What did you do rocket wise today?

[MarsLander]

Put the red on the Big Daddy...

 

[mjremijan]

Venus Probe repair: I got the first coat of yellow painted on the rocket. Unfortunately, it was a bit too windy, I put on too much paint, and this caused some running. So I'll need to give this a good sanding and try again. Lighter coats, more of them.

 

[John Kemker]

After inventorying a Dollar General in Cleveland, GA, I visited the TARA Prefect's house and bought some rocketry-related stuff from him:

1) An EZI-65, unbuilt, to send to a friend in Indiana to get him started.
2) A blue fiberglass 54mm tube, about 24" long.
3) A pound of BP, Meal D.

 

[lakeroadster]

Swing tested the R2-D2...

​

 

[John Kemker]

Swing tested the R2-D2...

​

Add this to the videos.

 

[NTP2]

Add this to the videos.

That is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day!

 

[MarsLander]

Just got this back; this was Sunday's Launch...rocket retrieval with my grandson...

 

[tsmith1315]

Add this to the videos.

I remember watching that scene when it came out. The whole theater busted out laughing!

 

[Jeff Curtis]

Finished up a couple tonight. New Way Cubix and Semroc Launch.

 

[jqavins]

That is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day!

It's not even 8:00 a.m. and you've already made my day.

 

[dmaaero]

That looks like a fun rocket. Have you flown one before?

Not yet but plan to 3/23-24 looking at 1700 feet to start with.

 

[RocketTree]

Disposed of some old rocket fin cans and airframes which were dismantled long ago.

 

[Old School Doug]

UPS showed up today with a shipment of parts from LOC for my final winter build. Waiting on the fins from ARR. Picked up a quart of MinWax sanding sealer in the meantime. Still hunting down what will become my go to sealer. Hope this is the one.

 

[Cape Byron]

As Meatloaf sagely remarked, ‘Two out of three ain’t bad”.

Painting Tamiya semi-gloss clear over the most recent (un-named) project.

Over the camo booster - perfect.



Over the gloss black mid section -couldn’t be happier. Flattened down the gloss well. Very pleased.



Now I’m a Tamiya fanboy. Love their paint and never had an issue, but It hates the Dulux silver which is now as milky and dull as leftover cold cereal.



Yes, yes, don’t mix paint brands. I know this, but I’m still disappointed. I’ve always found Tamiya clear to sit over any other brand paint without issue.

Colour me educated in the harshest way.

 

[Cape Byron]

Bought a load of Oracal vinyl. Should be cutting decals for a backlog of kits soon.

 

[frogglicker]

Everybody in my house has the flu. I called in to work so I could uber them to DR appts., pharmacy, etc. They all fell asleep at noon, so I snuck downstairs, pulled my Goblin scratch build off the printer, and started assembly:


Goblin Model File in OrcaSlicer


Chillin' with Der Red Max Extreme


Fillets Done!

On a recommendation, I purchased a small amount of PC-7 Epoxy from Amazon (for my Punisher/Cherokee builds). It's really thick and won't run at all, but one must be committed to mix this stuff b/c you're gonna get a workout. I taped up the fins, mixed the goopy-goop for about 5 minutes, then started doing fillets. I have to say this stuff stays put. You just have to be careful and very clean. These have to be the best fillets I've done. I was able to do all 8 joints in one go without worrying about ooze. Once the fillets are cured, I will start filling layer lines, sanding, and priming. It still hasn't cured, so I'll have to report back on the result. If the results are as good as the claims, PC-7 isn't bad for fillets. I've been using System 3 QuickCure 15 minute, BSI 5min, and CA for most of my builds and this does not cater to my ADHD but if it works, I can integrate it into my build process.

I should be able to get color on this by Friday! It's nice to be back in build mode!

Oh! I almost forgot... I got my Eggtimer Quasar kit with LCD receiver, LCD-GPS Module, and Voice Module. I'll be assembling that this weekend, if the family is feeling better.

 

[teepot]

Everybody in my house has the flu. I called in to work so I could uber them to DR appts., pharmacy, etc. They all fell asleep at noon, so I snuck downstairs, pulled my Goblin scratch build off the printer, and started assembly:

View attachment 634158
Goblin Model File in OrcaSlicer

View attachment 634159
Chillin' with Der Red Max Extreme

View attachment 634160
Fillets Done!

On a recommendation, I purchased a small amount of PC-7 Epoxy from Amazon (for my Punisher/Cherokee builds). It's really thick and won't run at all, but one must be committed to mix this stuff b/c you're gonna get a workout. I taped up the fins, mixed the goopy-goop for about 5 minutes, then started doing fillets. I have to say this stuff stays put. You just have to be careful and very clean. These have to be the best fillets I've done. I was able to do all 8 joints in one go without worrying about ooze. Once the fillets are cured, I will start filling layer lines, sanding, and priming. It still hasn't cured, so I'll have to report back on the result. If the results are as good as the claims, PC-7 isn't bad for fillets. I've been using System 3 QuickCure 15 minute, BSI 5min, and CA for most of my builds and this does not cater to my ADHD but if it works, I can integrate it into my build process.

I should be able to get color on this by Friday! It's nice to be back in build mode!

Oh! I almost forgot... I got my Eggtimer Quasar kit with LCD receiver, LCD-GPS Module, and Voice Module. I'll be assembling that this weekend, if the family is feeling better.

I have been using PC Super Epoxy. It sounds as the PC 7 is similar. The Super Epoxy isn't hard to mix. I've been singing the praises of it for a couple of years. For the same reasons you mentioned. Try the Super it's a joy to work with. Makes great filets.

 

[jqavins]

I tried PC-7 for fillets once (I had some on hand for some other reason I don't remember) and had a lot of trouble smoothing it out. It stays put so well that it just didn't want to go where I wanted it go, dragged what I'd already managed to smooth along, then sprang back a little. I found it a maddening experience. Almost as bad as the epoxy putty stick I tried once. I wonder what you and I did differently.

Incidentally, this is the stuff not to use.

 

[frogglicker]

I tried PC-7 for fillets once (I had some on hand for some other reason I don't remember) and had a lot of trouble smoothing it out. It stays put so well that it just didn't want to go where I wanted it go, dragged what I'd already managed to smooth along, then sprang back a little. I found it a maddening experience. Almost as bad as the epoxy putty stick I tried once. I wonder what you and I did differently.

Incidentally, this is the stuff not to use.

Not sure. I tried 20gm and that was way too much. I mixed it for about 3mins with a popsicle stick (I thought the stick would break) and then started applying. I found that I needed to take my time because it's really sticky and messy. If you look at it hard, it will stick to your eye. I started by putting a bunch in the fillet, then scraped some excess off to keep the mess down, one full pass from forward to aft, then finished up with aft-to-forward and yanked off the tape. By the last few, I was dabbing in little bits at a time, cleaning as I went. That worked much better and the cleanup for those fillets was much easier. 16 hrs. later, it hardened up nicely, but the texture is a bit rougher/bumpier than with the System 3 and fumed silica. Because it's so thick, its not going to self-level. If I shaped some into a cone with a curly point, I'm sure it would have cured the way I left it. I might try something smoother next time like a spoon or socket to pull the fillets.

I'm going to fill primer the rocket this afternoon to see what it looks like, but it can't be worse than my previous fillet attempts.

I have never had much luck with epoxy puddy. I have heard that some love it, but even with IPA, I have never been close to the fillets that I've done recently.

 

[John Kemker]

Put CWF on the fins of my Estes DRM and my 3D printed DynaSoar boost vehicle, a Titan II. Also, went to Horrid Fright and picked up a 3" Air Cutoff Grinder and some 1/32" cutoff wheels. (A polycarbonate face shield came home with me as well. Safety!) These were purchased so I could slot my 54mm fiberglass tubing.

 

[Astronaut Cheeseball]

I have a weird science to letting a rock sit before applying clear coats over decals to be extra safe. This one got the treatment today after hibernation for a month. Might be a little overkill but the results are worth the wait.

 

[bjphoenix]

Because it's so thick, its not going to self-level.

With epoxy putty I've dipped my finger in rubbing alcohol and smoothed the surface with my finger. I wonder if you could do the same thing with this epoxy. You could do an experiment on some scrap balsa.

 

[Jeff Curtis]

Snagged an original Mini Bertha on Ebay. Listed as missing a couple of parts but they were in the body tube. Started the build tonight. It's being rereleased this year but as a snap together. I'm glad to have an original. Decals look pretty good.

 

[John Kemker]

Woohoo!

A fellow TRFer laser-cut some plywood fins for my Swarm clone project, free of charge. They arrived in the mail today and as a bonus, he included an Advanced Rocketry Corporation ARC 1318 PSR (Parallel Staged Rocket) kit, new in bag!

I'ma have fun with that!

 

[frogglicker]

This evening, I got to play everybody's favorite game, "Wheel of Sanding!!"

I was able to get 3 coats of primer and sanded the Goblin until it was as smooth as I could get it with 220. I still need to fill some bigger problem areas with modeling paste, then prime and sand hopefully for the last time before color. The fillets came out really nice but they sand just like any other epoxy, so a little treatment of filler on them should get them right as rain. In the picture, they look rough because I took them down past the primer to smooth them out. They are rock solid and I couldn't be happier (well, maybe a little). At least they're strong.

The nosecone is another story. I'm not sure what happened with this one. Its the same as the Red Max but it had a few under-extrusions, so I'll paint on the IPL-infused modeling paste and then fire up the sanding simulator.

Looking for color sometime Friday maybe.

 

[SolarYellow]

Snagged an original Mini Bertha on Ebay. Listed as missing a couple of parts but they were in the body tube. Started the build tonight. It's being rereleased this year but as a snap together. I'm glad to have an original. Decals look pretty good.

Cool! Take a bunch of photos of the nose cone before you sand it, if you can. I'm interested in exactly what shape those were back in the day.

-----------

I OCD'ed for way too long working out a design for a 7x13 cluster in BT-60 that doesn't require gluing the motor cases together.

 

[teepot]

Sounds like PC 7 and PC Super Epoxy are not similar. I get glass smooth filets with the Super Epoxy. I just pull the filet once. Front to back. I use a craft stick that is the size of a tongue depressor. It mixes in less than a minute and is easy to mix. If I need to smooth it I spray the filet with alcohol and smooth it with a finger.

 

[jqavins]

Cool! Take a bunch of photos of the nose cone before you sand it, if you can. I'm interested in exactly what shape those were back in the day.

Isn't it elliptical?

 

[SolarYellow]

Isn't it elliptical?

Extremely unlikely that it's exactly elliptical. Most generally "bulbous and rounded" nose cones aren't. The archetype "elliptical" nose cone was the Ranger/Big Bertha, and it was actually a more or less spherically blunted ogive of small fineness ratio, as far as I can tell. Today's plastic replacement that was tooled for the goonies is not really elliptical, as far as I can tell.

I've seen various photos of the Mini Bertha NC and it doesn't look really elliptical. However, they are always of the finished part, after someone has sanded it. With the small size, it's really easy for someone to change the profile just getting it smooth and trying to even everything out by hand.

There are at lease several old kits from the balsa era where the manufacturer's marketing photos show a rounded NC tip, but then you see a vintage bagged kit and the NC that's provided was very much closer to a pointed tip. So someone rounded the tip by hand in finishing the demo/display sample.

FWIW, I'd be pretty astonished if any COTS nose cones prior to the common use of CNC machinery (Carl/Semroc) were actually elliptical within any reasonable tolerance.

 

[mjremijan]

Venus Probe repair: After sanding the previously awful paint attempt, I re-sprayed yellow on the body tubes, making sure I did multiple light coats to prevent paint from running. So far, looking pretty good.