. This seam could be easily sanded smooth with no gap filling.

It's hard to make out in the picture, but the nose cone widens at the tip, it doesn't follow the curvature to the top. This was sanded smooth to blend in with the overall shape of the nose.

The shoulder of the nose cone had a loose fit in the BT-50 body tube.
It took 1 1/2 wraps of masking tape to get a good fit in the body tube.

Mini Honest John Build Part 4 Engine Mount

2012-02-08T00:11:00.001-05:00

This kit uses the standard tri-fold shock cord mount. That method works okay, but could obstruct the parachute at ejection especially in smaller diameter body tubes.

I upgraded to Kevlar and an elastic shock cord.
A small hole was drill through the upper adapter ring.

135 lb. Kelvar was fed through the hole and tied beneath the upper adapter ring. A glue fillet was added over the Kevlar.

The picture shows the completed engine mount with the Kevlar tied on.
Be sure you check which end the engine block is glued in before drilling and tying on the Kevlar!

TIP: Another reason for not using a Tri-Fold shock cord mount:
If the spiral wraps on the inside of the body tube aren't tight or the seams close, the white glue on the back side of the mount can distort the tube!
If you look close at the Mars Snooper I just finished, you can see where the white glue got into the inside seam and it shows on the outside of the tube!

TIP: Cutting Equal Length Shroud Lines

2012-02-08T00:06:00.005-05:00

If you ever get a kit that tells you:
"Cut the shroud lines into three equal lengths"
Here's a way to cut them equally without getting out the yardstick.

Loop the line over your hand as shown.
The loop at the top right goes over your index finger.

Hold onto the loose line end at the left between your thumb and index finger.
Pull down on the middle line letting the long line at the right roll over your index finger.

Keep pulling the middle line down until the lower loop is as long as the loose end on the right.

Cut through the center ends of both loops.

You'll end up with three equal length lines.

Practice on some scrap string before you commit to the shroud lines included in the kit!

Mars Snooper Decals

2012-02-07T05:57:00.006-05:00

Decals were (finally) printed up for the Mars Snooper on the same sheet as the Scavenger name decal.

In the picture to the right a positioning template was made out of cardstock.
This helps place the fin number decals in the same relative position on all fin sides. It also insures the side of the long number is parallel to the side of the pods.

The long tip of the name decal coincides with the masking shape of the blue on the upper body.
These home printed decals actually came out looking very bright because they were set on white painted areas of the model. Normally do-it-yourself decals can be a little translucent if placed on a darker background.

Mini Honest John Build Part 3 Engine Mount

2012-02-07T05:50:00.004-05:00

The fit of the thick adapter rings was very loose on the BT-5 engine mount tube. A line of white glue was applied to the inside of the ring to build up the edge. After it dried, the ring had a better fit.

Because the bottom ring will be flush with the BT-50 main body tube, sand it flat with 220 grit on a sanding block. This will give a flat bottom to the engine mount and a cleaner look on the finished model.
Thr ring on the right was sanded flat.

Here the lower ring is glued even with the bottom of the BT-5 engine mount tube.
A line of glue was run around the bottom of the BT-5 and pressed into the adapter ring. It was pressed down on the flat side of a ruler that was handy. Any flat surface will work and guarantee the ring is flush with the end of the motor mount tube.

Launch! Orlando R.O.C.K. Section February 4, 2012

2012-02-06T00:06:00.009-05:00

The Orlando R.O.C.K. section had a record breaking attendance at the February launch! 70 participants and 110 flights!

After a building session last week, we had students from the Princeton Elementary School join us. Lots of Estes Gnomes flew with 1/2A3-4t engines.
Roger Smith was there with his camera. He's put together a great video highlighting the class and their first launches HERE.
With wind gusts up to 20 mph, many heeded Brian's advice to switch out parachutes for streamers. There may have been only one rocket lost.

From left to right:
Greg's Big Daddy with a D12-5, Tom's Patriot with a C6-5, Chris with a older Custom and a C6-5 and Jim's tube rocket loaded with an E9-4. Jim's Tube rocket landed in a tree, but was recovered.

My first in the air was the Odd'l Rockets UP! CUP with a C6-3.
Did I mention the wind gusts up to 20 mph? The Up! Cup flew straight up even with the wind.
Next to the cup is one of the 20 (or so) Gnomes that flew throughout the day.
Lot's of excited students and rocket Moms cheered on their kids.

Here's my favorite model of the day -
Tom Dennon built a beautiful carded Aries Stick launched with a D12-5.
Boost was perfect. At ejection, the lower section parachute didn't eject. While the upper half floated in, the lower half nosed in and buckled at impact.
Tom took it in stride and talked about a rebuild.

My 260 BOOSTER did a very tight loop under a C6-5 boost then went vertical again!
I though I'd find clear fins cracked off at the launcher but the picture shows the landing.
All four fins were still attached at the root edge. One fin was cracked off down the middle!
A TRF forum member commented the extra weight of the C6-5 may have caused the unstable flight. When this plan was printed in 1965, the most powerful available engine was a (lighter) "B"!

After a long day of flying our annual section meeting was held.
Bracha Smith was welcomed as section treasurer.

Even after starting to pack up the launch equipment, three more flyers showed up!

My also flowns:
Odd'l Rockets PIPELINE with a B6-4. Fast spin at boost with a reefed parachute recovery.
FlisKits HONEST JOHN with a MMX engine. I lost sight at launch but saw it falling at the horizon.
Quest STRIKER AGM with a B6-4. I had it prepped with a C engine but with the wind put in a B. Not much altitude, this is really a C engine rocket. At ejection you could hear the nose cone sanp back and hit the body tube. That, and another fin broken off the plastic tailcone.
FlisKits ATHENA Saucer with a A10-3t. Very stable and landed on the wire antenna.

Mini Honest John Build Part 2 Engine Mount

2012-02-06T00:02:00.001-05:00

Here's the parts for the engine mount.

I marked the yellow space tube at 5/16" from one end.
Instead of putting glue in the BT-5 motor mount tube and pushing the block into place with the yellow tube, I slid just the yellow tube in up to the 5/16" line. The tube was taped in place holding it inside the BT-5 engine mount tube.

The engine block was slid down from the top and onto the top of the yellow tube. A glue fillet was applied from the top side of the engine block with a rounded dowel.

By dry fitting then gluing from the top, I am taking no chances of the engine block freezing in the wrong place.

Mini Honest John Build Part 1 Parts

2012-02-05T11:28:00.001-05:00

The Mini Honest John parts are all pretty standard, except for the blow molded nose cone which is as long as the main airframe tube.

The laser cut fins seem very small. Some TRF posts have talked about the rocket being unstable so .20 - .25 oz. of clay nose weight will be added to the nose cone.
The rubber shock cord is 24" long, a positive change in the newer kits.
The adapter rings are thick! There is no engine hook so the engine will be a friction fit.
The yellow spacer tube is for setting the engine block. The engine block is not shown in the second picture.
The decals are all white and surrounded by a dashed black line for cutting.
I might do some cutting so the rocket will read U.S. ARMY instead of the generic U.S. MILITARY.

Engine Hooks - Through Time

2012-02-05T11:24:00.004-05:00

Engine hooks have gone through some changes over the years.

Estes and Centuri both introduced this style of "Quick Change Engine Hooks" in their 1969 catalogs. Estes with the Alpha and Centuri with the Astro 1.
It was spring steel in a simple, elongated "C" shape.
Installing an engine, they worked fine. It was a little tough to lift them after a flight. You'd end up using a fingernail or small pliers to raise the hook to remove the engine.

This is an engine hook from an MPC kit.
The finger tab was added making it much easier to raise the hook to pull out an engine.

But - the end of the finger tab could break the skin if you tried to catch the rocket before it hit the ground!

Here's what the engine hook has evolved into.
It's certainly easier to insert and engine, it slips right by the rounded bends in the finger tab.
The final outside bend on the tab prevents injury.

I guess it's an improvement, but I don't like all that extra hardware out the back end of my models - especially on a repro. I always cut off the finger tab so it ends up looking like the first picture.

TIP: If you cut off the excess bends on a hook for a retro look, the lower clipped end is usually flipped over so that rounded bend ends up at the top of the mount. The upper end of the clip is usually a sharp 90 degree bend, better for the lower end of the engine mount.

I seen quite a few launches where igniter clips get caught up on the last hook bend at ignition.

On the forums there's speculation about the finger tab deflecting the thrust and causing models to veer away from the vertical! This might be true with 13mm A10 13mm engines. The bends in the finger tab end up under the nozzle!

Scavenger! Finished

2012-02-04T00:14:00.002-05:00

I used the old Estes Optima scheme for some painting ideas. The fin and body tube trim looks a little like the the new Estes Pro Series models.
The finished model is 29 3/8" tall.
Body Tube diameter is 1.92" or Quest 50mm tubing.
I'll probably fly it with D12-5 and E9-6 engines for now.

Lessons learned:
Study up a little more on epoxy fin fillets before trying them again.
Good use for a 50 cent nose cone.
All parts came from the spare parts box. Nothing was from a new order.
Be sure the surface is really clean before setting down Monokote trim tape. One speck of dust will show through the thin trim tape.
Next time use decals instead of electrical tape for the black trim stripes.
They are a little thick!

Friction Fitting Engines Part 2

2012-02-04T00:09:00.002-05:00

This is my Semroc Defender with a three engine cluster of C6-7s.

Here I'm twisting the engine as I slide it in the engine mount tube.
The "barber pole" angled tape wrap made it easier to install the three friction fit engines.

Your opposite hand is probably the most important part of fitting a friction fit engine.
You have to learn to RELAX YOUR GRIP when pushing an engine in with the other hand. This is when the body tubes can crimp and buckle.
This is especially true with the thinner BT-5, BT-20 and BT-50 tubes!

When I make a repro rocket (from the early 1960s when there weren't engine hooks) that requires friction fit engines I prefer the slightly thicker, stronger ST-7 (18mm) and ST-10 (24mm) tubing.

Scavenger! Build Part 27 Decal

2012-02-03T00:08:00.005-05:00

Only one post today - this is long one!

I ended up printing two sizes of the Scavenger name and picked the smaller of the two.
The only decal on this rocket is the name - big and simple.

The name decal was printed on Bel decal paper on my ink jet printer.
Two light coats of Krylon clear gloss were sprayed, followed by a third thicker spray coat.
The gloss coat was allowed to thoroughly dry before soaking the decal in water.

TIP: The ink on a home printed decal can disolve in the water soak if the clear coats aren't applied correctly. These decals will not stretch like a silk screened kit decal. Be sure the surface you are transferring the decal on has a rub of water on it. If you push or pull on the decal when it has started to set, the printed area will show cracks.

I took a few minutes to find the best placement and visual center from front to rear.
I prefer a decal like this to read "up" or toward the nose. If the rocket is going up, the name should read going up.
Military and NASA names, like on the Saturn V, read down. But, those letters are stacked, not side by side like on the Scavenger.

TIP: Hand written scripts should normally be set in upper and lower. It's hard to read a hand written or brush style font set in all caps. Note I said "normally". This is a rare case where a script font was set in all caps and was still readable.

This is a big, long decal. To make placement easier, it was cut in two before soaking in water.

I had already drew small pencil tick marks on the body tube at the position edge of the letter "S" and ending "R".
The first half of the decal "SCAVE" was soaked for 30 seconds and checked. It wasn't easily sliding off the backing paper yet so it was soaked again for 15 more seconds.
It still was holding tight to the back and had a final 15 second soak.
The body tube got a rub of water before the decal was slid into place. You are working against the clock, especially with home printed decals. That bit of water on the tube surface will let you slide and play with the position before the decal has a chance to "lock" in the wrong place.

Positioning a script font like this is different.
You should sight from the rear and visually center between the fins.
The letters in this font don't follow a base line.

Keep the first half of the name wet while the second half is soaking.
You may have to move it again when the two halves are joined.

Friction Fitting Engines Part 1

2012-02-02T00:07:00.002-05:00

Friction fitting engines with masking tape has been around since model rocketry began.
I remember reading some old Model Missile instructions that had you wrap rubber bands around the engine for a friction fit!

This is not my idea, I wish I knew who first suggested it.
Wrap your engines with tape going down the casing "barber pole" style.

Here's the second wrap of tape, overlapping the first.
Keep overlapping tape until you get the right resistance in the engine mount.
The idea is that instead of simply shoving the engine in, you turn the casing as it goes into the body tube. Think of threads on a screw.

This angled wrap of tape works even on a small MicroMaxx engine.
Here the engine is installed in the ASP Micro Wac Corporal.

Scavenger! Build Part 26 Black Tape Trim

2012-02-02T00:05:00.004-05:00

1/8" wide strips of black electrical tape were set on either side of the gold Monokote trim. This helps tie in the black color on the upper body.

I didn't have to cut the black strips at an angle over the root edge. These stripes were thin and would fold over the root edge easier than the wider gold stripes.
You could cut them in a open "V" shape like the wider gold stripes.
I cut them from electrical tape out of convenience. I didn't have any black trim Monokote handy.

This is the finished fin.
The gold and black stripes roll over the top of the root edges and were trimmed off a little above the trailing edge.

The upper body got the same stripe treatment at the black/white color separation line.

All that's left now is the name decal.

NAR Membership Materials

2012-02-01T00:23:00.001-05:00

I received my new NAR membership card in the mail today.
Along with the card was a listing of NAR Sections by state and the insurance information sheet shown at the left.

This sheet is a simple breakdown of the insurance policy, clearly showing coverage.
It's going in my range box to every launch, whether at the schoolyard or a monthly section launch.

My concern is someone complaining about my small solo launches at the soccer field. Up until now, spectators are interested and have shown support. But, all it takes is one person to complain who doesn't know rocketry's safety record or about the NAR insurance.

This well produced insurance letter could tip the scales my way if there questions raised.
I doubt the soccer players, dog walkers and kids in the playground carry a policy like this.

Scavenger! Build Part 25 Monokote Trim Stripes

2012-02-01T00:17:00.005-05:00

The paper cover envelope was cut on the drawn pencil lines.

We'll only be using the center piece for a template.

The center piece was opened up and taped to the gold Monokote trim material.
You can still see the crease at the middle or the fold at the leading edge.

The high point in the middle of the strip is the leading edge.
If measured and cut correctly, the cut Monokote should lay right over the leading edge and the two sides will fall straight down the face of the fin and meet at the bottom.

Set the tip of the leading edge at the middle of the 1/8" thick fin and work down from the top.
Don't burnish the Monokote trim until you are sure of the final position looking at both sides of the fin.
Also, don't burnish the trailing edges, those will be trimmed with a razor blade in the next post.

Scavenger! Build Part 24 Back To It - Paint!

2012-01-31T00:06:00.004-05:00

Ever have one of those builds you just wanted to be done?

I had too many bad experiences with the Rustoleum 2X gloss white. After sanding smooth again I took a chance with Duplicolor Gloss White.
While the coverage wasn't as heavy or opaque as the 2X Rustoleum, it did flow well.

I copped out a bit on this paint job and will do something like the original Estes Optima scheme.

The picture shows the simple mask for the black. The upper half of the body gets gloss black. This Scotch tape mask line is about 1 1/2" above the upper launch lug.

The thick gold stripes will be paralell to the root edge, centered on the face of the fins.

The wide Monokote Trim will have to be cut at a specific angle to fold over the leading edge.

To make a cutting template, an paper "envelope" was folded over the fin.
A sharpened dowel was used to gently press a crease into the root edge.

The cover was removed. The creased root edge was cut off the paper envelope.

The paper was placed over the fin again. The stripe width and position were drawn on with pencil and a ruler.

Super Alpha Nosecone Part 3 Final Shaping

2012-01-31T00:01:00.003-05:00

The sandpaper was switched over to 220 grit.
The center dot is still visible.

More shaping and the center dot is almost gone.

The balsa cone was taped to the wall.
I held the print a little forward of that to check the profiles side by side.

Is it perfect? No, but it's close enough for me.
Over the years the same catalog nose cone changed shape depending on how old the grinder was.

A half an hour later, the new shaped nose cone.

Sure, it would have been easier to order a new nose cone.
Not to take any business away from Semroc, but I just saved $7.10 off my next order.

Super Alpha Nosecone Part 2 The Center

2012-01-30T10:51:00.003-05:00

Sand the cut top smooth and flat.
Remember I mentioned the first scored circumference line was cut slightly above the 4.6" length? When sanding the top flat, you are getting closer to the final length.

With a fine point pen, find the center and mark with a dot.
This is critical for a centered tip in the final shape. Take your time, measure twice from different sides to make sure of the center.

Start making small chip cuts using the center point as a guide. Keep the flat top area round as you make the chip cuts.
Keep cutting away until you get about 1/16" away from the center point mark.

Rough sand the nose cone using 100 grit on a block.
Concentrate on the final contour, check the nose cone profile print often.

Super Alpha Nosecone Part 1, 4.6" Length

2012-01-29T14:19:00.008-05:00

I'm taking a day off from the Scavenger build until I find a better brand of spray paint that works! So for now, here's some prep for another build coming up.

After a few years I finally figured out what was wrong with my Red Max clone.
The nose cone was too short.
This is the first blog post: HERE

I had bought a Super Alpha on Ebay with the replacement plastic nose cone. I wanted the Alpha nose cone shape. The old Red Max clone would get the plastic cone from the Super Alpha kit. To save a few dollars the old balsa Red Max cone would be shaped to the Alpha profile.

I don't have a lathe. I've made nose cones on a drill before but it's tough to center a dowel in the nose cone shoulder. I figured I'd just wing it.

At the Semroc website a search was made for the BNC-60K nose cone. Scaled up from the BNC-50K this new cone is 4.6" tall.

I marked the Red Max cone with a pencil but it'd be hard to see in a photograph. White out was used to show the area to be removed.

The nose cone was scored just above the 4.6" line around the cone top.
The cut line is less than 1/16" in. This is a "stop" for the chip cuts to follow.

Small chip cuts were made down to the scored line from picture 2.

After making chip cuts around the cone, score another horizontal circumference line and follow with more chip cuts working towards the center of the nose cone.

Epoxy Fillet Tutorial by Crazy Jim

2012-01-29T01:00:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't you know it, right as I'm trying to get a hold on epoxy techniques, Crazy Jim is doing epoxy fillets on one of his Wildman Space Cowboy rockets on TRF.

The Space Cowboy is a 54mm minimum diameter rocket.
"With medium sized 38 & small 2 grain 54 motors it will reach altitudes over 8,000ft..[with rail buttons!] With large 54's 20,000 ft. + altitudes, are easily attained. [with tower]"

Check it the tutorial HERE

Granted, this is not the kraft tube and basswood style model I'm working on. But a few of his techniques could have been used on my Scavenger build.

I was interested in posts 9 where he marks the fillet edge positions with a Sharpie pen and his smoothing tool, a short piece of PVC pipe.

This is the technique I'll try the next time I do epoxy fillets. It'll make for better placement of the masking tape dams and lessen any clean-up of the epoxy.

Scavenger! Build Part 23 This Model Is Cursed!

2012-01-29T00:47:00.004-05:00

After the gray primer was sprayed and sanded, I followed with the first white coat of paint.

Looking closer at the epoxy fillets, they weren't as smooth as I would have liked.
There was some high spots.
If 30 minute epoxy were used, I would have had more time to get it smoothed before the fillets started to set up.
220 grit was wrapped around a small dowel and the high areas on the fillets were taken down a bit. 400 grit followed and then some more primer.

It was after sanding down that first coat of white that I ran into real problems.
A new can of the Gloss White Rustoleum 2X shot out a flat pebbled mess.
I sanded the rough finish smooth.
It was returned and the exchanged second can did the same thing!
That was returned to Home Depot for a cash refund.

I went to the auto supply store to buy some white Duplicolor spray.
The can was well shaken for a few minutes.
The cap was pulled off and the nozzle tip was missing!!!

I need a break.

Stepped Launch Rods

2012-01-28T11:20:00.011-05:00

Recently there was some posts about "Stepped" Launch Rods on TRF.

Here's some I had on hand:
The first two pictures are from older Quest Starter Kits, back when Quest had the three leg PVC launcher.

The upper, smaller diameter rod end is tapered slightly to make joining the rods together a little easier.
The fit of the upper rod is a bit loose. I've never used this rod for that reason.

The third picture is from an MPC launcher. The rod is unused and tarnished darker with age.

Here's a page from the 1970 FSI catalog. Their rods went from 3/16" on the lower end to a 1/8" rod on the top.
"The heavy lower rod helps prevent launch rod whip."

These rods are great - to a point. Years ago I found one in a starter kit where the lower rod hole was drilled crooked.
The upper rod was always off by a few degrees.

I remember getting a stepped rod from Centuri in their black Porta-Pad style launchers. But, I can't be sure after all these years.
EDIT: In later posts some have said they received stepped launch rods from Centuri.

Scavenger! Build Part 22 Epoxy Sand and Prime

2012-01-28T11:11:00.002-05:00

After the epoxy fillets had dried, some high spots were taken down with some 220 grit wrapped around a dowel. As epoxy dries, it self-levels. The surface should be pretty smooth already, requiring little sanding.
Many builders will add Micro-Balloons to the epoxy mix to make it easier to sand.
Others say it diminishes the strength of the epoxy bond.

The entire model was shot with gray primer.
I tend to shoot only one coat of primer and sand almost to surface.
Other people will shoot several light coats, sanding between coats.
Whatever works best for you is right. I just don't enjoy all that sanding!

After all the fillets and prep, here's the back end ready for the first white coats.

T-Rockets or Tethered Rockets

2012-01-27T00:30:00.004-05:00

Now for something really different!
Ted Mahler has been experimenting with Tethered rockets.

Check out his website HERE

The website has plans and complete instructions for your own tethered flights.

Watch the video HERE

Ted's black powder tethered rockets are much better than the Space Derby tethered "rockets" we had in the Cub Scouts!

Scavenger! Build Part 21 Epoxy Fillets

2012-01-27T00:05:00.002-05:00

After the epoxy is transferred to the root edge, smooth out the bead and remove excess with the rounded end of the Popsicle stick.
Do about half the root edge, wipe off the stick and smooth the rest of the root edge.
When the epoxy is just starting to set up, remove the tape.
You might have a slight ridge where the epoxy has gone over the tape edge.
You'll remove that with the rubbing alcohol in the next step.

Put on a Nitrile glove to remove excess epoxy with rubbing alcohol.
The higher percentage of pure rubbing alcohol, the better it will break down the excess epoxy ridge and smooth the fillets.
Most drugstore alcohol is 70%, try to get the highest percentage.

Pour some alcohol in a small disposable cup.
Dip your gloved finger in the cup and shake off the excess into a paper towel.
Run your wet, gloved fingertip down the epoxy fillet. This should smooth out any irregularity in the fillet and start to break down any glue ridge where the masking tape was.

Try not to do too many passes of the alcohol. It can break down the epoxy too much and slow down the epoxy drying times.

Scavenger! Build Part 20 Epoxy Fillets

2012-01-26T07:20:00.004-05:00

Here's a technique I don't have enough experience with!
Epoxy fillets, like any new technique take practice.
Normally I do built up white glue fillets, sometimes I use Titebond Molding and Trim Glue for fillet work. On a rocket this size, the radius (or roundness) of the fillet should be larger.

I'll try to tackle this a little like the MPR guys do.
Masking tape is set down around the fillet areas.
The tape will keep the surrounding areas cleaner. Epoxy tends to get everywhere.

The round end of the Popsicle stick will be used to round the fillet and remove excess.

Be sure you have everything at hand before starting. You don't want to be hunting down anything while the epoxy is hardening up!

You'll need Nitrile disposable gloves, rubbing alcohol, your fillet forming Popsicle stick and plenty of paper towels.

Equal amounts of epoxy (in my case 15 minute epoxy) were set on waxed paper.
I don't mix a lot of epoxy, the A and B parts were about the size of a quarter when they started to spread out and touch in the middle.

You are working against the clock, you'll only be able to fillet two facing fin root edges at a time. Let them dry and mix more to do the next set of facing fins.

This 15 minute epoxy might cure too fast for some builders.
You might have better luck with 30 minute epoxy the first time you use it.

Thoroughly mix parts A and B. Try to keep it central, in a small area when mixing.

I transferred the mixed epoxy onto the root edge area with a toothpick. Enough was transferred to be smoothed with a gloved finger or rounded stick.
Keep the epoxy on the root edge area. Chances are, ther'll be "stringers" and a few stray drops here and there.

Continued next post:

Rustoleum 2X Gloss White Paint Problems!

2012-01-26T07:11:00.005-05:00

There's a lively debate of TRF about how the builder is being blamed for paint results like this:
This is my Estes Mini Honest John on October 16, 2011.
The Rustoleum 2X Gloss White paint came out in spatters, very rough and a flat finish.

And the upper end of my Mars Lander dated December 17, 2011. It's a pebbled flat finish mess but gloss from the adapter to the larger lower half of the upper fins.

Here's a new can of Rustoleum 2X Gloss White on the Scavenger build from yesterday.
From the forward fins back is the rough, flat finish again.

This seems to be a big problem with the Gloss White paint.
The pictures show three different cans of paint purchased over three months time!
I've returned the latest bad can to Home Depot. The lady in the returns department told me she has had other returns of the Gloss White Rustoleum.

An email was sent to Rustoleum, I'm waiting for a response.

The other Rustoleum 2X colors aren't showing this problem - yet.
I had great results with the Rustloeum 2X paint over the past few years, until now.
Three strikes, they're out!

Amazing Finishes from Steve Bradley

2012-01-25T00:16:00.004-05:00

Once in a while there's some standout work that should be recognized!
Here's some beautiful finishing by Steve Bradley.
You can see the rest of his work on TRF HERE

From his TRF post:
"Thank you, it was fun now that it's over. I forgot to mention, the little diamonds at the top of the nose are decals from the kit. I didn't know if they would fit in or not, but they're a real heavy black and it was no problem. Hard to tell the difference.

I use tape (Tamiya, mostly) for the masking. I haven't run across a frisket (I only have the conventional flat surface type at hand) that will stay down on curved surfaces. I'm sure they make a flexible frisket, I just haven't gotten my hands on any of it yet. But, I will be trying it.

I wish I had shot some photos of that thing in it's various stages of taping. Hideous. I find it's really easy to go "tape blind," which is kinda what happened. I get so much tape (of different colors) on it, that it's sometimes hard to remember where you're at on the rocket and what should be left open or what you've forgotten.

With rattle cans, the hard part is getting all that tape off without marring what you've just put on. I usually wait 2 to 3 hours so the edges are still soft and won't pull up (I have a heavy hand with rattle can paint) and mask/layer it so that everything pulls up from the bottom.
I fold the tape ends over so as to at least have a starting point to pull from. Otherwise, you're looking at a wrestling match with tape that you're not going to win."

Scavenger! Build Part 19 Launch Lug Alignment

2012-01-25T00:09:00.003-05:00

This model will get two, 3/16" diameter lugs.
The lower lug is centered between two fins, flush with the end of the main frame tube. It's positioned opposite the engine hook.

The upper lug is glued on the C/G (center of gravity) location.
Some builder's will glue the lug a little forward of the C/G. Who's right? I really don't know. I just center the upper lug length on the C/G and haven't had any problems in the past.

To get the correct center of gravity (balance point) the parachute, nomex and a 24mm E engine were in place.
TIP: When figuring your center of gravity (C/G) for flight, always load the largest engine you will eventually be flying the rocket with.

Here's another "old school" method for lining up two launch lugs down the body tube.

I use a 3/16" launch rod taped beside the launch lugs while gluing.
In the past I have glued 1/8" lugs in place with a much lighter aluminum rod through the lugs.
This 3/16" rod is steel and pretty heavy. It was just easier to lay it beside the lugs to make sure they were straight.

Scavenger! Build Part 18 Forward Fin Alignment

2012-01-24T06:24:00.004-05:00

A straight edged strip of paper was wrapped around the tube, 1" above the leading edge of the rear fins. This assures my forward fins will all be the same distance from the rear fins.
The surface mounted forward fins were glued on with white glue.
The rear trailing edge just touched the paper edge.

Here's something I've seen the mid and high power builder's do.
(This is on a smaller scale, though.)

While the forward fin glue is still wet, Popsicle sticks were clamped on.
Sight from the rear and you'll see the forward fins in line with the root edge of the rear fins.
Before clamping on the Popsicle sticks, be sure they aren't warped!

Scavenger! Build Part 17 Fin Gluing

2012-01-24T06:14:00.005-05:00

When you thing about it, Through-The-Wall or TTW fins really changed the structure and strength of mid and high power rocketry.
When I started in 1969, all model rocket fins were surface mounted. For low power models it was fine - for the most part.

The Scavenger fins are Basswood. The interior fin tabs lock against the lower thick card stock centering ring on the engine mount. That and gluing to the engine mount tube gives you a very strong fin can "unit".

Initially 15 minute epoxy was mixed up and applied on the root edge of the fin tab.

The fins were inserted into the slots.

With the 15 minute epoxy set time, I was able to come back every few minutes and check the alignment until I was sure the glue had set up and the fins were tight against the body tube. Even with epoxy on just the root edge tab, it's a very strong joint.

Tampa TTRA Launch January 21, 2012

2012-01-23T00:06:00.009-05:00

To see more (much better) pictures from Roger Smith, go HERE

My small car as loaded down in preparation for a show in nearby Dade City.
I flew as many as possible before leaving at 2:45 p.m.
Here's some highlights of the Tampa TTRA launch last Saturday -

Check out the inset picture of the engine mount on Brian Urban's Scratch built X-15.
The entire engine mount rotates allowing a centered line of thrust using different combinations of clustered engines. This mount uses a single 29mm and two 24mm engines.

This is a pop-pod boost glider re-build awaiting more decals.
Launch picture by Roger Smith

A cluster rack -
Bill Nielson flew his Dueces Wild with two C6-7 engines.

Next to Bill's Duece is my Semroc DEFENDER with three C6-7 engines. The Semroc website says it flew to 1,650 feet.

I had to leave before Michael Robert's - Robert Goddard V14 flew. The engine - M650.
Beautiful work, check out the fin can!

Mike Nipper flew the clean rebuild of his Nike Hercules.
In the booster was two D12-0s and two D12-3s.
The upper stage held a D12-5.

Mike got great altitude on the booster with a parachute recovery. Booster ejection was from the D12-3s.
The upper stage was arrow straight.
When the parachute ejected there was well deserved applause from the spectators.

My also flowns:
Quest TOMAHAWK on a C6-5 to an estimate 600' altitude. On fin broke at the root edge on landing.
ASP MMX WAC CORPORAL. 75' up with ejection before apogee. Streamer recovery.
Applewhite POPSICLE STICK MONOCOPTER. This is one of the free plans from his website. Lots of noise on a A10-3t and a spinning recovery.
Quest AS-1 ESCORT with a B6-4 to 350' altitude. A wing tip lug was broken off when the nose cone snapped back on ejection. An easy fix.

Scavenger! Build Part 16 Upper Shock Cord Mount

2012-01-23T00:01:00.002-05:00

I could have used a Estes Tri-Fold mount for the shock cord connection on the nose cone shoulder, but I wanted something stronger.

This is based on what Centuri did at the body tube end on some of their larger diameter rockets.
A half segment about 1" long was cut from some scrap 50mm tube.

Last year when I first made up the plastic nose cones, I made a shoulder from some body tube. This shock cord mount will be glued inside the shoulder.

1/4" elastic shock cord was tied around the segment.
The half round mount was then glued into the shoulder with white glue.

Scavenger! Build Part 15 Engine Mount Gluing

2012-01-22T10:37:00.003-05:00

A dowel was measured from just below the upper centering ring to the rear of the mount tube.
A ring of glue was added to the top of the rounded dowel.
The glue ended dowel was set in the mainframe tube up to the pencil mark.

The dowel was rolled around the inside of the tube transferring the glue into an even ring. Keep an eye on the pencil mark and use the dowel as a depth gauge inside the tube.

Two more applications of glue and the mount was slid into place.

TIP: As the upper ring reached the glue, the mount was twisted before reaching the final depth. By twisting the mount the bead of glue will be evenly spread out by the turning centering ring.
Before inserting the mount, take a moment and plan so you can make about 1/2 a turn to smooth out the glue ring. Think about where you want the engine hook to end up (between two fins?) and the engine mount tube depth. (Even with the mainframe tube or overhanging the back.)

Slide in one of the TTW fins just to make sure everything is where it should be.

If the mount is flush with the mainframe tube, use a block to make sure both tubes are even.

I'm using one of my sanding blocks here. Turn the block to the side to clear the engine hook.

The lower ring got a fillet from the back applied with a dowel.

Scavenger! Build Part 14 Root Edge Fitting

2012-01-22T10:32:00.001-05:00

Here's the fin fit after the trimming.

Adding the extra recess for the wrap of tape on the engine mount made a big difference in getting the best fit.

With the rear fin in place, you can now see how they'll both look together.

TIP: Better Nozzle for Titebond Molding & Trim Glue

2012-01-21T08:49:00.001-05:00

Here's a tip suggested by Jeff Roberts (Luke Strawwalker or OL JR) on the Rocketry Forum:

"... Grab a few of the regular "school glue" type twist-cap nozzle applicators and install them on all your wood and white glue bottles, even the TMTG.
They make the glue MUCH easier to apply with precision than the flat "blade" cap-n-slit style nozzle applicators they put on wood glue and TMTG.

The glue is thicker than school glue and takes a little more effort to squeeze out, but you can get SO much better control of how much glue you apply and where ... works like a champ!

Plus, you just give the nozzle a quick twist to close the bottle, instead of hunting for that little blade type cap that corks the end of the slit nozzle shut.
My wife's a teacher and my 7 year old LOVES doing little crafts and stuff, so I have them save the nozzles off their old school glue bottles.

If you don't have that kind of access, just grab a few bottles of school glue when it's on sale for 25 cents and swap the nozzle/applicators out with the ones that come on the wood glue/TMTG.

Later and good luck!"
OL JR

In the picture, the wide Titebond Molding & Trim Glue nozzle is on the left.
On the right is the T M&TG bottle with an Elmer's style nozzle attached.

Scavenger! Build Part 13 Root Tab Fitting

2012-01-21T08:45:00.001-05:00

With the fins slots cut the engine mount was slid into position.
On this model, the end of the engine mount tube and mainframe tube are even.

A ruler was slid into the cut fin slot. With the end of the ruler making contact against the BT-50H engine mount tube read the measurement of the ruler.

This shows the thru-the-wall fin tab will need to be around 1/2" long.
I purposely cut the fin tabs longer than needed so they could be trimmed and sanded to fit.

The fins were marked with a pencil.
The TTW root edge line was drawn parallel to the lower mainframe root edge line.

I ended up sanding off the excess tab with 100 grit sandpaper on a block.

I also added a slight recess for a better fit over the tape wrap on the engine mount.

Delta IV Night Launch January 19, 2012

2012-01-20T00:19:00.002-05:00

There's some great advantages living in Central Florida.
Last night I was able to walk out my front door and watch the first launch of 2012, the Delta IV from Cape Canaveral, a little over 50 miles away.

Night launches are always spectacular. Depending on the flight trajectory, you can watch the fireball arc across the sky for several minutes. Last night was very clear.
Off the back I thought I was seeing sparks until I realized these were the four SRMs. You could see their tumbling path as they fell.

From the Space.com article HERE
"Flown only once before, this version of the Delta is distinguished by a five-meter payload shroud and four solid rocket boosters. Many other Medium+ rockets have launched over the years with the smaller four-meter nose cone and only two solid motors."
Delta 4 in a configuration known as the Medium+ (5,4)

Scavenger! Build Part 12 Fin Slots

2012-01-20T00:14:00.003-05:00

The top of the slot is rounded using a small rat tail diamond file.
File a bit, check the fin fit and file some more until the fit is good.

This is the finished slot showing the alignment of the rounded leading edge to the rounded top.

This is the fin fit up to now.
The fin tab was purposely cut long and will be cut and sanded to the correct width.
I wanted to make sure the tab wasn't cut too short. I succeeded here!
After fitting the tab, the root edge of the fin will get a line of epoxy and be glued onto the motor mount tube.

Wadding Tamp Tool Part 2

2012-01-19T08:59:00.004-05:00

By using this tool you can gauge how deep the wadding will go inside the tube.

Here I'm holding the dowel outside the body tube to the depth I want the wadding to go.

Hold that position on the dowel and push the wadding in to the depth you were holding on the outside of the body earlier.

If you have pushed the wadding in too far, you can push the dowel in from the back and move the wadding forward.
The 5/16" diameter dowel will slide right through the inside of the engine block.

Don't pack your wadding too tightly!
This tool is used to improve the seal on the inside wall of the body tube, not for smashing the wadding into a tight block that won't eject!

Scavenger! Build Part 11 Fin Slots

2012-01-19T08:53:00.002-05:00

Using a fin marking guide, the tube was marked for three fins.
With the trailing edge of the fin even with the end of the body tube, the top and bottom of the thru-the-wall tab is marked.

The 1/8" fin width is marked on the three fin lines.
This is the area to be removed for the TTW tab.

The outside edges of the fins have been rounded.
Above the top of the fin slot rectangle is a drawn half circle to fit the rounded leading edge of the fin.
The rear of the fin slot remains square. The fin tab doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the body tube. The rear of the fin tab will rest right on the lower centering ring of the engine mount.

My aluminum angle was used for a secure straightedge to cut the fin slots.
For now, the three slots are square at the top and bottom. The tops will be rounded in the next post.

Wadding Tamp Tool Part 1

2012-01-18T05:33:00.002-05:00

I usually use a dowel to get wadding down inside a body tube. I'll try to pack it down a bit to get a better seal but still leave it loose enough to blow out easily enough at ejection.

The dowel I kept in my range box did an adequate job, but I decided to make a simple tool that could work better in many different sizes of body tubes.

For BT-5 models:
This is a 5/16" diameter dowel about 12" long.
A few wraps of tape were added and an expended 13mm casing was friction fitted on top of that.
The nozzle was kept intact on the "tamping" end.

For larger models up to a BT-60 diameter tube:
A clean 18mm engine casing was slid over the 13mm casing.
I had to remove a paper layer from the inside of the 18mm casing to get a good fit over the 13mm casing.
At the front, a thick card stock disk was glued on for a flat tamping surface.

Don't glue the 18mm casing onto the 13mm casing. This way you can slip the larger casing on or off for different diameter models.

Here's an example of some crepe paper wadding with the sides tamped into a more even "piston".
I couldn't have gotten this side seal on the body tube walls without using the tool.

Don't use this tool to mash the wadding too tight in the tube! Use it to get a better seal on the body tube sides.

Scavenger! Build Part 10 TIP Fin Drawing Transfer

2012-01-18T05:27:00.001-05:00

This is the "old school" way to preserve your fin plans.
The idea is to make a fin pattern on cardstock without cutting up your original drawn plan.

Tape down some new cardstock on your work area.
The drawn fin plan is taped over the cardstock.

Punch through all the corners, through the drawing and into your blank cardstock below. You can use a thumbtack or needle, here I used a punch awl.

Connect the punch dots with a pencil and straight edge.
Cut out your new fin template.

Trace around your new template on your fin stock and cut out the fins.

Old Red Max Clone

2012-01-17T00:07:00.005-05:00

This was the first model I built when I got back into Rocketry, a clone of the Estes Der Red Max. Estes was a few years away from the re-release.
I did a little research online then ordered parts from ASP and decals from Tango Papa.

At the time, I thought I did a pretty good job of filling the balsa grain. I used sanding sealer, this was before I switched to the new thinned down Fill N' Finish.

Those tube seams are pretty evident, too.
What? We didn't fill the tube seams in the late 1960s and 1970s!
Lots of orange peel in a poorly sprayed orange finish.

I've seen a few newer Red Max models and knew there was something wrong with mine. The nose cone is short!

That white nose cone came from a new Super Alpha bought on Ebay. I thought I was bidding on a balsa cone kit.
I read where that white cone is the same as the Red Max cone.
So for now, I'll switch out the cone and might sand down the smaller balsa cone to the correct profile for the Super Alpha kit.

It's a start until - I strip the old Max finish, fill the seams, thicken up the fillets, repaint and add new decals - Whew!

Scavenger! Build Part 9 Fin Plan

2012-01-17T00:04:00.000-05:00

Here's the fin plan for the Scavenger rocket.
These are based on the Estes Optima, a fin style I have always liked.

I start with full-size pencil drawings on copy paper.
After one drawing, another new piece of paper is taped on top of the first.
I make corrections by tracing over the first drawing.
These are usually subtle changes to the angles of the leading edge or fin span until I feel there is a good balance.

While not the same size, there are a lot of similarities in the two fins.
Both root edges are the same length.
The pencil extensions of the leading and trailing edges (going out to the right) are the same in both front and rear fins. In other words, the "triangle" pencil line extensions out are the same size.
On the upper fin, the angle of the outside edge is the same on the lower fin. Except that angle is flipped on the lower fin's outside edge.

The lower fin will the through-the-wall, the upper fin will be surface mounted.
All fins will be cut from scrap 1/8" basswood.

In the picture, the body tube edge on the upper left is actually straight. There was some distortion when I held up the drawing for a photograph.

Scavenger! Build Part 8 Decal Font

2012-01-16T00:17:00.002-05:00

The font should match the name and theme of the rocket.
The Scavenger name is just that, a model built from spare parts.
The rocket name font should be a little rough.

In high school I spent too many hours working in a print shop on a VGC PhotoTypositor machine. I did lots of headline and typesetting back then. It gave me a good appreciation for an appropriate type style.

I often go to:
www.1001freefonts.com
It took about half an hour to find these two fonts, they were listed together.
It's simple to download, extract and use in my drawing program to print a decal later on.

Scavenger! Build Part 7 Centering Rings

2012-01-16T00:14:00.002-05:00

A thin layer of white glue was spread over one side of a centering ring.
The engine hook slots were lined up and both rings pressed together.

To be sure the laminated rings were in line, they were both slipped over the BT-50H tube.
Clothes pin clamps held the centering rings together while the glue dried.

Jumping ahead a little, here's the finished engine mount with the centering rings in place.

Scavenger! Build Part 6 Centering Rings

2012-01-15T00:29:00.004-05:00

Two rings were set back to back and a hole was punched for engine hook movement.

The edge "ticks" were cut off the punched circle to make it a rounded slot.
The inset picture shows the finished engine hook slot.

To make an engine block, a 1/4" length of a D engine casing was cut with a razor saw.
I've probably got an actual engine block in the spare parts box, but this is a scavenged build.

Scavenger! Build Part 5 Centering Rings

2012-01-15T00:21:00.002-05:00

Because you traced around the outside of the mainframe tube, you can cut a little inside your pencil line.
It shouldn't be too hard if your scissors are sharp. If not, use a new knife blade.

All four rings were set over the BT-50H tube and sanded round and to size.
Go back and forth between sanding and checking the fit in your mainframe tube.

If you take your time, you can get a very accurate fit of homemade centering rings without using plywood on a lathe.

LAUNCH! Friday the 13th - Schoolyard 1/13/2012

2012-01-14T11:03:00.001-05:00

What's more appropriate for a Friday the 13th Launch? SAUCERS! Why not?

First up was the Quest MicroMaxx AREA 51 SAUCER. I probably could have thrown it higher than the engine pushed it. I remember now why I don't load this one up! Still funny and a good test for the system and to check the batteries.
Altitude - maybe 15 feet. You can see how small the MMX ejection charges are when it turned over. The Quest plastic Saucer has an empty weight of .26 oz.

FlisKits offers up three (FREE) different MicroMaxx carded Saucers on their website. These freebies are downscales of the OOP Triple Threat kit.
This is the MMX ODYSSEUS. At 2.25" diameter it was a tight carded build. It might have reached 30' up. Hoo boy! This FlisKit Saucer empty weight is .09 oz.

Speaking of the OOP Fliskit Triple Threat, I just finished these two from that triple pack kit.
Ross Mozier gave me the kit at the last Orlando R.O.C.K. launch. A fun build, except for bending all those wire antennas.
Both the ATHENA (Pentagon Saucer) and PERSEPHONE (round saucer) and the flew with A10-3t engines.
The face card says "Altitudes of only 50 - 75 feet!" Truth in advertising is a good thing.
I know the A10-3t booster engine is recommended but the A10-3t engine ejection went off long before it touched down. Both landed on their wire antenna landing legs.

Out neighborhood maintenance man Austin drove up in his golf cart to watch. He launched this saucer for me.
Last up was my own scratch SAUCER with a C6-3 engine.
The loud thrust got it up to an estimated 175 feet. It gently flipped over and floated down. No antenna legs on this one.

Five up, five down.

Scavenger Build Part 4 Centering Rings

2012-01-14T10:55:00.002-05:00

It's easier to cut out the center first and the outside after.
On this interior circle, you can pretty much cut right on the line and the fit will be close.

Test fit the engine mount tube in the center circle.
I had to sand and widen the diameter slightly.

Here I used 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around a engine casing.

I was able to get a good friction fit in all four rings.

Scavenger! Build Part 3 Centering Rings

2012-01-13T00:16:00.003-05:00

To the side of the mat material, trace around your engine mount tube, in this case, the BT-50H.
This will be your guide to set the width of your compass.

I'm using a old, school compass but for this perpose it'll be fine.

Try to find the center and adjust the compass untill it matches the diameter of your traced line.

Without changing the size of the compass, set the point on the center of your larger circle drawn earlier.
Draw the inside motor mount tube circle on all four centering rings.

CHEAP! 50mm Nose Cones On Sale NOW!

2012-01-13T00:12:00.003-05:00

I was at the Dollar Tree store today and they are selling the plastic champagne flutes again! Two for $1.00.
These are the same nose cones I'm using on the Scavenger build.
You do have to break off the plastic heart, cut off the base and form the tip.
Flip it over, make a coupler/shoulder and it's almost a perfect fit on the Quest 50mm body tubes!
These are the same nose cones I'm using on the current Scavenger build.

Pic 1 shows the packaging to look for at the Dollar Tree store.

Pic 2 has the coupler installed, made from a segment of the Quest 50mm tube.

Pic 3 shows the fit in the 50mm tube. It does take a few wraps of masking tape, but for a 50 cent nose cone it's okay by me!

Pic 4 shows a close up of the nose tip going into the stem of the glass. You can see the air bubble near the plastic heart.
Be sure any air bubble is far down,
away from where the tip end will be after shaping. I had to look through a few packages to find these two useable glasses in the same bag.

Scavenger! Build Part 2 DIY Centering Rings

2012-01-12T00:12:00.003-05:00

TIP: Here's your cheap tip for the week!
Framing stores or framing departments at craft stores always have unusable smaller squares of 1/16" thick mat board.
These are the center squares left over from the wide outside border cuts. These are perfect for making your centering rings.
You can usually get these for next to nothing, the last bunch I picked up were free!

The mat material shown here is white on one side and black on the other.
Trace around your tube with a fine point mechanical pencil.
This outside circle is wider than the inside diameter of the tube it will fit into. It'll be trimmed to size later on.

Find and clearly mark the center intersections.

On this model I'll cut out four rings to make two laminated rings.

Scavenger! Build Part 1 Parts

2012-01-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

As it turned out, the Quest 50mm tube was a very close fit to the plastic flute nose cone. I ordered some tubing from Quest, but like the nose cone it sat in my spare parts box - until now!

This is going to be a real spare parts build. I'm not buying any new parts, no order will be made.
Everything will come from materials already on hand.

The plastic flute has been shaped into a nose cone.

The engine hook was bent from the flat spring steel ripped from a discarded windshield wiper.
The centering rings were cut from frame mat material. More on that in upcoming posts.
The engine block is a 1/4" length cut from a expended D engine.
The engine mount tube is 5" of BT50H (thick walled BT-50) found in the spare parts box.
I haven't decided on a fin design yet, it'll probably be through the wall construction.

Valentines Flute Glass Nose Cones

2012-01-11T00:26:00.010-05:00

To get ready for the next build (and to buy some really cheap 50mm plastic nose cones)
check this EBAY listing click HERE

These were on sale at the Dollar Stores last year, but I've yet to see them for this Valentine's Day season.
EDIT: These are on sale now at the Dollar Tree stores.
These are a pretty good fit on the Quest 50mm body tubing.

The new spare parts build - THE SCAVENGER starts tomorrow!

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build FINISHED!

2012-01-11T00:20:00.004-05:00

Many of the points brought up in the RocketReviews.com builds are consistent with my experience.

Matching up the decal color to the red and blue spray paint would be difficult unless you did a custom color and shot it through an airbrush.
The decals are tough. There's many pieces to line up, the stripes are made up of five segments! I have plenty of extra small decals left over. I have no idea where they should go. I tried to match the face card illustration.
Fitting the shroud was difficult, the supplied card stock is too thin. Both the shroud and air scoop should be replaced with thicker card stock.
The body tube shouldn't have been sent out in a kit. I would have looked on it as a "factory second" not suitable for retail sale.

Still in the end, it's a sharp looking rocket!

Astro Baby Rocket Tips

2012-01-10T08:40:00.002-05:00

Astro Baby (on TRF) is building her second rocket kit, the Estes Long Tom.
Astro Baby's first name is Mel, short for Melanie.
Bear in mind, this is her second rocket build. I was amazed at the things she wrote about. These are simple but very smart ideas that an experienced builder could learn from.

Here's some tips from her build:

Tip 1: "Now on the first build I was naive enough to think the template would be the be all and end all of accuracy. It isn't as it's out by a small amount which ended up causing some real headaches when the fins on the 2nd stage had to align with the fins on the booster.

The Estes instructions get you to mark the tubes separately but experience is a good teacher so this time around I joined the tubes together (booster and sustainer tubes) with the tube coupler and marked both tubes while they were coupled."

My comment:
Anyone who ever built the old two-stage Estes Beta could understand the fin alignment problems. Those fins sat directly on top of and fit together. The re-issued Semroc Shrike has the same type of upper and lower fin alignment.

Tip 2: "I always keep all the build waste during assembly which was a life saver on build 1 of this kit as keeping the carrier for the rings allowed me to create a replacement ring from balsa when it was needed."

My comment:
Smart idea to keep the leftover laser cut piece to use as a template to make more rings later on.

Tip 3: "Heres one of the rings being fitted to the engine tube using the card template to ensure the ring is square to the tube."

My comment:
We've all had centering rings with a loose fit on the engine mount tube. Wrapping a rectangular piece of cardstock around the engine mount tube gives you a straight reference line around the tube to set the rings against.

Thanks Mel - Keep the great ideas coming!

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 21 Decal Patching

2012-01-10T07:39:00.005-05:00

You'll probably have some decals that aren't quite long enough.
Save any scrap pieces, you'll need them.

Under the wing fin I had a gap.

A 3" long strip of the blue decal was cut away from where it intersected the launch lug. A small piece of that strip patched the gap.

One of the four red strips is longer than the others. I assumed it was underneath on the scoop side, and lining up with the front edge of the wing fins.

Even though this was the obvious location for the long strip, it still needed a small piece added to meet the blue stripes on both sides.

Orlando R.O.C.K. Launch January 7, 2012 Part 2

2012-01-09T10:31:00.016-05:00

Carl Campbell flew the new Space X FALCON with a B6-4.

This looks to be a well engineered kit, especially around the clear fins.
They snap in place for flight and remove for display.

The sunbeams shine through the fatback and ham hocks on the PIGASUS launch with a C6-5.

Even with the near calm winds it still drifted over the road into the adjacent field. Estimated altitude was 700'.
A dramatic Roger Smith photo.

Carl (DFR Technologies) sets up his DELTA HEAVY.

Even using Quest Q2G2 igniters one of the engines was late at ignition. I've seen a dozen of these Delta Heavy flights, this was the first that didn't make it to apogee. No damage and it'll fly again.

I finally flew the Quest ESCORT with a B6-4.
The added nose weight seemed to insure stability to an altitude of 350'.

Airing out the crispy parachute before flight didn't help it unfurl at ejection.

Who says rocketry is just for boys?

My also flowns:
Carded MINI BERTHA with a A3-4t. At launch I lost sight of it as it rose to an estimated 700'. Eagle-eyed spectators found both parts for me. The Kevlar line had burned through, it's easily repaired.
Carded SATELLITE INTERCEPTOR. A downscale from Bob Harrington. Great flight with a A3-4t engine. Streamer recovery.
CD SPOOL with a C6-3. A fun favorite - Reliable, stable and fast spinning recovery.

Roger Smith gets credit for all the good pictures!

Orlando R.O.C.K. Launch January 7, 2012 Part 1

2012-01-09T09:51:00.014-05:00

Here's what the racks looked like for most of the day! Cool weather, almost no wind and lots of families.
I counted 20 cars, the most I've ever seen at a R.O.C.K. launch.
Edit: I've just been emailed, there was 22 families and 44 attendies!
Brian and Tom have smooth running section launches.

Tom Dennon preps his beautifully made GEMINI TITAN.

This is a complex carded build drawn up by Ton Noteboom.
If I remember correctly, it flew with a two engine B6-4 cluster.

My Quest TOMAHAWK SLCM got the right engine this time, a Estes C6-5.
During boost, the flight is straight. In the coasting stage it corkscrews a bit.
Altitude was an estimated 600 feet.

Ken Cooper brought his new Quest AEROSPACE ONE.

Just like the Quest website copy says: "Slow, impressive lift-offs with a C6-3 engine."

It looks like somebody finally found the correct use for the cup holders on folding chairs.

Launch report continued in Part 2 -
While I took a few pictures, all the good shots came from Roger Smith.
You can see them all HERE

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 20 Decals

2012-01-08T09:53:00.003-05:00

As careful as I was to match the 3/16" mask to the decal, the first red curved decal didn't match the masked back shroud.

To match the width, I had to split the decal. I'll patch it with red decal scraps later on.

The long horizontal stripes are pieced together. There is five separate pieces that have to butt together and stay aligned.

I used my aluminum angle to be sure the edges were parallel to the length of the tube.

The very thin stripes are hard to keep straight.
A strip of paper was wrapped and taped around the body tube for a straight line reference.

Who knows where all the decals go?
There isn't a placement illustration in the instructions. I used the face card picture and guessed. The face card decals (and face card decal placement) don't match some decals supplied in the kit. I had a few decals left when I was done.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 19 Masking

2012-01-08T09:43:00.006-05:00

Sorry, Entry 18 and 19 were out of order. The NEW #18 post is below (this already posted #19) and all is in the right order now.

The red has been shot and this is the mask for the blue.
Once again, I'm using Scotch tape for the line masks. Over the top and around the fins are cut up squares from a grocery bag.

I know now why the instructions never mentioned rounding the fin edges. It'd be much easier to mask square edged fins.

With the tape removed, this is the red side.

And, the blue side.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 18 Masking

2012-01-08T09:38:00.005-05:00

After reading some reviews of the Tomahawk on RocketReviews.com, I knew the mask would be interesting.
Step 18 is a little vague. "Cut a 3/16" strip of masking tape with a hobby knife. Apply the strip of tape even with the top of the right and left fins." Huh?

You've really got to dry wrap the red decal piece to understand the mask.
With the air scoop facing down, a 3/16" strip of tape goes above the root edge of the fins on the left and right side.

The picture shows the rear decal wrapped around the tube. The white line between the red and blue areas is where the mask will connect to.

To be sure my mask would be the correct width, the marked Scotch tape was checked on the decal sheet.
If the width is off just a bit, the decal wraps won't match up.

This is the 3/16" wide tape strip in place.

On the opposite fin, the strip goes above the root edge facing up, not below.

Steve Kristal's Wrap Tutorial

2012-01-07T00:27:00.004-05:00

Steve Kristal (Gus on YORF) recently did a great tutorial on how to apply the self-adhesive wrap in the new Falcon 9 kit being sold by SpaceX.

"Applying wraps to body tubes is fairly easy to do if you remember one guiding principle: Start from the middle, not from the edge!"

The picture tutorial is here:
http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=10456

For years, rocket instructions have had you draw a line down the body tube and start applying the wrap by placing one long edge down that line.
The problem is, the wrap doesn't always match up smoothly by the time you've gone around the tube!

Steve's method starts at the MIDDLE of the wrap and works out to the edges.
This is a smarter way to get a adhesive wrap on a body tube. Thanks Steve!

Launch! Schoolyard January 5, 2012

2012-01-06T00:19:00.005-05:00

Florida finally got some cold weather this week.
I have a Orlando R.O.C.K. Section launch in two days, but sometimes get the itch to fly between club launches.

1/2A engines really get respectable altitudes in BT-5 models. I would guess the carded downscale ASTRO 1 reached 500' with the MPC 1/2A3-5m engine.
There was LOTS of old engine smoke in the delay so it was easy to track until ejection.
It drifted to the West and landed in the street. Parents were driving their kids to school and I expected to find it run over by a car.
It landed in the gutter out of traffic and had a slight bend in one fin.

The Custom NOMAD had a straight boost to 300' with an Estes B6-4 engine.
The garbage bag parachute opened without problem.
My rod angle was now correct, it drifted back to within 10' of the launcher.

Even though the blog build continues, the Quest TOMAHAWK is finished. It had it's first flight with a B6-4.
I'd let the "crispy" Quest parachute air out before launch. It was cold this morning and I did want it to open.
The Quest instructions say it'll reach 280' so I'll go with that!
Launch was vertical with a tight corkscrew during boost.
Good flight, but this draggy rocket is best suited for a C6-5.

Also flown:
My well-worn MMX SKY WRITER downscale. I had trouble getting this one to ignite. The igniter seemed fine and the batteries were fresh. After four adjustments, I switched out the igniter and it finally flew.
The small streamer did eject but didn't unfurl. One fin popped off on landing, an easy repair.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 17 Paint Match

2012-01-06T00:16:00.002-05:00

I'd read reviews where other builder's have had problems matching the paint colors to the decals.

The cap on the Rustoleum 2X red is a pretty good match to the red on the decal.
I took the decal sheet to Home Depot and the Navy Blue looks to be a near match.
I hate buying a new can of paint for a "one shot". I doubt I'll ever use this blue again on another rocket. But for $3.77 it won't break the bank.

The instructions simply say to spray the rocket red and blue.

This picture is from the Quest website.
It looks like the catalog builder had problems matching up the red paint to the red in the decals.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 16 Air Scoop

2012-01-05T10:10:00.006-05:00

TIP: While the glue is not quite dry, you can coax any bulging out of the slightly wet glued card stock with a toothpick.
At the back of the scoop at the point of the fold, both sides wouldn't lay flat.

A view from the front of the air scoop.
Titebond Molding and Trim Glue was used for fillets here.
There was a small gap where the turned in tabs met the body tube.

The outside of the scoop got a coat of CA applied with a Q-Tip.
Normally I'd put the CA on the inside surfaces of a shroud. But gluing the reinforcement pieces and curving the shroud prevented this.

After adding reinforcement cardstock pieces and a brush of CA, this shroud feels like it's made of thin plastic.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 15 Air Scoop

2012-01-05T10:04:00.002-05:00

The paint will have to be scraped down to the bare tube for the best glue bond.
After positioning the scoop, it was traced around with a sharp pencil.

The picture shows the scoop moved away from the pencil line.

The paint was scraped inside and up to the pencil line with a hobby knife.
That was followed with some light 220 grit sanding.

After gluing, this is the scoop view from the back.
Pre-forming the scoop (with the dowel in your hand) really helps get a good fit on the body tube curvature.

Notice the left rear (long) side of the scoop.
The card stock will tend to bow out a bit.
See the next post for a tip.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 14 Air Scoop

2012-01-04T06:03:00.003-05:00

From the kit bag, the air scoop was printed on thin cardstock. Too thin for me.
I scanned and reprinted it on 110 lb. cardstock.

Still, I felt it needed to be a bit thicker.
I always print off a couple of shrouds, this time I did print off a few air scoops.
From the extras, I cut out sides and top pieces, my cut lines were inside the indicated fold lines.
In the picture at the right you can see the pencil lines drawn to the sides of the dashed fold lines.
These cut pieces will be glued inside the scoop, centered between the fold lines.
With the reinforcement pieces to the sides of the fold lines, they won't interfere with the folds of the outside cardstock.

This is Brian Urban's Quest Tomahawk from the last Tampa TTRA launch. Brian is one of the better builders I've seen in a long time.
He ditched the cardstock and made his air scoop out of plastic. Check out the scoop curvature, it's closer to scale.

Here's the final shape of my stronger cardstock shroud.
I decided to turn the gluing tabs inside.
The outside curvature was made by rolling over the scoop with a dowel in the palm of my hand.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 13 Re-Gluing the Upper Fins

2012-01-03T06:00:00.004-05:00

The wing fins were cut off without too much difficulty.
You can forget about reusing the launch lug!
You are best off trimming it down to the surface, not trying to cut it off at once.

Here's what's left of the launch lug fillet on the wing fin.
This was trimmed and sanded down to the surface with 220 grit.

The wing fins and new launch lug were glued on again, this time facing the right direction. Next time I'll check the illustration in the instructions instead of following the (normal) balsa grain direction parallel to the leading edge!

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 12 Gluing the Fins

2012-01-03T05:50:00.008-05:00

Sorry I missed the blog posts yesterday! I was in transit and am home now.
Things should be back on track for the time being.

The fins were glued onto the shroud.
I found myself gluing the fins upside down. Be sure you check the balsa grain direction and the illustrations to get it right.

One fin glues directly on the shroud seam. I sanded the seam down as much as possible for a smoother gluing surface.
I ended up using the thicker Titebond Molding and Trim Glue to fill the gap.
White glue fillets followed.

Here's the upper wings in place.
Do you see my mistake?
The grain on the forward fins DOES NOT run parallel to the leading edge!
I'll have to cut, remove and re-glue them.

The 2" long launch lug is glued to the side of a wing fin.
It is centered along the root edge.

TIP: Draw center ticks at the mid point of the lug and wing root edge.
This is a quicker way to center something rather than measuring the overhang on both sides.

I found this profile view of the real Tomahawk.
Look how long the wing fins are!

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 11 Fin Glue Prep

2012-01-01T10:29:00.002-05:00

The fins were cut from 1/8" balsa.
The instructions never say to round the edges, maybe they were looking for "squared" sharp edges. But, at this thickness, they looked clumsy.
After the previous filling and priming, I rounded the leading, trailing and outside edges. I'll have to refill and prime the fins again.
The fin on the left is square, the fin on the right is rounded.

Because I had problems with the body tube roughness, I went ahead and primed, then sprayed a white coat to be sure it was smooth.
This is not the best way to get a good glue bond, so the paint will be sanded down to the tube at the fin locations.
I used 220 grit on a block trying to sand a thin rectangle about 1/4" wide. Any roughness to the sides of the root edge should be covered with the fillets.

These four lower fins glue right to the shroud. It's hard to see in the picture, but the white paint was carefully sanded down to the card stock shroud surface. You can barely see what's left of the penciled fin alignment lines.

Five inches up from the top of the boat tail are the rear of the forward wings.
When the paint was sanded down I cut into the tube layers again.
Luckily this will all be covered by the wing and fillets.

Quest Tomahawk Build Part 10 Shroud Form and Fill

2012-01-01T10:25:00.001-05:00

While the glued edge is still wet, the card stock shroud is pliable.
Use a clean dowel to roll over the edge. You can mold the card stock for a better fit around the tube.

To fill the seam, thinned CWF is brushed on.
Here I'm using my thumb to direct the line of CWF over the open seam and removing some of the excess.

This is the seam after sanding down the filler with 400 grit sandpaper.

Cruise Update - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-31T15:27:00.006-05:00

I'm at a Starbuck's in Cozumel, Mexico.
The internet connections actually work here!
So I've got a little time to catch up build questions and correspondence.

My show went very well, I can only hope it leads to more work in the next year. The cruise lines have cut WAY back on entertainment.

While on board, I'm working on a carded model of the Satellite Interceptor drawn up by Bob Harrington. Carded models pack flat and are perfect for building when on the road. This model might be featured on the blog.

If you don't see a blog post in the next day or so, it's because the ship internet wasn't working or my internet card ran out of time! I'll be back home on Jaunary 3.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 9 Shroud Fitting

2011-12-31T00:21:00.003-05:00

This shows the new tape width and position to allow clearance for the stiffening ring inside the shroud.

I ended up adding cardstock strips all the way around the rings for a better fit. One thickness of 110 lb. cardstock gave a better fit.

The Quest instructions show a gap between the wide end of the shroud and the lower centering ring. I felt with that gap there wouldn't be any support for the top edge of the shroud. I slid the shroud up and slightly over the cardstock wraps on the centering ring.
If done like in the Quest instructions, there would be a hollow area under the top of the shroud. It would be nearly impossible to get the shroud edge glued properly to the end of the main tube.

A ring of glue was applied inside the tube and around the cardstock strips.
The entire mount was slid in place.

If you left a gap between the end of the shroud and the lower centering ring, your engine mount tube will be flush with the small end of the shroud. In this build the engine mount tube extends out the bottom of the shroud by about 1/8".

Note the length of the slot for the engine hook.
The supplied shroud has a small notch for the hook. It was too small! When the hook is lifted, it would tear the shroud.
The top of the new, longer notch is 1/2" from the bottom of the shroud.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 8 Shroud Support Ring

2011-12-31T00:17:00.002-05:00

In Step 6, a stiffener ring is glued inside the shroud.
Cut a notch for the engine hook. It'll be too tight a fit otherwise.
Be ready, it'll take a few tries to get it straight.

Use very little glue in the fillet. White glue could shrink it up and leave a ring.
I applied the glue with a toothpick tip. The excess was removed with a Q-tip.

After the white glue fillet dries, a medium CA coat was added using a Q-tip.
This hardens up the cardstock and after drying makes it feel like thin plastic.

Keep the CA coat away from the edges where you'll be using white glue later.
White glue won't stick very well to the edges if the CA glue has sealed up the cardstock.

I noticed a "gotcha" coming up.
The instructions have you use a tape wrap to hold the engine hook in place.
With the tape as the picture shows, you'll never get the shroud over it!

Cut the width of the tape in half and move the tape forward against the lower centering ring.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 7 New Shroud

2011-12-30T10:48:00.003-05:00

I needed a new shroud, the supplied shroud won't fit around the new ST-7 motor mount tube.

Go to www.payloadbay.com and then to "tools".
At the shroud tool input the measurements:
Tube 1 = 1.57" (The Quest 40mm tube)
Tube 2 = .759" (The ST-7 engine mount tube)
Length = 2.16" (The height of the Tomahawk boat tail shroud.

The outside shroud lines were extended forward until they crossed.
Using the fin marking lines on the wide end of the original shroud, tick marks were made for the fin lines.
These tick marks were extended to the intersection of the extended outside lines.

A test fit of the shroud showed it was a little wide at the top. I carefully sanded down diameter.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 6 Air Scoop

2011-12-30T10:44:00.002-05:00

Jumping ahead to Step 14:
I scanned the supplied air scoop and printed two on some thicker 110 lb. cardstock.
The fold lines were scored using the backside of a razor blade and a straightedge.
Notice I've taped over the sharp side with a few wraps of masking tape.

I used the edge of my metal straitedge to fold on the scored lines.

This is the finished air scoop ready to be glued on the body tube.

Quest Tomahawk Build Part 5 Cleaning Up Parts

2011-12-29T08:39:00.002-05:00

After sanding down the raised nose cone mold seams, there was still some seams below the surface.
These got a bead of medium CA and allowed to dry.
The CA will stay in the seams after sanding down with 220 grit then 400 grit sandpaper.

Sorry Quest, but this had to be the worst body tube I've ever seen in a kit.
There was a wide open seam at one end. Halfway down the tube that same seam was now an overlap I tried to sand down.
Enlarge the picture and you can see how the thin outside layer was, nearly sanding through when trying to remove the overlap.

I've built too many kits over the years. You shouldn't have to spend this much time getting all the supplied parts to fit correctly right out of the bag.
So far the centering rings were too large for the blue engine mount tube. Then they had to be built up to fit the main tube.
The nose cone is too loose in the main tube.
The main body tube is of poor quality, seams and overlaps.
The card stock for the tail cone and air scoop is too thin.

Quest Tomahawk Build Part 4 Nose Cone

2011-12-29T08:34:00.003-05:00

Skipping ahead to Step 16 you need to cut a hole in the nose cone base to install the clay weight.

Instead of just hacking a hole in the base, draw your cut lines first.
A razor saw can cut quick sometimes, depending on how thick the blow-molded plastic is. Cut slow and follow your pencil lines.

I ended up cutting inside the pencil lines. The drawn hole just looked larger than I thought at first.

After running over the rough edges with a sanding block, I also rounded off the corners to lessen the chance of tearing a thinner plastic area. A sharp cut might tear at ejection.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 3 Engine Mount

2011-12-28T10:02:00.003-05:00

The engine block was notched for a better fit over the top bend of the engine hook.

Even with the better fit over the ST-7 tube, the centering rings were hard to get straight.

TIP: Use the back end of your straightedge for a true 90 degree angle. Turn the tube and check the ring against the straightedge.

The instructions say to glue the upper ring flush with the end of the engine mount tube.

I'd rather glue it about 1/16" back so I can use glue fillets on both sides of the ring. Gluing the ring in this new position doesn't effect the fit of any upcoming parts or assembly.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 2 Engine Mount

2011-12-28T09:59:00.002-05:00

Part C is the blue engine mount tube.
It's much longer than the parts illustration shows.

The test fit of the supplied centering rings wasn't good.
The upper ring is on a ST-7 tube.

The lower blue tube from the kit shows the loose fit of the centering ring.
I'm substituting the ST-7 tube. It's thicker and stronger than the blue tube and the rings have a correct fit.
I know the supplied shroud won't fit the ST-7 tube, but I was going to make a new shroud from 110 lb. card stock anyway.

The supplied engine block needed a wrap of card stock to fit the new ST-7 engine mount tube.
A strip was cut and glued on with a glue stick.

Quest Tomahawk SLCM Build Part 1 Parts

2011-12-27T09:24:00.001-05:00

This is one I picked up on EBay.
I read the build reviews on RocketReviews.com so I would know what to expect.
The centering rings are thicker than what I've seen on some other Quest kits.
The engine hook is spring steel! It doesn't bend when flexed.
So far, things are looking good.

These are the parts of interest:
The clay weight weighs in at .52 oz.
The blue engine mount tube is too thin for me. I'll probably replace that with something thicker.
The decal sheet is LARGE!
The fins are laser cut from very stiff balsa.
The tail shroud and scoop are printed on thin card stock. I'll scan and print them new on 110 lb. stock.

LAUNCH! Schoolyard December 25, 2011

2011-12-27T09:19:00.001-05:00

What do you mean? Doesn't everybody celebrate Christmas morning with a launch? It's been overcast for the past few mornings. Today at 7:00 a.m. it was clear and calm.

In the past, The Quest ESCORT AS-1 had been stable every other flight. I added a little clay nose weight.
The boost was perfect to 250' with an Estes A8-3 but the Quest parachute didn't open at ejection. It landed on the grass just one foot away from the basketball courts. Stable with no damage at recovery.

The Quest STRIKER AGM flew to 350' with an Estes B6-4.
With this engine it would be a great demo bird for small fields.

Full parachute this time, caught before it hit the ground.

My clone of the Centuri NOMAD didn't get an altitude worth writing about with a 13mm A10-3t engine, maybe 250'.
Still, a clean boost, stable and full parachute at ejection.

The winds were calm enough for my prototype Odd'l Rockets CYCLONE.
After a boost with a 1/2A3-2t, the top half monocopter landed after 20 seconds of fast spinning.

Also flown:
The ASP MMX JAYHAWK. Straight, high boost with break-apart recovery.

New Year's Week Cruise

2011-12-26T09:06:00.001-05:00

I'll be doing my show on the Holland America Ryndam from December 26 through January 2.

I have plenty of blog entries prepared as drafts so I should be good to go! Then again, I might be held back by the ship's crappy satellite Internet reception. So bear with me and keep your fingers crossed!

Next up - The Quest Tomahawk SLCM
Get ready, this build will be a bumpy ride!

Quest AS-1 Escort Revisited

2011-12-26T09:02:00.002-05:00

I've only flown the Quest Escort AS-1 one time.
I looked back on my July 7th flight on RocketReviews.com.

Here's what I wrote:
Not very stable. The rocket flew off at an angle with some wiggle in the back end.
The recommended Quest A6-4 delay was too long. The rocket was coming in nose down for a second before the parachute blew. An A8-3 would be a better choice.
I'll add some weight to the nose cone. 1/10th an ounce of clay should do it. (Who knows, I'm making a guess.)

A hole was drilled in the base of the one piece molded nose cone.
The clay was "wormed" into place and tamped into the tip with a dowel.

This time around, I'll test it with an A8-3.
You can see the finished Escort model HERE

Mars Snooper Finished!

2011-12-26T08:58:00.002-05:00

Decal printing will have to wait. I didn't want to use up a full sheet by only printing 1/3 of it.

This was a harder build than I thought it would be. Aligning the shrouds and getting the vanes on in a different color presented some challenges.
Masking the upper body tube took time but the final results were worth the effort.

One day I'll get the nerve to fly this one. For now it's a shelf queen.

Mars Snooper Build Part 31 Assembly

2011-12-25T00:16:00.003-05:00

All eight nozzle vanes were glued in place on the masked lines.
This was the look I was hoping for, a high contrast that draws attention to all the nozzle detail.
In the Estes catalog pictures, the nozzles and vanes were painted black. From a few feet away you wouldn't notice the vanes at all.

The Centuri Laser X showed the same treatment in their catalogs.
I liked the look and thought it would work well on the Snooper.
I'd built this Laser X when I got back into rocketry a few years back.
The Laser X has 12 vanes around the engine mount tube.

The lead weight goes all the way to the top, screwed into the nose cone with a second screw eye.

I used a tri-fold mount for the 30" shock cord, I was trying to keep the vintage build feel. The original kit had an 18" parachute. Until I get one of the new printed Estes chutes, a 15" mylar chute was installed.

Quote of the Day!

2011-12-25T00:14:00.000-05:00

This about sums up why I fly rockets:

"These weren’t clunky plastic toys powered by vinegar and baking soda, or a rubber slingshot;
they were actual rockets that ascended on a pillar of smoke and flame." Stefan Jones

This quote came from an article Mr. Jones wrote for MAKE Magazine, you can read it HERE

Removing Small Oversprays

2011-12-24T00:17:00.002-05:00

It never fails - You can be careful with your masking, but paint can still find a
way to the surface.

You could scrape it with a knife blade, but that would leave a divot in the paint and dull the sheen.

After the paint has thoroughly dried, I use a white eraser to remove the bulk of the black over spray. Use a white eraser, a pink eraser on the back end of a pencil will transfer pink color onto the finish.
Be sure your white eraser is clean! Rub the eraser on your pant leg to remove any gray pencil residue.

After using the eraser, the surface will be dulled and there still may be a few stubborn specs of paint.
Follow up with polishing compound to remove any remaining marks and return the surface to a gloss finish.

Mars Snooper Build Part 30 Upper Mask

2011-12-24T00:13:00.004-05:00

This is one of the three sides with the Scotch tape in place.
The black marked side is facing in. The cut "tapered arrow" point is on the inside.
It takes some time to get the strips straight. Sight from the rear to be sure the tape goes in a straight line.

The remaining open area in the center gets a long triangle of masking tape.
To keep any over spray out of the tube, an engine casing on a dowel goes in the rear. A rolled piece of paper slides in the top.

I went to Home Depot with an old Estes catalog in hand to match the blue on the Mars Snooper catalog picture.
After all the masking was removed, here's the result.
The point of the triangle is centered. The angle of the picture makes it look a little off.