Steampunk Protostar #21 - Let The Detailing Begin !

Now it is time to start the good stuff - super-detailing the Protostar's freshly completed fins with the application of riveted panels. 

To accomplish this, I intend to use a method which I have never attempted before on any model rocket build.  I'm definitely in uncharted territory here.

The plan is to model individual panels with tiny rivet detail using adhesive Avery label material.  The panels will be individually made and affixed to the fin surfaces.  I'm figuring that this level of detail will be better accomplished before the fins are glued to the body and pods.

Here is a pic of the full-sheet labels. 

The first step in construction is to trace the entire fin outline on the back of one of the label sheets.

 

Starting with the root edge of the fin, I mark and draw lines that will define the panels themselves. I arbitrarily chose panel widths of one inch.  The layout, therefore will call for three vertical panels on each fin surface.

Next, I draw two lines on either side of each panel line, 2mm away.  These will be the guidelines for the rivet detail.  Note that I am not applying any rivet lines to the fin root edge or the opposite edge that will be glued to the fin pods.  These areas will be covered with other details later on, so rivets are unnecessary.

Now marks are made where each rivet will go along the guidelines.  I arbitrarily chose one-tenth inch spacing between rivets.  (Kind of odd that I'm going back and forth between English and metric dimensions in this process.  That's just quirky old me!) 

Again, no rivets are marked within about 5mm of the leading and trailing edges of the fins because of future detailing.

Before making the actual rivets, a little work needs to be done on the tool to be used. 

I'm going with a medium sized dental pick-type tool with which to poke the rivets in the label material.  To prevent the tool from merely punching holes through the paper, I blunt the tip with a small needle file, and try to form a rounded point.  This particular tool will give me rivets that are less than 1mm in diameter!



The other important concern is the surface on which I will be poking the rivet detail.  I chose a block of very high density fiber board, because of its extremely hard and smooth surface.  A piece of melamine covered MDF would work just as well. Any surface material softer than these would only allow the small dental pick tip to poke all the way through the label material, making holes rather than simulated rivets.

Now, carefully lining up the tool tip with one of the rivet marks on the back of the label sheet, I press downward with even pressure to make the rivet, keeping the tool perfectly vertical.  I use both hands on the pick for better control.

There is kind of a trick to doing this - enough pressure needs to be applied to make a nice dimple (rivet) protruding on the label side of the sheet, but not so much that the tool pokes all of the way through the paper.  Even trickier is to make all of the subsequent rivets on the line uniform in size and depth.  I practiced - a lot - on scrap label material until I could guage by feel how much pressure it took to make consistently good rivets, before attempting this on the actual model panels.

TIP: This type of precision work is better done while viewing through a bench mounted magnifier lamp. If you don't have one already, I highly recommend purchasing one for all of your modeling work.  Especially if you're an old geezer like me, who's eyesight ain't what it used to be!

Here's a pic of a completed rivet row as it appears on the label side of the sheet..  Not precisely perfect, but satisfactory.

Once all of the rivets are applied to the entire fin profile, the panels will be cut apart and applied to the fin surface.

But that's another post.

Cheers!

Steampunk Protostar #20 - Re-Visiting The Fins

Even though the fins for the Protostar are going to be completely covered with riveted panel detailing, I will still fill the grain and sand them out. 
The panels are to be made from self-adhesive Avery label material, so I want to have a smooth, even surface for proper adherence.

Before sealing the fins, the trailing edges are rounded over.
Sanding a round-over on curved fins is somewhat tricky.  A flat sanding block is not effective here, so the job is better done using some medium grit sandpaper wrapped around a motor casing.

The leading edges will remain squared for reasons I will address in a future post.

Now, the usual coat of brushed-on thinned CWF is applied and the fins are sandwiched between waxed paper and plate glass to dry without warping.

Followed by the ever-popular task of sanding, filling, sanding....etc. until all of the grain is taken care of.



The next task is to finish the decorative holes in the fins.  At this point, they are still a bit ragged from drilling, and are now filled with excess CWF.

A variety of Dremel sanding tips and shop-made sanding sticks (fine sandpaper wrapped around dowels)are used here to restore roundness and to smooth things out.

Before I get too much further with the fines, I want to make sure that the edges to be glued to the pods are correctly shaped.

To check this, I hold the fin and pod up to a light and align them to their proper position.  If I see light between the joint, that means there are some high points that need to be sanded down in order to make everything even for glue bonding.

Sure enough, even though the fins are laser cut, I find they don't precisely match the pod profile.

Extremely light passes are made with fine sandpaper on the high points, checking against the light frequently. 

Now, the fins are ready for rivet-panel detailing.

An Interesting Lunar Patrol Photo Sequence !

While I was pulling a still frame out of the Lunar Patrol flight video I took on my Android phone last Sunday, October 21st, I noticed something very unusual -

At ignition, the starter plug struck the launcher and bounced straight up alongside of the rocket !  It appears in each frame of this series of pictures of the launch....

Launch Date: 21 October, 2018 - ..And Then There Were Three...

...Old BARs, that is....

Nearly perfect model rocket flying weather prevailed as James Gazur, Mike Goss, and myself converged on Dove Valley Regional Park in Centennial, Colorado to poke some holes in the sky.
Upon arriving at the field, we found that there were two soccer games in progress, so we commandeered the other half of the field, placing our launchers at the upwind end, and where the slight breezes present would not carry any of our models in the direction of the games.









Mike started things off with a launch of  a nice looking Semroc Lune R-1, which turned in a picture perfect flight.

This was followed by my old flagship Hornet for its 41st launch.
This one went very well except for a broken shock cord at ejection.  The booster lawn-darted while the payload section came down on the parachute.  Both pieces were recovered intact.


Next up was Jim Gazur's 13mm motor rocket/glider based on Kevin Wickert's 'Mediocre Fred' design. Jim's model is nicely built with a carbon fiber boom and unique airfoil. The maiden flight was on a 1/2A3-2T. The model had a bit too much lift, arcing over and pranging.  Damage was minimal, and Jim figured to have it ready for another flight after a little super-glue and elevator trimming.

My two grandkids and their dad showed up to participate in the launch session. I had brought along a couple of the kids' rockets, so the next launch belonged to my grandson's recently assembled Estes Bandit.  Equipped with a crepe streamer, the model turned in a really nice flight.  I'm actually impressed at how well these E2X plastic-finned beginners models perform. 
Elegant simplicity....

By this time, Jim had the first of one of his plastic model conversions on the pad - a Revell 1/56 scale Bomarc .  The model boosted nicely on A10-3T power, but experienced a little difficulty with parachute deployment. Only a couple of tail surfaces were slightly damaged on landing.

Mike Goss soon had a very interesting boost /glider prepped to fly - An Edmonds Aerospace 'Deltie'.  This is a delta wing glider with a very unusual open wing design.  The model boosted nicely on a 1/2A3-2T.  At ejection, the glider separated and began a lazy, well trimmed, circling glide right overhead.  The model landed gently nearby.  Beautiful flight!

Encouraged by Mike's excellent glider flight, I deemed it was time to break out my recently built Lunar Patrol for its long-anticipated maiden flight.

Upon ignition, the model boosted straight up to about 400 feet on a B4-2 motor, ejected its parachute, and deployed both gliders perfectly.  The delta wings floated in very stable glide patterns downwind to the far end of the field. One of the gliders was so well trimmed that it stayed aloft for well over two minutes.  Not bad for a delta. All parts were successfully returned by the expert recovery crew.




A Revell 1/40 scale Nike Hercules was Jim Gazur's next model to leave the pad. The nice looking model was boosted by an A10-3T motor, but was a bit to heavy and draggy.  The model lawn darted just as the ejection charge went off.

















Next up on my own 'mission agenda' was the maiden flight of the newly built FlatCat boost/glider.
The model boosted nice and straight on a B4-2 motor.
After ejection, the glider seemed to hang up on the pod.  I was expecting a 'Red Baron', but after a couple of seconds it broke loose and immediately settled into a stable glide.
The glide trim on the FlatCat was absolutely perfect!
Too perfect, in fact....







The slight wind began carrying the bird downfield, without too much perceptible sink rate.  Obviously, there was some thermal action going on up there. 

Realizing this bird was going to go a long ways, I began giving chase.  The model flew well out of the park boundary and continued on, still at a respectable altitude. I crossed the parking lot and the adjacent street before losing sight of the glider. 

Walking about another half mile across a large weedy field, I was stopped by a high chain link fence proclaiming 'NO TRESPASSING'.  Ah, yes, the boundary of Centennial Airport.  I know the FlatCat flew well into that area, not to be retrieved. 

Sadly, this is my first model loss since becoming a BAR.  It was bound to happen sooner or later.  I still have the pop-pod, however, so it won't be much of a problem to build another glider. 

I am still amazed that a FlatCat would turn in such a great performance. 

I hope G. Harry was looking down on that one....and smiling....






Meanwhile, during the time I was away chasing after the Flatcat, Jim and Mike continued launching.

Jim flew his rebuilt Heller 1/125 scale Ariane plastic conversion model, this time using a D12-3 motor.   The flight went very well.  Unfortunately, I was not there to take the usual photos and/or flight video, so I don't have any pics to post of this flight.

Next up, Mike Goss launched a nice Fliskits Overdrive for an excellent flight using 1/2A3 -4T power.  He later flew the model for a second successful run.

Soon after, Jim  was back in the action again with yet another fine plastic model conversion. This one was his Pegasus 1/48 scale V-2, the same one he flew at Castle Rock back in September.  Today the model flew very nicely on a B6-2 motor, and was recovered intact.  Again, I didn't get any pics on this one either, as the flight took place while I was still out trying to catch that 'dern fool' FlatCat....

The next bird to go on the pad was Mike's nicely built Estes Vector Force.  The model turned in an excellent flight on a B6-4 motor.  This would be Mike's final launch of the day, but kudos to him for achieving 100% success rate on all of his launches!

Nearby, Jim was prepping a larger model.  He describes the model as a "generic test-bed vehicle for testing a dual deployment system".  Utilizing a Perfectflite Stratologger CF altimeter to activate a cable cutter on the main chute at a predetermined altitude, the model was powered by a D12-5 motor.
Things didn't quite work out as planned when the cutter fired but failed to cut the cable.  The model still recovered successfully on a partially opened parachute.

Next up was my two stage model consisting of a Centuri Star Trooper atop an open air gap booster stage.
The model lifted off on a nice straight-up trajectory, but there was no staging action...until about three seconds into the flight.  The Trooper's motor iginted at a fairly high altitude, and the bird arced over toward the north.  The ejection smoke was visible, but there was no sign of a descending rocket or streamer after that.  Both the Trooper and booster stage went un-recovered.  Two lost models in one day??? Sheesh !
Later I discovered that I had mistakenly installed an A10-3T in the booster stage instead of the intended A10-0T.  Oops!  That explains the delayed upper stage ignition.  Anyway, the mission objective was successful in that I confirmed operation of open gap staging suitable for a planned upcoming WAC Corporal / Tiny Tim scale build.

The final flight of the day went to Jim Gazur's 'Mediocre Fred' R/G, all patched up from the previous flight and adjustments made to boost phase trim.
This time the model  flew perfectly straight up, but failed to pull out of a dive and pranged again, this time damaging the motor pod.  Jim was still delighted with the flight as it is a 'proof-of -concept' design for a future R/C controlled version. 

With this done, it was time to pack up and head home, smelling of BP and chute powder.  Today's launch session netted a total of seventeen model rocket flights in a two hour time span.  Not bad for a trio of old geezers and a crack recovery crew of grand-kiddoes!

-Ed

NAR 60th Year Reunion, Part 18 - A Very Cool Steampunk Rocket!

This post about the reunion is a tad bit late.

I had taken this photo at the event of this rocketeer and his very impressive upscale 'Steampunk' Orion Starfighter. 

Unfortunately, I had forgotten the gentleman's name, and his name tag in the photo is not very clear.
I didn't want to post this pic without the accompanying information.

After doing a little sleuthing and querying on one of the rocket forums, I learned that the gentleman's name is Steve Riegel. 

I found his name and email address on the list of reunion attendees, also noting that he is affiliated with COSROCs.  That means he lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a mere hop and a skip from where I live in Castle Rock!  (Well, actually a 40 mile drive...I do not hop or skip...).

Anyway, I established email contact with Steve yesterday, and he replied back.

The model Steve is holding is highly detailed, featuring MANY rivets made from carefully applied glue spots. 

Steve stated that Vern Estes signed the model at the reunion, and the authors of a Steampunk Rocketry article published in Sport Rocketry Magazine autographed it the next day.

"It had one final flight with good results and is now honorably retired.", wrote Steve.

I'm very pleased that I was able to find the info to post this (thanks Nytrunner!). 

Very fitting, as well, since the BlastFromThePast Blog has kinda' been all about 'steampunkery' as of late.

Nice work, Steve!

-Cheers

No Model Rocketry This Past Weekend...

We received our first Colorado snowfall over the weekend, and even hit a record low temperature.
This is a pic out my back patio door as I wistfully watched the snow fall, wishing I could be out flying rockets, instead.  Had to stay inside and torture myself by watching the Broncos lose....again.
(Sigh)
At least I did get some basement shop time in, if nothing more than cleaning and organizing.

Steampunk Protostar #19 - Marking The Parts

Moving right along on the Protostar.....

Marking the body tube....

I have made two marking guides for the Protostars's main tube.

One is for the fins and launch lug, the other for sectioning off areas for simulated riveted panels.









First, I will mark out the lines defining the long sides of the riveted panels.  The body tube circumference will be divided into eight sections for these particular details.

Marks are transferred onto the tube from the guide.













The eight lines are extended the full length of the tube.
I am using a metal shelf standard as a line guide.  This 'U' shaped strip is ideal, as it aligns easily along the curvature of any body tube.  Definitely a huge improvement over the drawer / door sill method.










I must now consult my concept drawing of the Steampunk Protostar.

I note that there are three major sections between the nose and the leading edges of the fins. Each section is defined by a simulated riveted steel band.

A quick measurement of the body tube reveals that I can make each section 3-1/2" in length (that's 89mm for you metric nuts), to get close to the appearance in the drawing.















Using the edge of the marking guide, the lines are traced around the circumference of the tube in the prescribed locations.





Now, the fin and launch lug lines can be marked at the aft end of the tube, using the appropriate guide.

Steampunk Protostar #18 - Making Custom Marking Guides

Now I have arrived at the part of the Steampunk Protostar build where I can cram the kit instructions into the glove box, make a sharp right turn off of the normal 'Model Rocket Interstate', kick the build into Four Wheel Drive, and do a little off-roading!

It's time to immerse myself into the rugged, uncharted territory of Steampunk detailing.

The first step is to mark out the main body tube for the location of the following items:

• Riveted panels
• Fins
• Launch Lugs
• Various surface details

In my rocket-building world, I usually don't use the fin marking guides that come with the kits.
Instead, out comes a piece of typing paper which is cut to size and carefully wrapped around the tube.
A mark is made on the factory-cut edge at the exact point where the paper overlaps.








The paper is then unrolled and a precise measurement of this circumference distance is made using a digital caliper.

The trusty slide rule is pulled out to divide the measured distance by the number of required segments.  In the case of the Protostar fins, I am dividing by three.

















This new dimension is then marked on the guide, again using a digital caliper. I do not mark out all of the segments on the guide.  You will see why in a moment.
The new precision guide is now taped securely and evenly around the body tube, and the two guide marks transferred to the tube surface.
















I then rotate the guide until the first mark on the guide lines up with the second mark made on the tube. Another mark is made at the next location.

This process is followed all the way around the tube.  If the marks on the guide were made correctly to begin with, the final marks should line up exactly.  This means that the marks are equidistant around the tube.
If, perhaps, that final mark doesn't quite line up, the guide can be adjusted slightly, and the tube re-marked.  (That's remarkable!)

A quick note:  I have made such marking guides for nearly every sized Estes body tube, both three and four finned varieties. These are a permanent part of my 'jigs and  fixtures' box.

One quick question:  Does anyone ever keep gloves in the 'glove box' of their car any more?

One more thing...I didn't really use the slide rule.....