Plasma Probe upscale...Scratch build

Ok..I have three projects on the slate. The first will be the Probe upscale, next I plan to convert the third stage and CM of a 1/48 scale Sat-V paper model to flight capability and third, after all the replies to the launch pad thread, I have reevaluated my current launch pad situation. It was constructed for use on picnic tables...(readily available) but I think planning for the lack of availability would be prudent. That will come later. Now on to the build.

Likeing the Probe so much I have to make it larger so starting with a paper towel tube I cut down to ten inches. I built the engine mount the same as the Wizzard, by rolling a piece of card stock tightly around a D engine then cutting the mounting disc's. For the engine block I cut a piece off a used D engine and glued it in.

For the fins I started off by drawing a pattern and by applying the advice recieved on wood grain direction I cut out the fins. The tube is rough and thinking about paint I applied a piece of card stock around it to make it smooth.

closet astronaut said:

For the fins I started off by drawing a pattern and by applying the advice recieved on wood grain direction I cut out the fins. The tube is rough and thinking about paint I applied a piece of card stock around it to make it smooth.

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I think the extra layer of cardstock is great. Not just for looks, I think paper towel tubes aren't normally strong enough for rocketry. But I think the extra layer and glue will give it a lot of extra stiffness. I think without it the body tube would fold up like an accordion with a D motor

Just today I was thinking about building a staged Saturn. Looking forward to seeing your progress on these projects.

pick1e said:

I think the extra layer of cardstock is great. Not just for looks, I think paper towel tubes aren't normally strong enough for rocketry. But I think the extra layer and glue will give it a lot of extra stiffness. I think without it the body tube would fold up like an accordion with a D motor

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A D motor, maybe, but not a C6-5! A few weeks ago, I flew a rocket that was 100% toilet paper and paper towel tubes. Including the nosecone, tube fins, shock cord, motor tube, motor mount centering rings, and thrust ring. No parachute, because I couldn't make one out of tubes. Anyway it flew perfectly straight up maybe 300-400 feet, but the shock cord broke at ejection and the nose cone suffered minor damage. It will fly again.
Lesson learned: paper towel tubes are great for rockets!
Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. What did you use to resize the fin patterns?

Lower body done..there's certainly alot to be said for laser cut fins. This stuff I got from the hobby store it substandard crap. I compared it to some of the scrap pieces leftover from other builds...man what a difference.

Got started on the upper body tube, thought I'd try something different, roll a ten inch piece of card stock and glue four strips to it for strength, should have stuck to what I know. Doing it this way causes the tube to curve, so I went back and did it right. Roll two five inch tubes double laminated and join them, thus you end up with a straight tube.

Made a rod from rolling a piece of paper and glued on some disc's, this goes inside the tube to give a good round form and strength.

Went to work on the transition, this is deffinantly no easy, even with a cone making formula. Got the fins attached and every thng primed, have discovered it's better not to prime paper, better to just paint. I didn't like the fins in this shape so I trimmed them down.

Stay tuned...more to come.

closet astronaut said:

Made a rod from rolling a piece of paper and glued on some disc's, this goes inside the tube to give a good round form and strength.

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I love using that method; it saves money on tubes. I'm doing that on a 3" poster board rocket, and it will cost under $3!

closet astronaut said:

Went to work on the transition, this is deffinantly no easy, even with a cone making formula.

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So long as your transition is small enough, it's much easier to use use this: https://www.payloadbay.com/index.php?page=Tools&action=TRANS
Looks good so far!

Joiner incert, basically a simple cylinder. Cut out a couple of disc's from heavy card board, triple laminate outer wrap. I cut a hole in the center to take the paper rod with a sleeve on the end for attaching to the rod that runs through the upper body.

And the finnished product. Actually this works great, this is how I did the Wizzard.- (50's Sci-Fi)

Getting all this together strait was no easy task.

Well after three nights of work, four different cones I finally built a cone I can live with. It's quite difficult to make a good cone from paper when double laminating. We're on the home streach now, a little fine tunning and some finnish detailing she'll be ready to fly.

The photo of the mess is actually for my wife, her and the kids are in Germany for three weeks so I've been in bachler satus for two weeks now and have one to go. It's been great, the dinner table has always been my work space, with no one to clean off the table for, for dinner every night, I don't have to clean up every night, I just come in and go right to work.

Hmm, that last pic looks familiar... Kinda reminds me of my workspace! :eyepop:
I agree, the cone is by far the most difficult to make part of a paper rocket. It gets frustrating when you're on the fifth or sixth cone, and none of them are satisfactory. :bang:
Is that metallic paper also from Hobby Lobby? If so, did it come in regular sized sheets? The HL I was at in Orlando had some metallic paper/cardstock, but nothing in 8.5x11 size.
Nice Bullpup, BTW.

NICE CONE!

It is hard to even make a cone fore me!

Rocketbuilder said:

Is that metallic paper also from Hobby Lobby? If so, did it come in regular sized sheets? The HL I was at in Orlando had some metallic paper/cardstock, but nothing in 8.5x11 size.
Nice Bullpup, BTW.

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Yea it's from HL but it's 12x12. I have found it in the 11x8.5.

Well it looks like my building will be going to a snails crawl for a while, seems I've done it again. About three months ago I was making a bracket for the little launch pad you all have seen, when the drill bit broke and the broken bit and drill came down on the base of my thumb nail, smashing my thumb and breaking the nail in three sections. I've just got back almost to normal, the damaged nail has all come off and the new nail has almost grown back out, however I have damaged it alot worse this time.

I was using a hand grinder with a metal cutting blade cutting a bolt yesturday when the crappy blade frade, caught the bolt and spun off hitting my hand around the base of the thumb. It took eight stiches inside and fifteen out side and there seems to be some nerve damage, this is the same dang thumb the was almost healed.

The probe upscale is almost done, I've been experimenting with some body detail sceems but boy you just don't realize how important you'r thumbs are untill they're unusable.

I thought I'd include some pics...you know..battle scars, there not for the squeemish.It really doesn't look that bad now but you should have been there when it happend, that sucker was flayed wide open and there was blood gushing every where. :y: :bang:

I can name that rocket in 3 words........"Blood,Sweat and Tears" or maybe it should be "Blood,Sweat and Beers"?
Anywhoo..Nice work on the rocket.
The handy work,well, thats not so good.
You may want to look into getting some PPE.

Ouch! I hope you're not left-handed... Are you?
That's why I'm so afraid of using power tools to build rockets. A few days ago I was trying to cut some plywood baffle plates with a power saw, but I was too afraid of cutting my fingers off, so I used a hobby knife instead. :blush:
Anyway, I hope it heals quickly, and does not stop you from building rockets!

Scotty: I love the second one! As soon as I'm of legal drinking age, I'll be tempted name a rocket that.

Ouch! That beats my record for most stitches at one time!

I nicked the back of my knuckle with a mitre saw, and ripped up the tendon. I spent months in a splint with no use of my dominant hand.

Still, being able to count to ten using your fingers beats the inconvenience. Hope you heal up quick.

So..even with the damage I managed to finish this bad boy. Comming in at a naked weight of 3 1/2 oz I think with a D engine I may be able to ship some supplies to the ISS..ha ha ha..thats a joke.

I wracked my brain for days trying to figure out how to detail this thing, some times you just have to start doing something..anything then the creative jucies start flowing.

I have some news on the sci-fi rocket, I'm working with the designer on creating a kit with this rocket, he's talking about making a ready to fly kit, we'll see what we can work out, maybe make it available. Let me get some feed back on intrest in getting this as a kit.

NICE!

I love the colors on this.

Cool!

How did you do the rivet detail on the fins?

https://www.rocketryforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=87914&d=1340557831

Greg

GregGleason said:

Cool!

How did you do the rivet detail on the fins?

https://www.rocketryforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=87914&d=1340557831

Greg

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Using a ball point pen, just press the back of the paper where you want them.

[POW]Eagle159;352456 said:

NICE!

I love the colors on this.

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Thanks..it took me a while to figure out how I was going to do this.It looked so plain just black and red, It needed something more to make it pop. I was going to wrap the top of the upper body above the small fins but after looking at it, it just looked to be too much, I didn't want to over do it with the crome paper.

:clap::clap::clap::clap:
- Jeff

Very nice-That's one good looking ship !!!! Hurry up and heal up we need to see some more of your art !

Very cool. Anyone can glue together a kit, not everyone can do what you do.

At least the cutting wheel got the meaty part of your hand. A couple inches up on your wrist would have been much worse. Hope it heals quickly.

pick1e said:

Very cool. Anyone can glue together a kit, not everyone can do what you do.

At least the cutting wheel got the meaty part of your hand. A couple inches up on your wrist would have been much worse. Hope it heals quickly.

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Thanks, I do enjoy building from scratch, and we seem to be healling up great, the stiches come out monday, the inner ones still have to dissolve.

She's a real flier..just like her little sister. Every flight was flawless.

[YOUTUBE]H2LigEyTvu8[/YOUTUBE]

WOW, Nice video! I love that I don't have to wait 3 minutes to see ONE launch!
You get some good straight boost from that rocket!