Steampunk Protostar, Part 27 - Building The Launch Lug Standoffs

Now that the launch lugs themselves are completed, it's time to fashion the fancy standoff mounts.

To start off, two scrap pieces of 1/8 thick balsa are laminated together.

Once dry, four standoff blanks are carefully cut from the stock.  The lengths of the pieces are 10mm to match the mounting ring on the lugs.  The standoff widths are cut equal to the width of the riveted panels that will be applied to the main airframe, 1/8 the circumference of the body tube.

Center lines are drawn across the front and rear edges of each of the standoffs.  These are meant to be a reference for shape sanding.

Because the standoffs will conform to the curvature of the body tube, a sheet of medium grit sandpaper is wrapped around the Protostar nose cone base to make a jig for shaping the balsa wood parts.
Keeping the pieces perfectly aligned, they are carefully sanded until the apex of the curve reaches the reference line.

 

The sanded lugs are checked for fit on the body tube and marks are made for launch lug placement.

Using a sanding block, the tops of the standoffs receive a curved surface as well.

Here are the four finished standoffs.

And, the completed glued-up launch lug assemblies.  I had to be very careful with this step, in that the lugs have to be precisely aligned.

Whew...I'm feeling a bit standoff-ish today!

Perhaps a can of Mountain Dew might help....