Level 2 Build - Madcow Level-2 via Apogee Components

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kcobbva

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I am finally getting started on my "Level-2" rocket build. Fancy name as it is both the name and the goal!! :) I bought it from Apogee Components when I bought the Torrent for My Level 1 Certification: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?131503-My-first-Level-1-Rocket-build

Anyway, First and Foremost. Huge Kudo's to OneBadhawk.com! I reached out to Teddy earlier in the week because I saw what I felt was a flaw in the provided eyebolts. We chatted and he provided his most excellent guidance. On tuesday I ordered and that evening and last night sat here wishing I could get started. When I got home tonight the package was in the mail. Maybe I'm a OneBadHawk PRIME member!!! Thanks for the quick shipping Teddy!!!

Anyway, so I figure as much for me as anyone else, i'd start a build process to make darned sure I do everything right. It surely worked out well for the L1 and I got a lot of GREAT advice; so here we go again.

First I washed all the parts with soapy water, wiped them down and let them dry (a month ago)!! So last build I found myself guessing at the weight of the epoxy. This time I am weighing EVERY darned part of the system. I'll know what has been added via epoxy so I can keep real close track in my log book. Figure this will only help me later if I attempt an L-3. It's also St. Patties, so I have to enjoy something while working!!! :)
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After everything was weighed, I began sanding the CRs to fit both the motor mount as well as the aft body tube. Once those fit, I began watching the videos on Apogee Components as they have a full walk through on the website for this rocket. While they call for sanding down one edge of both MMT CRs, I have opted not to do that. Through TRF education, I'll just leave the aft MMT off during the initial mmt installation and remove afterwards. Then I'll install the rail button and then the aft CR. I went ahead and lined up and drilled out the Rail button holes. BTW. Something I learned building my Tomach as an excercise, using Gaffers tape on BOTH sides of the tube drastically reduces splitting fiberglass when drilling. I also like to tape my guide to the tube to ensure I'm drilling properly when using the drill press. I guess if I was a real pro..since these are always 11/32...I would drill holes through the aluminum angle iron and just use that every time. hmm. Thought for another day.
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Next on to mixing some RocketPoxy and adding a little yellow tint to the mix. Actually at least 5 drops for this tint. During the Tomach Build 1 drop meant gray, 2 drops meant black, 3 drops was wasting dye. Not so with the yellow!!
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Once the epoxy settled and bubbles reduced, it was time to ensure I have my focus in the right direction...eg. the script I wrote on it, as well as the level one. Let's face it...there is truly only ONE reason I'm able to do any of this. I firmly believe that. Anyway, so with that written, it was time to put the forward CR in place with the adapted 3/16" Stainless Steel Eyebolt from OneBadHawk. (Teddy that worked like a champ and absolutely addressed the size issue I was concerned about!! Thank you SIR!)
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With the CR in place, and spare RocketPoxy just sitting there, I decided to seal the center hole in the Nosecone bulkhead plate, drill out two new holes, and seal a stainless Ubolt I've had for 11 years, just sitting by waiting to be used. Again, using Gaffer's Tape, Speed Tape, Duck Tape, 100mph Tape, whatever you want to call it, kept the Bulkhead plate from Splintering when drilling. (6 years ago I lead some webelos who chose the "Duct Tape Patrol" as their name. Will always cherish those boys! 8 of which, out of twelve have earned Eagle!)
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Finally, ended the evening with one of my favorite past times. TRF....New Posts. Can't say enough about this forum. If I'm missing anyting so far, please shout out. I've learned so much from everyone and the Level 1 was a big success. I'm all ears!

Kevin
 
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Woke up this morning and mixed a little epoxy before heading out to work. Getting it down the tube to the upper CR between the MMT and outer Tube was like playing Operation; but it all worked out. This is the first time I've mounted the forward CR leaving the aft removable until after the fins are installed. Makes much more sense and gives me the chance to create fillets (of sorts) on both sides of the MMT CR.
Forward-CR-Epoxy.jpg
 
Oh no.. I've started one of those threads! :) Sure goofed that one!...but the beer was good regardless! :)

So day two and I got the fin guide printed out from payloadbay.com. Picked up a foam board and crossed my fingers. I've never had one of these come out right and have used the old "Look down the Shaft" method of putting fins on up till now. It actually worked out very well tonight. Got the fins tacked into place on the MMT. Once solid, I'll start the fillets.
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While that was drying I pulled the nose cone out and took a picture. Then began sanding and using some bondo. still working on that part. There's definitely some work to be done here.
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I then grabbed the E-bay bulkheads, epoxied the internal bulkhead to the outer bulkhead, ran a screw through the middle and drilled out the 1/4" holes for the all-thread.
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Then the epoxy settled enough that I could start the internal fillets.
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One thing I've noted. With the 3D printed Sled, the switch is a little higher than I would prefer. Due to that, the e-bay band will be slightly higher than true center. Looks like 3 1/2" above the band and 4 1/2" below the band. I have to lower the sled all the way down to the bottom bulkhead plate, just shy of the eye-bolt nut.
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Since I will have Plastic Rivets in the forward section attaching to the payload tube; I don't assume 3 1/2" is too shy. Anyone have an opinion there or think I'm heading down the right path?


While I'm on it, I had someone mention at the club event that when flying L-2 and above, you should also put shear pins in the aft portion of the e-bay/body tube like I do with the nosecone. I hadn't heard or read that before; and am curious what thoughts are regarding that. I didn't do that on the L-1; but it sounded plausible to me, and if the ejection forward can shear them; why not the aft. Anyway, curious if anyone has any insight there.

Kevin
 
In regards to shear pins for your aft/drogue section, that is a matter of preference. People do it both with and without successfully. On the 4" scratch built rocket I used for my L2 I did use shear pins both aft/drogue and nosecone/main. I lean that way because I feel like there is a little less need to mess around with the fit of the coupler, but friction fit will work. Whatever you decide, get it 'dialed-in' with your deployment charges during ground testing.
 
Oh man,,
I have been out in Illinois for a couple of days
and look what I miss,, lol...
What a build Kevin,,
this thing is coming out just smokin man...
I sure am glad that eye laid out the way you wanted it to on the centering ring...
Good for you Kevin...

Awesome build too,, lol..

If there's anything else you need,,,
just holler....lol..

Teddy
 
In regards to shear pins for your aft/drogue section, that is a matter of preference. People do it both with and without successfully. On the 4" scratch built rocket I used for my L2 I did use shear pins both aft/drogue and nosecone/main. I lean that way because I feel like there is a little less need to mess around with the fit of the coupler, but friction fit will work. Whatever you decide, get it 'dialed-in' with your deployment charges during ground testing.

Thanks for the advice. I think ill give it a try on this one. Agreed ground testing to validate!!
 
Oh man,,
I have been out in Illinois for a couple of days
and look what I miss,, lol...
What a build Kevin,,
this thing is coming out just smokin man...
I sure am glad that eye laid out the way you wanted it to on the centering ring...
Good for you Kevin...

Awesome build too,, lol..

If there's anything else you need,,,
just holler....lol..

Teddy

Thanks Teddy! This is a onebadhawk retrofit with the swapped out eyebolts and forward/aft recovery harnesses and quick links. Thank you so much!!
 
Got the first external Fillet on this morning. Now the long wait for it to dry so I can move on to the next. Also ordered a new Loc Angel (small) chute. Was so impressed with the XS and the Level 1 descent, I'm sold on these.
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It was a productive day. My daughter reminded me I hadn't taken a "dry fit" picture of the rocket yet, so she took one. I really am liking this one!
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I finished all of the outer fillets today. I am pleased with the outcome.
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Also got the bulkheads finished with the BP Caps and Terminals. Cut the wires and soldered the tips then measured what I wanted.
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While the fillets were drying I installed the Camera shroud as well.
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Finally I glued on the e-bay ring where it would work with the switch on the 3D Sled.
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My AeroPack motor retainer showed up today and I'm sanding quite a bit on the MMT to get it to fit. Almost want to use a rubber mallet! (Almost!). Hopefully that'll get squared away by tomorrow. All done for tonight. Again, this is a fun rocket. I'm really looking forward to figuring out a paint design and watching it go up!
 
Heyyy,,
Now that's a cool T shirt,, lol...

Kevin you really do some clean neat smooth work...
Good for you man...
This thing's coming out fantastic...

Teddy
 
Thanks Teddy and Ken. I appreciate that. I've had a few setbacks which I was able to overcome; such as getting two eager to put the initial outer fillet on and finding out the roots hadn't hardened and the fins began to droop. Cleaned that off in a hurry and put the fin guide back on and let it dry. That in of itself presented yet another issue. Later that night I looked back down into the tube and discovered fin 3 had actually lifted off the mmt in the back area. I was able to get it off, sand back down and get it seated properly; but that was a definite LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL! Thank the Lord it was nothing I wasn't able to overcome! I've been checking everything twice since!!
 
It's been a good day but a lot of work. Getting the AeroPack 58mm retainer to fit the MMT has proven to be a real bear. After sanding until my arm couldn't move anymore, I pulled out the black and decker and went at it. Finally I was able to get it to just fit perfectly. I sure don't recall that much effort with the 54mm Tomach; but I can say some sweat and tears went into this one. Once that was finally set, I got the rear closed up after taking one last peak inside.
View attachment 285617

Once that was done I took the ebay and began working on it. Measured where I believed the switch to be, then drilled the hole in the E-bay switch band, as well as two further holes evenly spaced out to even out the pressure. I also put a guide on the side of the rocket to ensure I got it lined up every time.
View attachment 285618

Once the guide was on, I taped everything securely, marked spots for the plastic rivets on the fwd section of the E-bay coupler, as well as shear pin locations in the aft section of the ebay and nosecone. I rubbed some gaffer tape on the side of each drill location and then over to the drill press to drill out the holes. I think the hardest thing is tapping the shear pins. I bought what I thought was a tap wrench on amazon and ended up WAY too big. I've not found one yet that fits those small taps, so it's been finger and pliers turning to tap them. (Open to any suggestions for a tap wrench that's the right size!!!!)

Finally I placed some blue locktite on many of the e-bay bolts to ensure it says put, put a quick connect between the base bulkhead and drogue connection; finished wiring everything up and sealed the E-bay. Fingers crossed, I inserted a small flathead and click; I got the chirping sound I was praying for.
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So now once the inside epoxy on the lower CR is dry, I'll add a little more to the outside area; put the AeroPack Retainer on; seal the nosecone..ensuring no weight is required; put in some OneBadHawk recovery harnesses and it's off to the paint yard. The latter could be difficult with the weather we've been having this week. Even had snow flurries today. :facepalm:

Off to study for the L-2 exam as well as a required windows 10 exam. Oh joy....well the 1st will be fun! :)
 

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It's been a good day but a lot of work. Getting the AeroPack 58mm retainer to fit the MMT has proven to be a real bear. After sanding until my arm couldn't move anymore, I pulled out the black and decker and went at it. Finally I was able to get it to just fit perfectly. I sure don't recall that much effort with the 54mm Tomach; but I can say some sweat and tears went into this one. Once that was finally set, I got the rear closed up after taking one last peak inside.
View attachment 285617

Once that was done I took the ebay and began working on it. Measured where I believed the switch to be, then drilled the hole in the E-bay switch band, as well as two further holes evenly spaced out to even out the pressure. I also put a guide on the side of the rocket to ensure I got it lined up every time.
View attachment 285618

Once the guide was on, I taped everything securely, marked spots for the plastic rivets on the fwd section of the E-bay coupler, as well as shear pin locations in the aft section of the ebay and nosecone. I rubbed some gaffer tape on the side of each drill location and then over to the drill press to drill out the holes. I think the hardest thing is tapping the shear pins. I bought what I thought was a tap wrench on amazon and ended up WAY too big. I've not found one yet that fits those small taps, so it's been finger and pliers turning to tap them. (Open to any suggestions for a tap wrench that's the right size!!!!)

Finally I placed some blue locktite on many of the e-bay bolts to ensure it says put, put a quick connect between the base bulkhead and drogue connection; finished wiring everything up and sealed the E-bay. Fingers crossed, I inserted a small flathead and click; I got the chirping sound I was praying for.
View attachment 285635

So now once the inside epoxy on the lower CR is dry, I'll add a little more to the outside area; put the AeroPack Retainer on; seal the nosecone..ensuring no weight is required; put in some OneBadHawk recovery harnesses and it's off to the paint yard. The latter could be difficult with the weather we've been having this week. Even had snow flurries today. :facepalm:

Off to study for the L-2 exam as well as a required windows 10 exam. Oh joy....well the 1st will be fun! :)

Hey Kevin,,
I recently saw an advertisement for Sam Adams Nitro Coffee Stout....
I can't wait to taste that,, sounds great as I like stouts...

Teddy
 
Hey Kevin,,
I recently saw an advertisement for Sam Adams Nitro Coffee Stout....
I can't wait to taste that,, sounds great as I like stouts...

Teddy

You have to let me know how that is. I've not seen it in the store. I used to love doing pub crawls when stationed in England, having a Guinness at each pub. Was like eating a meal! :)
 
You have to let me know how that is. I've not seen it in the store. I used to love doing pub crawls when stationed in England, having a Guinness at each pub. Was like eating a meal! :)

KKK,,
I have to go make a few stops later..
I'll be going past the store that's the best chance that they'll have something new like that..
I'll let you know..

Teddy
 
Sat down and studied the L2 Exam information; ran downstairs and sanded the L2 for a bit, washed with water, then primed. Back to the L2 exam. Talked with the L2 coordinator out at BattlePark and looks like if all the weather/etc falls right, I'm hoping to launch April 3rd. Got a lot of paint work to do yet; but nothing like good ol' pressure to make a task happen!
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Offline for the rest of the night. Family got malware on the system. Removed it quickly; but it sure pooched all the browsers. Tearing it down and rebuilding....Hope to see TRF tomorrow!
 
It's been a good day but a lot of work. Getting the AeroPack 58mm retainer to fit the MMT has proven to be a real bear. After sanding until my arm couldn't move anymore, I pulled out the black and decker and went at it. Finally I was able to get it to just fit perfectly. I sure don't recall that much effort with the 54mm Tomach; but I can say some sweat and tears went into this one. Once that was finally set, I got the rear closed up after taking one last peak inside.
View attachment 285617

Once that was done I took the ebay and began working on it. Measured where I believed the switch to be, then drilled the hole in the E-bay switch band, as well as two further holes evenly spaced out to even out the pressure. I also put a guide on the side of the rocket to ensure I got it lined up every time.
View attachment 285618

Once the guide was on, I taped everything securely, marked spots for the plastic rivets on the fwd section of the E-bay coupler, as well as shear pin locations in the aft section of the ebay and nosecone. I rubbed some gaffer tape on the side of each drill location and then over to the drill press to drill out the holes. I think the hardest thing is tapping the shear pins. I bought what I thought was a tap wrench on amazon and ended up WAY too big. I've not found one yet that fits those small taps, so it's been finger and pliers turning to tap them. (Open to any suggestions for a tap wrench that's the right size!!!!)

Finally I placed some blue locktite on many of the e-bay bolts to ensure it says put, put a quick connect between the base bulkhead and drogue connection; finished wiring everything up and sealed the E-bay. Fingers crossed, I inserted a small flathead and click; I got the chirping sound I was praying for.
View attachment 285635

So now once the inside epoxy on the lower CR is dry, I'll add a little more to the outside area; put the AeroPack Retainer on; seal the nosecone..ensuring no weight is required; put in some OneBadHawk recovery harnesses and it's off to the paint yard. The latter could be difficult with the weather we've been having this week. Even had snow flurries today. :facepalm:

Off to study for the L-2 exam as well as a required windows 10 exam. Oh joy....well the 1st will be fun! :)


Hey I just want to say this is a great build thread. I am wondering though as I am new to altimeter bays what is on the end of this one. I see a BP charge canister and then also what looks like a plug for something. What is that for?
 
Hey I just want to say this is a great build thread. I am wondering though as I am new to altimeter bays what is on the end of this one. I see a BP charge canister and then also what looks like a plug for something. What is that for?
It is a Terminal Block. By using this, the wiring coming out of the ebay can be sealed with hotmelt (whatever) to ensure gasses cannot go back into the e-bay. Whenever you install your e-match, just hook it to the other side of the terminal block to the canister.
 
You can get those terminal blocks and all the quick disconnect wiring and a rotary switch in one complete kit from Doghouse rocketry.
 
You can get those terminal blocks and all the quick disconnect wiring and a rotary switch in one complete kit from Doghouse rocketry.

I use Doghouse exclusively for my AV wiring, but the pictures of the terminal blocks were not as clear as the pictures on Aerocon.
 
I use Doghouse exclusively for my AV wiring, but the pictures of the terminal blocks were not as clear as the pictures on Aerocon.

I've heard a lot of good things about his; just haven't tried them yet. Maybe on the next rocket. Only way to learn is to branch out. :)
 
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