Another Steam Punk" BAINBRIDGE "

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hornet driver

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I had so much fun on the first one I just had to do another. This time a 5 inch tube-2 stage 29mm bp rocket modeled after the locomotives from the early to mid 1900's. --IMG_20150204_114506.jpg-- I won't be using the whole tube(just too heavy)
 
A little history first. The BAINBRIDGE was built between1908 and 1911 near the town of Bainbridge Ga. The U.S. military saw the need to follow the British into space in an effort to deter any further attacks after the Martian invasion a few years earlier. The BAINBRIDGE and her crew of four were tasked with exploring Venus.Upon their unannounced arrival they were taken into custody by the Venerian Queens guards. The Queen( who had anger issues and was generally unpleasant ) saw this as a prelude to invasion and set about the task of destroying Earth with her new super weapon. Fortunately, the guards became enamored with these gentlemen from earth. They overthrew the Queen and destroyed the weapon in the process.The crew chose to stay on Venus for several months to " observe " the local population.
 
A relief crew was sent to Venus and the original crew arrived home to a hero's welcome. But, within months all of them began to show signs of some strange illness. By this time it had become customary to take flowers to the Venerians (they had no flowering plants on their planet), They found them attractive and they grew quite well in the Venerian atmosphere. Soon all Venerian households had flower gardens.---------this 5 inch tube is really thick walled and heavy but it will serve my purpose well keeping this a low and slow flyer. I'm still gonna have to keep it on a diet though !!
 
I scribed the first cut on the bt with a hack saw blade and then carefully began rotating it and cutting at a shallow angle. I finally broke through in one area and proceeded to cut the tube at a steep angle. One cut took about 20 minutes but it came out nice and clean--pics later
 
The health of the BAINBRIDGE crew continued to decline and other people began to show symptoms of this strange disease.This was becoming a full blown epidemic . Back on Venus, the Venerians were becoming ill for no apparent reason. On Earth the scientist finally determined that the crew had contracted diseases that the Venerians had long since become immune to. They managed to find cures for some and treatments for most. The news of these Venerial diseases reached Venus and in a politically savvy move , asked that they be called Venusians, distancing themselves from the problem.In later years this would be called one of the finest political damage control moves ever made. The Venusians were experiencing their own epidemic of sorts. It seems they were allergic to the flowers they loved so much(which by the way , were taking over the planet) . Earth sent the needed medication to relieve the symptoms . The original crew of the BAINBRIDGE disappeared from the public eye, never to be seen again.Rumors floated about for years, saying that they had returned to Venus and their ailments vanished. It also seems the commander brought a chemical herbicide to Venus and helped to stem the tide( no pun intended) of the invading flowers. In the end , the pharmaceutical industries on both planets saw great profits and were able to influence their respective governments for decades to follow. Sadly the BAINBRIDGE, to this day, is in some corners referred to as the "painbridge"
 
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Can't wait to see more. I really love your builds. The stories make the rockets fly even better.(At least in my mind Sim program)
 
:rofl:

For the first part I thought you were doing Abbot and Costello go to Mars, butt I got it in the end. :eyeroll: :facepalm: Can't wait to see how this one turns out.


Richard:grin:
 
I got back to work on the beast for a little bit tonight. I got the BT cut for both the first and second stage--used a hacksaw--nice clean cuts--IMG_20150206_202402.jpgIMG_20150206_202425.jpg-The small one is the second stage(top of rocket)-I then made a template so I could get 4 equidistant lines on the tube. For the novices, this is a pretty simple process of tracing the BT onto a piece of paper folding it in half( make sure the two halves line up) and then folding it again at a right angle--IMG_20150206_202741.jpg--then I marked the tube and drew the lines as needed. I used a drawer face to lay the tube in and ran my pen along the edgeIMG_20150206_203015.jpg-This design requires a bit of surgery, I drilled 2 1/2 inch holes in predetermined spots along the BT-IMG_20150206_215112.jpg--These came out pretty rough and are going to require a bit of work to clean them up ,but that was expected. So I'll leave you with this ----The short tube is the second stage--the long tube is the first stage and I drilled eight 2/12 inch holes in the first stage......YEP. THAT'S THE KIND OF BUILD THIS IS GONNA BE !! later H
 
Looks like that didn't get the old brain fluid flowing out there so lets try this ! This is going to push the limits on my finishing techniques--IMG_20150207_173540.jpg---H
 
I went ahead and took the paper skin off. What ever they use for adhesive was terrible and it was going to take a lot of work to make it right. I did a quick rough sanding of the holes just to knock down the burrs. After that I coated the edges of all the cuts with some thinned down Elmer's yellow wood glue to rebind all the edges and stop the tube from delaminating. Once that dried I sanded the edges of the cuts with 220 grit.I'll go through this process one more time and get ready for primer. It's coming out a little better than expected, maybe I should say the process was a little easier-----IMG_20150210_155425.jpg
 
I figured it was time to get the first coats of primer on. If your a novice or if you have a hard time finishing body tubes this might be a good little lesson to watch. In this case the body tube is uncoated/raw. No matter how smooth it feels, raw body tubes almost always "fuzz up" when primed and this is where people panic. with the exception of a couple spots this bt looked and felt smooth---IMG_20150210_155425.jpg---and after a good coat of sandable primed---I use Rust-oleum--this is what it looks like--IMG_20150211_123722.jpg--I let this dry and sanded it down with 220 grit. Don't sand a lot--just enough to knock off the fuzz--this took less than 2 minutesIMG_20150211_123905.jpgii repeat this process and your ready for some spot putty to take care of the really deep areas.--IMG_20150211_160637.jpgIMG_20150211_160648.jpg I'll let this set for a while and block sand it down---more later
 
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Tomorrow I'll sand down the spot putty and get a couple of good coats of primer on the bird.--I'll get pics out of that-- That will sit for a couple days before sanding. In the mean time I'll pick up some nice lite plywood--no balsa on this one--and a couple of 29mm bp's. I don't have any of those in stock and I need them for measurements and weight as well as the flight.I'm trying to keep the weight in the 1.5 to 2.0 lb range.
 
I like where this is going. I have no idea where it is going, but I like it!
 
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((?))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
 
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(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((?))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

just wait---- it's coming---was wondering when you would chime in !!!
 
The health of the BAINBRIDGE crew continued to decline and other people began to show symptoms of this strange disease.This was becoming a full blown epidemic . Back on Venus, the Venerians were becoming ill for no apparent reason. On Earth the scientist finally determined that the crew had contracted diseases that the Venerians had long since become immune to. They managed to find cures for some and treatments for most. The news of these Venerial diseases reached Venus and in a politically savvy move , asked that they be called Venusians, distancing themselves from the problem.In later years this would be called one of the finest political damage control moves ever made. The Venusians were experiencing their own epidemic of sorts. It seems they were allergic to the flowers they loved so much(which by the way , were taking over the planet) . Earth sent the needed medication to relieve the symptoms . The original crew of the BAINBRIDGE disappeared from the public eye, never to be seen again.Rumors floated about for years, saying that they had returned to Venus and their ailments vanished. It also seems the commander brought a chemical herbicide to Venus and helped to stem the tide( no pun intended) of the invading flowers. In the end , the pharmaceutical industries on both planets saw great profits and were able to influence their respective governments for decades to follow. Sadly the BAINBRIDGE, to this day, is in some corners referred to as the "painbridge"
It is going to be interesting when the Venusians go into orbit around Uranus.
 
I can't let the DOG down !! Things should start happening a little quicker now. I'm off for a few days and inventory is behind me. As usual in my builds I've changed course. I will use balsa for the fins !! This was a trade off for using a heavy inner tube--more on that later. I chose to use foam centering rings . This was based on simple economics . I'm going to laminate glass and foam for the centering rings. The 5 inch hole saw was over 45 bucks to cut ply with it's added cost--nuts !! I put down a sheet of wax paper followed by a sheet of glass---just off the shelf stuff from Walmart-- I coated one of the CR's with resin and put it on the glass, next came a coat on the top side and I placed a piece of glass on it , a bit more resin and another CR , and a layer of glass and resin on top of that , cover it with wax paper and a foam board with a little weight----foam cut outs---IMG_20150220_161909.jpg--the glass--IMG_20150220_162152.jpg--all laminated and smushed down--IMG_20150220_163533.jpg---came out like this--IMG_20150220_181312.jpg-- trim the edges--IMG_20150220_181517.jpg-- while I was waiting for this to harden, I sanded down the first stage and re primed with filler/ primer--IMG_20150220_200430.jpgIMG_20150220_200634.jpg---everything is gonna sit a couple days to harden and cure. After that I'll sand the CR's to size and make the rest of the CR's for the project---more later H
 
You just might earn your pin with this build.choo choo.jpg
Don't you worry about letting the DOG down. Crap,the Dog aint done squat all winter.
Im looking at this and a few other build threads for a kicker to get me mellon back on track.
Slim pickings nowa days, ya know, that is them thar marshmellons. :wink:
 
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A spaced out crazy train steam punk rocket. Lots of 29mm BP motors. 2 stages.
And that is the perfect name for it. "On pad 420 we have, Spaced Out Crazy Train Steam Punk Rocket. Lots of 29mm BP motors. 2 stages. Should make for a great show, going in 5,4,....."








SOCTSPR
 
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It seems Mother Nature thinks she's pulled a fast one on me. I'm off for several days but the weather has turned to crap. A little ice storm tonight and tomorrow with cold rainy days after that !! I guess I won't be doing any fishing for a while. I suppose I'll just sit around the house and work on rockets--hehehe. I ran off a couple more centering rings today. I still have one more to make but it's a tick smaller---IMG_20150222_140216.jpg----While those were setting up I turned my attention to the nose section. I had picked up a paper mache flower pot , It fit nicely over the body tube and might give me the look I want. Also picked up a styrofoam egg for the tip. IMG_20150222_100105.jpg---there's a certain look I'm trying to get and this was close--I hate the idea of finishing styrofoam again !!!--As luck would have it, Easter is around the corner and I found this at wally world--IMG_20150222_095912.jpg----yep THAT's what I'm talkin about---IMG_20150222_100113.jpg---I'm not planning on the nose being clear but it gives me options and the finishing is a whole lot easier. This is a lot more durable and that's a plus , since this is the part of the nose that pops off for recovery !--I went ahead and cut the top off the flower pot --IMG_20150222_142514.jpg---NOW WE'RE COOKIN--IMG_20150222_104359.jpg----That's today's breakfast. It's 9pm and I'm still stuffed---more later--H
 
It's cold and crappy outside so there was no sanding down the centering rings today.I changed direction a bit and chose to go with balsa instead of ply. I had a few reasons for this. I'm going to use a really thick/heavy center tube so I needed to shave some weight and the thicker balsa --1/4 inch-- helped me get the look I wanted. In the end ply just didn't make sense even with the extra finishing work for balsa---already headed down that road--. I did decide on a fin profile and got them on the first stage. At first I wanted a sort of V-2 type fin---maybe a little rounded off--but I needed them from a single piece of wood so that Idea went out the door and ended up with something closer to a Little John type fin. I used 1/4 x 4 inch balsa. I cut out a foam pattern--IMG_20150223_093446.jpg--as you can see I planned on rounding the tips off but that idea went out the door too---IMG_20150223_093455.jpg---and all mounted up--I just rounded over the leading edge and left the trailing edge flat---IMG_20150223_132651.jpg--I did sand the tube down to the fiber and stuck them on with yellow glue. I'll go back later and lay some epoxy fillets. They look big but this thing is really short coupled so erred to the safe side. Remember, this is a build as you go project and the plans are in my head as well as the mind sim !!
 
I also wanted to put some fairings over the front of the cut outs. I'm going for a sort of stream liner look--sort of--. Card stock ended up being the ticket for this---literally card stock--I used some old unsent Christmas cards. At first I tried this with some 1/32 balsa but It was way to delicate----IMG_20150223_132121.jpg--I tacked these on with yellow glue and will go back later with epoxy. ---IMG_20150223_172631.jpg---While all this was going on I decided to profile the nose. The paper pot was glued to the bt--I have a couple of options for the tip---I like the clear tip but the green one has a more locomotive look about it---IMG_20150223_172608.jpgIMG_20150223_172644.jpgIMG_20150223_172706.jpg. more to come. I MIGHT brave the cold tomorrow and sand down the rings and get the mmt fitted --we'll see----H
 
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I also wanted to put some fairings over the front of the cut outs. I'm going for a sort of stream liner look--sort of--. Card stock ended up being the ticket for this---literally card stock--I used some old unsent Christmas cards. At first I tried this with some 1/32 balsa but It was way to delicate----View attachment 255708--I tacked these on with yellow glue and will go back later with epoxy. ---View attachment 255709---While all this was going on I decided to profile the nose. The paper pot was glued to the bt--I have a couple of options for the tip---I like the clear tip but the green one has a more locomotive look about it---View attachment 255711View attachment 255712View attachment 255713. more to come. I MIGHT brave the cold tomorrow and sand down the rings and get the mmt fitted --we'll see----H
Looking good. I have the same "egg". Ive had it for years. Wife wants me to make an M&M themed rocket out of it. Funny how I cant build on demand.:lol:
 
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I got a coat of primer filler on the whole lower section. I've got one small problem. Where I cut out the bt . The rocket has a bit of a wasp waist. Normally I'd go with it. Those areas are not load bearing and they are only off about 1/32 inch. --IMG_20150224_130643.jpg---but for my purposes that's too much. No big deal you say, think again. This is a mock up--not to scale-- of the second stage folding fin. I'm using this to work out the geometry and mechanism. Later I'll make another one to scale from foam and work out the bugs with it before I start cutting wood. --IMG_20150224_095240.jpg--the fins deploy backwards as the second stage leaves the first----OH THE CATS OUT OF THE BAG NOW !!!
 
Something like this---IMG_20150224_152300.jpg-IMG_20150224_152309.jpg-IMG_20150224_152317.jpg-IMG_20150224_152327.jpg-IMG_20150224_152348.jpg---again this is just a proof of concept model--more to come--H
 
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