So I'm building a Zooch Soyuz and hadn't planned on doing a build thread, but I'm having a great time building it and sort of wished I'd been taking pictures all along so I could have posted one.
If you're in the future and have just found this thread after searching for a build thread to follow, sorry to disappoint. This won't be a very detailed and step by step thread like I've done for other kits, which are the kinds of build threads I enjoy reading most. This will be more like a spaced apart update thread where I'll post some pictures to every once in a while.
For all I know it may be this post and then my next will be finished pictures. I really dislike those kinds of "build threads" because there's no building. That's why this is officially Not A Build Thread.
The first picture shows almost all the parts that I've started working on so far. There are a few pieces from the larger tube that I cut that are not in the picture, but I do show the Second Stage (tube section 3) in the upper left. To the right of that are the 4 Boosters. I built those and started to spray them with primer but realized I'd left off the straps, so I added them and haven't finished the primer yet. There was a balsa plug that I cut into three pieces using a coping saw, two launch lugs mounted on balsa stand offs, and 4 fins that have been coated with CA and sanded smooth. Under those is the main section with motor retainer which has an extended clip from Odd'l Rockets and the spider beams. Finally, on the bottom, are 12 engine bells that I've painted silver. On the right of the picture is a short dowel with a slightly sharpened end which I used to roll the engine bells.
Here's a close up of the transition. For some reason the first one I cut didn't have the correct diameter on the big end and overlapped the body tube too much. Instead of cutting the transition shorter like I did for my Vostok when the same thing happened, I cut a new transition, glued the big tube in place, and used it to fit a new transition that would match on both ends. To do that I had to remove the engine clip and put it back on and after that was done I added the spider beams. A bit of filling and sanding was then required but I think the transition will look okay when painted. The seam doesn't look it, but if feels smooth and may not be visible after painting.
I filled the seam of the big tube with primer, then covered the entire tube with primer before sanding most of it off to get it smooth. The tube was cut into 4 pieces, numbered 1-4, and this one was labeled Second Stage.
My witches hats. They turned out okay. I rolled them carefully and tried my best to make sure they're tilted at the correct angle to just touch the transition at the top.
So that's where I am so far. I'll try and post some more as I go, hopefully more before I'm done and ready to fly it.
If you're in the future and have just found this thread after searching for a build thread to follow, sorry to disappoint. This won't be a very detailed and step by step thread like I've done for other kits, which are the kinds of build threads I enjoy reading most. This will be more like a spaced apart update thread where I'll post some pictures to every once in a while.
For all I know it may be this post and then my next will be finished pictures. I really dislike those kinds of "build threads" because there's no building. That's why this is officially Not A Build Thread.
The first picture shows almost all the parts that I've started working on so far. There are a few pieces from the larger tube that I cut that are not in the picture, but I do show the Second Stage (tube section 3) in the upper left. To the right of that are the 4 Boosters. I built those and started to spray them with primer but realized I'd left off the straps, so I added them and haven't finished the primer yet. There was a balsa plug that I cut into three pieces using a coping saw, two launch lugs mounted on balsa stand offs, and 4 fins that have been coated with CA and sanded smooth. Under those is the main section with motor retainer which has an extended clip from Odd'l Rockets and the spider beams. Finally, on the bottom, are 12 engine bells that I've painted silver. On the right of the picture is a short dowel with a slightly sharpened end which I used to roll the engine bells.
Here's a close up of the transition. For some reason the first one I cut didn't have the correct diameter on the big end and overlapped the body tube too much. Instead of cutting the transition shorter like I did for my Vostok when the same thing happened, I cut a new transition, glued the big tube in place, and used it to fit a new transition that would match on both ends. To do that I had to remove the engine clip and put it back on and after that was done I added the spider beams. A bit of filling and sanding was then required but I think the transition will look okay when painted. The seam doesn't look it, but if feels smooth and may not be visible after painting.
I filled the seam of the big tube with primer, then covered the entire tube with primer before sanding most of it off to get it smooth. The tube was cut into 4 pieces, numbered 1-4, and this one was labeled Second Stage.
My witches hats. They turned out okay. I rolled them carefully and tried my best to make sure they're tilted at the correct angle to just touch the transition at the top.
So that's where I am so far. I'll try and post some more as I go, hopefully more before I'm done and ready to fly it.
