One More Project Before Getting Back To Rocket Building.

This week, I was all set to get back to work on the Protostar, when I came across this old microscope that has been banging around in basement storage for quite a long time. 

The device was part of a high school biology lab many years ago, and came into my possession when the building was re-modeled and upgraded. I was working in the School District's electronics/AV/computer lab at the time. The high school sent in a large amount of old lab equipment for disposal, so I was allowed to take home any of it that I wanted, because it was destined for the trash dumpster, anyway.
This device hasn't been used around my house since my kids were in elementary school back in the early 90s.  We used to go out to a nearby pond, gather up a jar of pond water, take it home, put a couple drops on a glass slide, and spend hours looking through the eyepieces at all the interesting little critters swimming around.
I now recognize this device as perhaps another excellent visual enhancement tool for the model rocket workbench.
It does possess one small problem, though...
The focusing mechanism travels only so far before it reaches a spot where it will no longer move.
Time to get into mechanical tinkering mode.
After figuring out how to dis-assemble the piece, my suspicions were confirmed.  A section of the brass rack that runs the focus arm was missing a number of teeth, so the mating pinion gear had nothing to grab onto in that one spot. Doubtless, this was caused by all the use and abuse from numerous high school students over the years it spent in that old lab..
I consulted a McMaster catalog I have hanging around at my workplace to see if I could find a replacement rack.   They had ones with the proper width and tooth pitch that I require, but were only sold in 48 inch sections that cost around a dollar per inch! 
No good...I wasn't about to shell out 50 bucks for what would amount to using a mere 5 inch section of rack material on an obsolete old microscope.
So,  I had to settle for pulling the rack off and turning it end for end, so that the stripped section was away from the most-utilized focusing area.  It works fine, but I just have to remember not to crank the focus arm up too high, else it will get stuck in the dead spot at that point.
While I had the unit apart, I was able to glop a little machine grease on some of the moving parts, and even fix a problem with the on-board incandescent illumination lamp.
The last detail to fix was to find some replacement rubber feet for the microscope's base. The originals were long-lost. This one required a little bit of 'McGyvering' as well.  Just so happens, I have a plastic bag containing an assortment of rubber feet that came off of various pieces of electronic equipment.  The bag yielded a set of four that fit perfectly.  A little super glue and all is well.

I now have another fine optical aid to help in making detailed parts for all those upcoming scale birds.
I might even do that 'pond water critter' thing again, except this time with my young grandkids......

A Look Back At 2018

Hi, Folks,
It's hard to believe that it is 2019 already. Apparently, we are having fun, since time has definitely flown. 
Anyway, This time of year, I always like to take a step back and look at what was accomplished over the past twelve months.

2018 was a considerably busy year for the BlastFromThePast model rocketry operation.

Here are the highlights:

• 7 new model rockets completed and added to the fleet.  (That's a substantial number for someone such as myself, who takes a very long time to finish projects.)
• 4 launch sessions.  22 flights.  2 models lost, none destroyed.   The number of launch sessions conducted was rather low primarily because of the local fire restrictions in place throughout the entire summer.  Also, I'm very particular about what kind of weather conditions I fly in.  Clear, windless days that coincide with my time off from work or other obligations are few and far between.
• A visit to the NAR 60th Year Re-union back in August.  I got to meet all of the hobby royalty and a lot of old-timer and newer rocketeers that make up the core of this great hobby.
• Meeting a couple of old BARs like myself right here in Castle Rock, with whom I have been able to share some rocket flying sessions.
• Completion of getting the model rocket portion of my basement workshop organized and efficiently operational.
• Completion of organizing the lion's share of my vast model rocket resource and reference library.
• And of course, adding a LOT of posts to this blog!

I would like to thank all of you for visiting this humble site.  There is plenty more to come in 2019, so check in often.

Keep 'em flyin'.....

-Ed

My Newest Rocket Building Tool Ever.

Now that the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season is nearly over, I have finally found some time to sit down and write a quick post, and even squeeze in a little shop time to work on some rocket builds.

A few weeks ago, when one of my daughters called asking me what I wanted for a Christmas gift, this device immediately came to mind:

A magnifying lens headset!

Just the thing for an old geezer with not-so-great eyesight to use for seeing that small detail work.

This one comes with several clip-on lenses of differing magnification levels.

It even is equipped with a VERY bright LED illumination lamp, which is kind of irritating to other persons who wish to engage me in conversation while I'm working.  I blind them when I look up at them!

Anyway, this was the perfect addition to the rocket bench tool arsenal.

And, yes, it is exceedingly and delightfully nerdy.

Just the way I like it....

Helping To Keep The Hobby Going

Even though I am not currently a member of the NAR, I firmly believe in the 'Pay Forward' mantra espoused by the organization.
In the past two and a half years since I've embraced BAR-ism, several of my 'lone wolf' launch sessions at local parks have attracted the attention of other folks who happened to be in the vicinity.
Many of these onlookers had never seen a model rocket before.  They asked a lot of questions, expressed a genuine interest in the activity, and asked how they could get started.  I would end up tearing a sheet of paper out of my field notebook and scrawling down some information to give them.

Not entirely efficient.

So, this week I took some time to sit down in front of the ol' PC and make these:

I plan to carry a dozen or so of these in my field notebook to have ready to hand out to interested potential new rocketeers who happen to stroll by during my launch sessions.

The sheets feature my contact info including the URL to this blog.

Also included are:

• The NAR website
• The three major model rocket club/NAR sections along the Colorado Front Range.
• Information on where to buy model rockets locally.
• The two main online rocketry forums.

On the back of each sheet is a copy of the model rocket Safety Code.

I figure this should be ample resource information to get anyone started.

It certainly doesn't hurt to attempt bringing in new blood to this great hobby of ours.

"Jump in, folks...The water's fine !!!"

Now...Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program....

This past weekend, the BlastFromThePast shop became fully operational again.

An intensive 'Shock and Awe' barrage of medications launched at that nasty cough has started showing its effects.

The first order of business was to re-arrange the rocket-building bench (again) to accommodate the installation of a small bookshelf stereo set, a DVD player, and a small TV monitor.  Even though I generally prefer to have peace and solitude while working in the shop, there are those few occasions where I like to have music or a good concert DVD going.

Once set up, I went back to work on the Steampunk Protostar, consisting of forming more rivet panel detailing on the fins.  There wasn't anything new enough here to dedicate another build series post.

The weekend's biggest accomplishment was in sitting down and planning out the model rocketry project list for 2019. Here is a pic of all the kits in the queue waiting to be assembled:

Next year will be fairly heavy on scale models.  In addition to the ones shown here, I will be picking up the new Estes Saturn V. I never built one of those in my 'old fleet' days, so it's high time I tackle that one. Also looking to purchase a Mercury Little Joe, and maybe a Black Brant III.

Aside from scale birds, I still have an Orbital Transport partially completed, and a parts kit assembled for a scratch-built EAC Viper. 

Being a glutton for punishment, I have another FlatCat in the works, except this one will be modified as a sliding wing R/G.

Oh, and there's also that must-have-in-the-fleet 60th Anniversary Alpha! 

If time permits, there are a couple re-builds of some old fleet favorites to throw in the mix, as well.

Besides rocket builds, I plan to pull out one of those PA monitor stands I procured last year and turn it into a heavy duty launcher for the bigger birds on the build list.

Finally, I must design and build a new launch controller that can handle cluster ignition.  I may go with a relay system with that one.

Anyway, it appears that 2019 is shaping up to be quite a busy rocketry year for this old geezer, with plenty of new posting fodder for the BFTP blog!

Cheers.

Rocket Builds On Hold Temporarily

This past week I have had to take a hiatus from continuing work on the Protostar as well as a couple of other parallel builds,  The main reason is I am trying to shake off a very severe "cough due to cold".

While loading up on cough syrup, cough drops, and my wife's wonderful Korean medicinal tea, I have not  done much venturing into the basement la-BOR-atory to execute balsa butchering and to slop glue on model rockets. 

Instead, this period of relative rest and recoop has been devoted to sorting and giving some organization to the vast collection of model rocket written material which I have been accumulating over the past two years and a half.  This includes rocket  plans, instructions, fin templates, downloaded how-to articles, printouts of Model Rocketry Magazine issues, printouts of vintage catalogs, letters, photos, design doodles...the list goes on.

Armed with a stack of binders, labels, sheet protectors, page dividers, and a page-corner-rounder clipping tool, a have made substantial progress in converting this mish-mash of paper material into a well-sorted and efficiently organized model rocket reference library.

This upcoming month I have requests for a few Christmas gifts to be completed in the woodshop. Much of my time and energy will be diverted to these projects. 

Also, the Christmas season is always a time of increased demand for my musical prowess on electric violin, so there will be a definite spike in the amount of time devoted to practice, group rehearsals, and music presentations.

The 'Steampunkery' just might have to wait until the New Year....

Cheers!

Back In The Day, Part 15 - A Photo Of Bill Roe

I have this old photo which I took in April, 1978 of none other than NAR pioneer Bill Roe (NAR #13).

Sorry for the bad image – at the time, I had a really cheap camera, and did not possess much in the way of photography skills.

The club I belonged to – Skywatchers / ROMAR, held an annual Spring demonstration launch at a shopping center at one of the busiest intersections in Colorado Springs.  The demos were sponsored by the Ru-Jan Party and Hobby Shop, located in the strip mall.

Bill would occasionally make a rare appearance at some of our club launches, but we were particularly delighted when he showed up at this public demo.

Sporting his familiar grey jumpsuit and red NAR cap, Bill had a great time, hanging around and enjoying watching the model rocket demo flights.

For this photo, I caught Bill being Bill – kneeling down and helping a young club member with prepping one of the demo birds.  Mr. Roe was all about that – making sure that rocketeers young and old alike, did things the proper way.  He was such a great guy to know and be around, as he exuded such a huge love for the hobby and sport of model rocketry.

I never saw Bill again after this demo event.  In fact, I am reasonably sure that this demo launch may have been the very last rocketry event Bill attended before he passed in 1980.

I feel very privileged at having been there.

And, I’m very glad I still possess an old blurry photograph of Bill to share with the model rocket community….