Making balsa nose cones
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Gary Byrum
Overstable By Design
From what I've seen, those drill rigs look like a "PIA". You can get a lathe from Harbor Freight for around 100 bucks if you wait till they go on sale and use one of their 20% off coupons. It's worth it bud. Mine has enough swing on it to turn a cone for a BT 101 and sport a 12" long block. They also have a really inexpensive set of turning tools to use as well for around 10 bucks. The cool thing about the lathe is you can turn a lot more than nose cones with it. That is a 3' x 3" x 12" block in the photo.
luke strawwalker
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I've done quite a few with just a modified electric drill... I made my own "lathe" using a brand new $14 dollar 3/8 VSR from Harbor Freight and some scrap lumber and a couple hose clamps daisy chained together-- did it in about an hour or so's work. The $100 lathes are nice, but turning soft materials like balsa and foam, they're sorta overkill. You can get by cheaper. Course, like I said, the "true lathes" are nice.
I've done some quite complicated nose cones on the drill-- in my 1/100 Ares I thread, https://www.rocketryforumarchive.com/showthread.php?t=43945&highlight=1/100+Ares that nosecone (BT-70) was done on an old electric drill just clamped down to the arbor saw table at my MIL's house in Indiana a couple summers ago-- not even as sophisticated as an actual "drill lathe" made for the purpose. For tooling I used various grades of sandpaper from 36 grit down to 220 grit, and a 6 inch half-round hasp I picked up at a tool store years ago cheap. I've also done some balsa cones for some nuclear missiles I did years ago... https://www.rocketryforumarchive.com/showthread.php?t=43944&highlight=1/100+Ares
I did a pink closed-cell house insulation foam transition for the S-II on my current BT-80 Saturn V build I'm working on at the moment... https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=25770 Worked pretty well but the house foam is harder to keep the dimensions to it without "sanding too far..."
I've found the handiest thing you can do is make a scale drawing of the nosecone you want to make-- a perfect outline of it with the exact measurements and proportions you want. Make a pattern of it by transferring it to heavy cardstock (old cereal boxes or shoe boxes work very well) either by gluing the drawing onto the cardstock and carefully cutting it out (you want the "negative" of the cone-- IE the part you cut it out from, not necessarily the "positive" (the actual outline itself, though you can use the positive to make negative shaping guides). These cutouts then serve as a handy 'shaping guide' that you can periodically hold up to the stopped cone as you turn it, to compare the desired shape and outline to what you currently have, for guidance on how much to take off next and where. For complex shapes like the Ares I/Orion BPC/top hat/LES tower base, it's the only way to get the accuracy you need. Using the guide and a pencil, you can transfer the exact locations of changes to the shapes (like going from cylinder to cone or different cone slopes) directly onto the slowly spinning balsa. This makes the work MUCH easier!
It's fun and the results are well worth it. Good luck and hope this helps! OL JR
I've done some quite complicated nose cones on the drill-- in my 1/100 Ares I thread, https://www.rocketryforumarchive.com/showthread.php?t=43945&highlight=1/100+Ares that nosecone (BT-70) was done on an old electric drill just clamped down to the arbor saw table at my MIL's house in Indiana a couple summers ago-- not even as sophisticated as an actual "drill lathe" made for the purpose. For tooling I used various grades of sandpaper from 36 grit down to 220 grit, and a 6 inch half-round hasp I picked up at a tool store years ago cheap. I've also done some balsa cones for some nuclear missiles I did years ago... https://www.rocketryforumarchive.com/showthread.php?t=43944&highlight=1/100+Ares
I did a pink closed-cell house insulation foam transition for the S-II on my current BT-80 Saturn V build I'm working on at the moment... https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=25770 Worked pretty well but the house foam is harder to keep the dimensions to it without "sanding too far..."
I've found the handiest thing you can do is make a scale drawing of the nosecone you want to make-- a perfect outline of it with the exact measurements and proportions you want. Make a pattern of it by transferring it to heavy cardstock (old cereal boxes or shoe boxes work very well) either by gluing the drawing onto the cardstock and carefully cutting it out (you want the "negative" of the cone-- IE the part you cut it out from, not necessarily the "positive" (the actual outline itself, though you can use the positive to make negative shaping guides). These cutouts then serve as a handy 'shaping guide' that you can periodically hold up to the stopped cone as you turn it, to compare the desired shape and outline to what you currently have, for guidance on how much to take off next and where. For complex shapes like the Ares I/Orion BPC/top hat/LES tower base, it's the only way to get the accuracy you need. Using the guide and a pencil, you can transfer the exact locations of changes to the shapes (like going from cylinder to cone or different cone slopes) directly onto the slowly spinning balsa. This makes the work MUCH easier!
It's fun and the results are well worth it. Good luck and hope this helps! OL JR
Gary- I like your enclosure! Is that a patented "dirt devil sawdust extractor" I see on the side...?
Something tells me the light isn't UL approved for cardboard surface mount but hey, if it works I like it!
The main reason I haven't invested in a lathe yet is that it's a lot harder to complain to the manufacturer of the cone if I "get" one that's substandard.
Something tells me the light isn't UL approved for cardboard surface mount but hey, if it works I like it!
The main reason I haven't invested in a lathe yet is that it's a lot harder to complain to the manufacturer of the cone if I "get" one that's substandard.
Gary Byrum
Overstable By Design
LMAO! That DD doesn't work well with this lathe enclosure. It does work well with the other one designed for the mini lathe...it's a smaller box.Gary- I like your enclosure! Is that a patented "dirt devil sawdust extractor" I see on the side...?
Something tells me the light isn't UL approved for cardboard surface mount but hey, if it works I like it!
The main reason I haven't invested in a lathe yet is that it's a lot harder to complain to the manufacturer of the cone if I "get" one that's substandard.
Oh..the light? well uh....that's a Jerry Rig. I really need a small tube light in there. It's just what I had on hand at the time. I'm moving the shop into the other room and I'll be replacing that piece o junk as well.
I only had a little experience with lathes in Jr High school when I bought a 40" stretch job 10 years ago. I no longer have that one since I have no place to put it now and it was really too big. Sure, you're going to burn through a few mistakes but you learn real quick how not to screw up so many NC's. I prolly spend less than 1/2 what you might pay for one already turned, and I enjoy turning them. Being a scratch builder lets me respect the craft. I do buy NC's when I can get what I need that's already out there. But if it's a special job, I do it myself. Nose Cone for up scaled Starship Excalibur below.
Gary is right on regarding the very nice lathes available from Harbor Freight. All are imported of coarse but I've been very happy with my 48" lathe purchased a long time ago. Since then I've picked up a couple smaller lathes from various places for doing smaller work and other crafts.
I just love my dremel mini lathe which I understand is now Oop which is a shame it's a terrific tool for micro to BT-50 size cones.
It is not necessary to invest in a large number of turning tools, though I do suggest the purchase of at least a parting tool and 45° chisel if nothing else.
For most Balsa jobs you could easily get by with a large flat wood rasp and sanding blocks. I've done this many times with I didn't feel like dragging out the turning tools. Lathe work can be messy I've learned to use a painters drop cloth under the lathe to contine the majority of the dust and chips making clean up a good bit quicker and easier. I just lay my shopvac large nozzle upside down on clamped to the end of the table or bench which draws most of the airborne dust leaving only the larger chips to be scooped and vacuumed when done.
If you really don't want to invest in a lathe. below is a Pic & parts list for a very inexpansive method of making an electic drill driven set-up using scrap 2"x4" pieces, and some hardware. Biggest thing I've turned on that particular rig is a Balsa BNC-80K and several large glued up Blue SM Styrofoam BT-101 cones.
Generally styrofoam works a little easier with flat rasps, metal files and sanding blocks. Messy, Messy...Messy! Wear a partical mask while turning transitions and cones.
I just love my dremel mini lathe which I understand is now Oop which is a shame it's a terrific tool for micro to BT-50 size cones.
It is not necessary to invest in a large number of turning tools, though I do suggest the purchase of at least a parting tool and 45° chisel if nothing else.
For most Balsa jobs you could easily get by with a large flat wood rasp and sanding blocks. I've done this many times with I didn't feel like dragging out the turning tools. Lathe work can be messy I've learned to use a painters drop cloth under the lathe to contine the majority of the dust and chips making clean up a good bit quicker and easier. I just lay my shopvac large nozzle upside down on clamped to the end of the table or bench which draws most of the airborne dust leaving only the larger chips to be scooped and vacuumed when done.
If you really don't want to invest in a lathe. below is a Pic & parts list for a very inexpansive method of making an electic drill driven set-up using scrap 2"x4" pieces, and some hardware. Biggest thing I've turned on that particular rig is a Balsa BNC-80K and several large glued up Blue SM Styrofoam BT-101 cones.
Generally styrofoam works a little easier with flat rasps, metal files and sanding blocks. Messy, Messy...Messy! Wear a partical mask while turning transitions and cones.
tbzep
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Newbies can start with a fairly short BT-55 or BT-60 sized project. Turn something curved instead of conical if you are learning to use tools. Get the general shape, slightly oversized, and finish with sandpaper. Don't try to recreate an exact copy of a production cone the first few times or you might be disappointed. Something similar to a Bertha would be an easy start. If it gets bungled, just turn it down to the next size...BT-55, then a BT-50, then BT-20, maybe even BT-5. That gives you four or five shots at a good cone with only one chunk of balsa.
I started on scraps of 2x4 when I got my lathe. The harder wood was free and it was harder to mess up than balsa. I made a generic Bertha style cone, then turned out what I think was a near perfect BNC-55AO on my second attempt. After that, I moved on to balsa.
Gary Byrum
Overstable By Design
Hey Zep. Good to see ya. I did something similar to what you did but I practiced with some fire wood. It was cheap. I burned through a few pieces to fit unusual tubes I had on hand before I proceeded with balsa attempts. And you are right about sanding down to finish. You can't turn a nose cone to size with tools. That's asking for it. I always make a template, get it close to finish and use different grades of sandpaper to finish it off. Flat sanding sticks are essential for working the shoulder and insert section.
