4" Scale ARCAS build/scratch

[JStitz]

Damn you are a busy beaver today! Let the camera cool off and break out that special bottle of cognac you've been saving...At this rate you will have to take a vacation to a warmer climate and paint those rockets....no one on here will stand waiting till Canadian spring (What sometime in April?)

You really do deserve a pat on the back and some cognac..Nice work Paul!

[sodmeister]

Damn you are a busy beaver today! Let the camera cool off and break out that special bottle of cognac you've been saving...At this rate you will have to take a vacation to a warmer climate and paint those rockets....no one on here will stand waiting till Canadian spring (What sometime in April?)

You really do deserve a pat on the back and some cognac..Nice work!

April...GAWD I hope so ,but you never know up here ! Fresh out of Cognac ,had the last on Wednesday ,for my bad cold, better now though!

But don`t forget ,I`m Canadian ,I have beer in the fridge

Thanks as always for the good words ,always appreciated !

Take care

Paul t

[sodmeister]

nice way to kill fuzzy's down the road .. I never thought of that ..
added to mental archive ... thanks

The makers of Bluetube recommended sanding sealer ,so i used clear gloss lacquer instead (an it smells good too )but I`m not sure if it was for the old version or the new 2.0 stuff ,which is what I have.It makes sense though,as it seals the tube and fibers ,making it less prone to moisture.

I like sealing it with lacquer because it really soaks in nicely ,dries in half an hour and sands easily.It also seals the Bondo and after sanding with 320 ,it`s super smooth like glass, but I`m sure 220 would be fine.


See yah !


Paul T

[sodmeister]

I sanded the aft main BT with 320 and then wiped it down with a tack cloth to remove all the dust.BT is a smooth as glass.

***Tack Cloth*** I always use a Tack Cloth when painting also ,very important to a nice finish.Everytime I sand primer coats ,I always wipe down the area with a TC before applying another coat and before my finish coat goes on.I just never hear it mentioned very often or ever for that matter ,and it`s such an important step to a nice finish (learned that making furniture)

Adios

Paul T

[sodmeister]

Main BT is epoxied into place ,just need to fill the seam.

Paul T

[ufj]

Forgive my ignorance but what are the holes in the fins for between them and body tube?

[sodmeister]

Forgive my ignorance but what are the holes in the fins for between them and body tube?

I believe they are to access the attachment point to screw the fins to the main body on the real rocket.

I made them to look like the scale model ,using scale drawings.It`s the one thing that makes the ARCAS look the way it does ,which I think needs to be done.

Hope that clears things up.

Thanks for looking !


Paul T

[sodmeister]

Time to fill the fin plates.I`m using 30 min.epoxy and West 407 Low Density Fairing Filler.

***Note*** this mixture will add very little in structural strength ,but mostly to fill any gaps.Not a problem ,as this has already been taken care of in previous building practices ,and the fact it`s only going on big 38`s at the most.

On the other hand ,masking has proven to be a bit of a pain in the hemorrhoids !


Paul T

[sodmeister]

Just you all know !

People always ask, what to use and when to use it.Every additive either adds (or helps to bond) or helps to fill (adds no strength)some fill and help to bond ,others fill and are easy to sand, but add little to the structure.

Fillers are exactly that ,they fill and are meant to be sanded and faired.Other fillers are usually long fibered and create a matrix and create a bridge.

The weak link with any bonding agent is the agent itself.Wildman himself will tell you that ,all epoxies are not created equal.You can use the best of fibers (tensile strength being equal) but the adhesive used is paramount to keeping the matrix together .

For those who use wood/ply in their builds ,I like to wet my parts before making the joint.Wetting (usually thinning the mix but not always) to make sure the first layer soaks into the wood fiber, then the initial layer applied and the parts connected.

Of course ,when it comes to FG/CF and certain plastics and even metal ,a mechanical bond is needed.



Salut

Paul T

[sodmeister]

This is a major pain in the ...you know !

I can only do two fin plates at a time ,and that`s cutting it close with 30 min epox.

A pinky dipped in alcohol and a couple of swipes does the trick.

Then tear off the tape right away !


Paul T

[qquake2k]

Wow, This rocket should be on the Cool Wall!

[sodmeister]

Wow, This rocket should be on the Cool Wall!

Thanks Jim !

Glad it didn`t make the "UN-COOL" wall ,that would suck ,and on a public forum yet

Hope to have more done this week and a few pics.

take care


Paul t

[JStitz]

Paul, how do you sand fillets that small?
I'm picturing you with a jewelers monacle and some kind of chop stick sanding jig

[Stymye]

looks like it was mixed real wet and smoothed in,
typically with sandable fillers,microballoons ect.. it's like 3 parts filler(or more!) to 1 part epoxy to make an easily sandable substrate.
just wet enough to bind it together
but it's not law ofcourse,, these came out very slick !

[sodmeister]

looks like it was mixed real wet and smoothed in,
typically with sandable fillers,microballoons ect.. it's like 3 parts filler(or more!) to 1 part epoxy to make an easily sandable substrate.
just wet enough to bind it together
but it's not law ofcourse,, these came out very slick !

OK ,what the hell, were you in my shop when I was doing this ?

Really ,just 30 min epoxy and a bit of 407 Low Density and not too thick ,I don`t know ,thin mayonaise ,then use my little finger dipped in alcohol and swipe ,them one more time (then get that tape off of there right away ,removing at a 45° angle from the BT)

Like paint ,I could never see the big mystique behind fillets ?

Tape
Epoxy thickened with your fav. filler
Finger & alcohol
Check it out
Re-swipe with same finger
Remove tape as mentioned
Finger & alcohol to smooth if needed

Of course ,it depends on how big you want your fillets ,but just use a bigger finger or a thunb.Me...I have big hands (I`ve seen girls blush at the sight of my pinky)

A lot of people use rubber gloves to apply their fillets ,can`t see how ,unless you have a reation to the epoxy (we all know about epoxy sensitivity ,if you don`t ,check it out......please do)

Hey ,In the end ,we`re all gonna die from something ,might as well be from something you enjoy.


Paul T

[sodmeister]

I can`t believe it`s been this long since I`ve worked on this thread ,and now it`s time to wrap it up.

I drilled and tapped for the nylon screws/shear pins in the nosecone, which already had the brass shear plates installed andc epoxied in place ,3 in total.

To help align the NC and BT ,I did the Wildman trick and drilled a small hole in both the mating parts ,now it`s easy to see where the parts line up and then screw in the pins.

Paul T

[MasonH]

I was wondering when this thread would come back!!

[sodmeister]

I was wondering when this thread would come back!!

I know Mason ,and I hate doing this ,as plenty has been done since last autumn ,just got so busy with other things.But now it`s time to clear some room in the shop and move forward.

Thanks for remembering LOL

Take care

Paul t

[sodmeister]

Just a couple of shots of the Av.Bay. It houses an Entacoure Alt.

I used copper pipe and copper end caps for the well.I also painted the end caps gloss black and then coated them with 3 coats of 20min finish epoxy.

Cheers

Paul T

[sodmeister]

I used my Dremel and small sanding drum with coarse grit and carved out the channels to recieve the brass shear plates ,3 in total.I then cut slots at the tops to allow the forward edges of the plates to enter and allow possitive retention ,which is why I bent the ends at 90° angles.

The brassbplates were sanded and cross hatched cleaned with alcohol and epoxied into place.

Paul T

[sodmeister]

The aft end is complete and Aeropack tested for fit and now ready for primer and paint ,which was already done during a warm spell in November.

Thanks for looking !

Paul T

[JStitz]

I know you're savoring this build Paul.. It's worth it from the looks of things.A nice Doug Stout kit no?
I'll just pop more corn..

[sodmeister]

I know you're savoring this build Paul.. It's worth it from the looks of things.A nice Doug Stout kit no?
I'll just pop more corn..

No Doug Stout here ,pure scale scratch build a la Paul T LOL

The build is actually done ,just putting on the final touches and some Stickershock vinyl.

But yes ,it has been awhile since I`ve posted this build....too darn long ,but the finish line is in sight old friend !

I hate leaving builds go this long ,besides ,things are very busy in the hobby room right now ,many new projects

Thanks for comming for a visit ,and come back soon !

Best regards !

Paul T

[blackjack2564]

Very nice!
Been watching also, for a loooong time.LOl

Arcas has always been a favorite of mine since back in the day.

[sodmeister]

Very nice!
Been watching also, for a loooong time.LOl

Arcas has always been a favorite of mine since back in the day.

Thanks Jim ,

Not to worry ,almost done...finally ! I`ve always liked the ARCAS too ,that and the IRIS (suppose I should post that one too LOL)

Take care

Paul T

[qquake2k]

I used my Dremel and small sanding drum with coarse grit and carved out the channels to recieve the brass shear plates ,3 in total.I then cut slots at the tops to allow the forward edges of the plates to enter and allow possitive retention ,which is why I bent the ends at 90° angles.

The brassbplates were sanded and cross hatched cleaned with alcohol and epoxied into place.

Paul T

Very clever with the 90 degree bend. I need to learn how to do these. What thickness is your brass?

[sodmeister]

Very clever with the 90 degree bend. I need to learn how to do these. What thickness is your brass?

Hi Jim ,I think it`s .025 from K&S ,they make all kinds of metal accessories in brass ,copper ,tin and aluminum.


Take care

Paul T

[sodmeister]

Here`s the aft end painted and ready for final painting of the red stripes.Rustoleum white lacquer was used over Duplicolor grey automotive primer with high solids for sanding ,these are two of my favorite products.The mounting machine head cap screws that hold the fins on ,will be added last.

Paul T

[sodmeister]

Here`s the whole thing painted and ready for the red stripe and red extension that goes from the nosecone.I also used Rustoleum lacquer ,red this time ,for the nosecone and also for the red stripes.I absolutely love using this paint ,as it lays down nicely and dries quickly.I have never had a problem with the Rustoleum lacquers ,just wish they came in more colors.

Next up ,which I `m working on now ,are the graphics done by Stickershock (thanks mark) and then last of the pictures will be the finished ARCAS.

Thanks for your interest.

Paul T

[qquake2k]

Beautiful and unbelievable attention to detail as always!