Gabriel315
Active Member
- Joined
- May 29, 2012
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Here's some more input for ya. Forget what the instructions Estes tells you about suggested glues and adhesives to build this rocket. 1st and foremost unless you have a plan to beef up the fins and fairings, don't use them. They are way too fragile. You might survive a landing or two but consider yourself lucky to make it to the 2nd launch. Better off buying the upgrade fins/fairings and nose assembly parts from Sirius Rocketry, https://www.siriusrocketry.biz/ishop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=294 The glues and adhesives Estes recommend are a waste of time. Especially where the vacuformed parts are concerned. Use epoxy for it. My wraps are coming apart at the seams because I used their suggested adhesives and glues. All the time I used to fill gaps in the seams has now become a waste of money, time and effort. It's all coming apart now. Building this bird the way Estes says to build it is a complete waste of time. Chris has some better approaches but I employ you to get the upgrades from Sirius. Oh, the tower assembly.......if you look at it wrong it will break.
And there are some of the reasons the 2001 kit will always be my favorite, different wraps and adhesives. I hope at some point they go back to the balsa fins and paper fairings. Otherwise I'll use the Sirius tower and fins sets.
Verna
www.vernarockets.com
The tube walls are very thin and some ring couplers doesn't fit but I will try to fix them. The wraps look a lot better than I thought. I am very happy with the kit though. Can't wait to do more!!!
My technique for applying the wraps is simple and produces excellent results without any gaps.
Cut out the wraps as best you can using a sharp razor blade and straight edge. Now put the wraps on the body tube and use some rubber bands to hold it tight in place. Adjust the seam until it is flush. You will need to put a couple of round tooth picks close and parallel to the seam to get ends of the wraps to lie down flush otherwise they will stick up a little. Now remove the wrap, and place a piece of wax paper under the seam, replace the wrap as before and glue it together using CA.
Glue it one section at a time as the rubber bands will get in the way. Hit is with some accelerator and your almost done. You can now remove the wrap from the tube and sand the top and bottom edges flush. No matter how hard you try they will always be a little out of wack if you don't use this technique.
Once the wraps are glued together this way you can put them on or remove them from the body tube at will. If you have any spare tubing I would even paint them separately as masking the entire rocket at one time is much more difficult.
Don't use Scotch Tape like this guy does. Get some Tamiya tape from a hobby shop.
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