GLR T-Bolt Build Thread

Cool Jeff. You will like GLR. I am finishing up a Mariah 38 myself. Kent is very helpful should you need any. The T-Bolt will rip on 38 mm. It will be a blast on 29 mm. Good luck with the build.

Chris

Have a couple of GLR kits--love 'em!

I am very interested in this kit, for the fin can alone. Please update as much as you can

Edit: and yes I know I can but the fin can alone.

I am interested in your build thread since i'm waiting for a Doppler Shift to be re-stocked. The TBolt is very similar but I don't like the design quite as much as the DS.

Subscribed!

Dood, that RRC2 classic in the background makes me miss mine!

David I have a rev A, and two Rev Cs. They work and I still use them.
Hope to get more pics online tonight. Close ups of the fin can.

Jason I too wanted the Doppler Shift. But the kit was not that expensive and I figured it was a good intro to GLR.

Here are the pictures of the fin can. Keep in mind I have only done some light sanding to remove some molding flash around the perimeter of the holes from what I am assuming came from a hole saw used to make the holes. I do not have any fincans to compare this against so perhaps it is nothing more than a lightened ACME fincan, or a GLR original. I just don't know.

But the holes had flashing (not a lot) and the fin mold lines took a little sanding (I did not want to blunt them). Also note one fin where the mold did not align well.

All the differences in 'surface texure' you see however I now a result of ME adding it during sanding. Everything was there before. There is nothing that looks smooth or that looks sanded, that did not when I was finished still look smooth or sanded.

Subscribed, I have always wanted to get a good look at this rocket. Giant Leap Rockets are just cool. I have both Mariah 38 and 54. My next target is the Talon 3.

My OCD is killing me...it doesn't appear those holes on the fin can line up at all.

patelldp said:

My OCD is killing me...it doesn't appear those holes on the fin can line up at all.

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Now that I get a closer look at it, they are not lined up straight.

Does it matter?

bill2654 said:

Does it matter?

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Yes. It totally matters.

bill2654 said:

Does it matter?

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As far as drag goes, I am all but certain it does.

The lightening holes are nice but with the fin can exposed I think I would prefer the solid fin can. It would probably cause less drag also.

If I were building it (and I might), I would fill the holes with a VERY light mix of epoxy and microballoons, just enough epoxy to hold them together. The Acme fin cans are notoriously heavy, so the lightening holes are welcome, but the drag? Not so much.
-Ken

Dan +1 . Im guessing a hole saw made those . Honestly , I bet there is more drag produced by those holes , then if they where left alone .

Eric

gdjsky01 said:

Wow. If the holes in the fin can have you guys freaked out, wait till you see the rail guide standoffs!
I have the super mount (the chock mount installed... just need to get the pics). Basically the rocket is done.

Time to prime! I like it. It's a solid 'hunk of rocket'. It's a tad too minimum diameter for me, but thats what'll make it rugged (I hope). I am not interested in height. I just want launch it with a variety of G's and H's and get it back on a small chute without the rocket cracking in a dozen places. And to that, I think it'll do great.

More pictures to come. Like I said, you guys are gonna freak out when you see the rail guide standoffs.

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Aren't they just the extended Acme rail guides?

One of the guys in our club has this rocket and it always flies straight and fast! Very cool rocket that you launch to incredible height and speed without spending a hundred bucks on a motor! Nice job.

I think I will get me one of these later on. Its an awesome slick looking rocket.

So the pictures below deal with the 'super mount' for the shock cord. Though not rocket science, I admit I did not think of it. Basically you have a piece of thick coupler tube drilled, a piece of threaded rod put through the holes, and ground to be flush with the circumference of the coupler. The holes are sized such that I believe the rod had to be threaded in.

You sather epoxy on the threads to smooth the threads to protect the kevlar shock cord. I got a little messy with that as I did not stick around while the System III with wood flour cured. So it ran a bit.

Once the entire threaded rod is coated and cured, you are directed tie on the kevlar.

You then use the flat MDF stick provided in the kit to get epoxy down into the tube to the right area. I thicken the epoxy a lot and was very careful when sliding the stick down. So I got the epoxy pretty much where I needed it. Then I used the same stick to push the mount down the tube to the correct depth. To me it seems you could have done all this first, before the fins and before the retainer nozzle. Getting the epoxy into position would have been easier from the back. The you would pushed the mount in from the front just as directed. I only thought of that afterwards... Six of one...

Viola. Done. (I did not get a picture of the actual insertion as I ran out of hands. )

Jeff - Thanks for the build thread. I've got the box to build one of these in my dining room.
Where'd you find System III 3 hour epoxy ? I can find System III but not 3 hour.

regards,
Peter Grace AI6PG

ai6pg said:

Jeff - Thanks for the build thread. I've got the box to build one of these in my dining room.
Where'd you find System III 3 hour epoxy ? I can find System III but not 3 hour.

regards,
Peter Grace AI6PG

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This is the System 3 epoxy I use, T-88. Best structural epoxy out there, IMHO. It says 4 to 6 hour set time, but typically will set faster.

Thanks Big Bucks. Thats the stuff. Maybe it's not 3 hour. I never checked because I use it and go to bed. It's set in the morning.

Thanks Jeff et al,
I just ordered 1/2 pint of T-88 via Amazon.

Hopefully it arrives before I need to build my GLR T-Bolt.
I to perform a built step and then go to bed. May take a week of steps, but it gets done.

Peter AI6PG

Three days

Engine Bell with JB Weld
Fin Can
Shock Cord Mount


Or do one before work, one after, and one the next morning. It's really than easy.

Paint has arrived... I'm really liking this rocket. It got a little heft to it, yet should be a solid performer.





Yeah... I had about 2/3rds a can of yellow to use.