A quick aside - I'm trying to train myself to abandon some of the model rocketry terminology that was engrained in my brain back in the 70s, and start using the more modern versions. Things like 'nose' instead of 'nose cone'; 'motor' rather than 'engine' (though Estes still uses 'engine' in their literature); and 'starter' as opposed to 'igniter'. Old habits die hard, and you will probably still see some of the old stuff here on the blog. But I'm trying.
There is nothing particularly unique about prepping the Protostar nose co....er...nose.
One item that the instructions didn't address is filing down the recovery attachment eye after the mold flashing is removed. There will be remnants of a sharp line of plastic that, if left in place, could cut into the shock cord over time and cause a failure.. A little work with a small needle file takes care of this. A bit of scraping with an X-Acto blade takes care of the nose's molding seams.
The Protostar kit comes with three pats of clay for nose weight.
Since the hole in the nose base is fairly large, the clay pats are quite easy to install and tamp in place with a half inch dowel.
Rinse and Repeat 2 more times.
A little bit of CA is dripped into the cone to help hold the clay in place.
All done!
That's a fairly heave nose.
Next post - It's on to yet more plastic parts sub-assembly - fin pod prep.
Hi Ed,
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying the Protostar build. A quick tip - Try scraping down the plastic mold lines using the back (not the sharpened side) of your X-Acto knife. The flat back of the blade works like a cabinet scraper and you don't dull up a good blade.
Thanks! Will try it with the backside.
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