Installing Nose Spikes

What's a good technique for making a good sturdy nose spike for scale models like Doorknob and Asp? PNC's would require a different method than Balsa cones, I suspect...
-Braz

Chuck a wood dowel in a drill and sharpen it to the shape you want.

Cut the tip off of the nose cone and epoxy your new spike into place.

Maybe blend it in with some filler and sand it smooth.

sandman

Ahh, but Sandman, you are a craftsman. I am a dofus who has to use a whole wood-working shop to get a Big Bertha fin on straight. I've thought about using a drill press to create a socket in the tip of the NC and press fitting the spike, but I have an aversion to ruining BMS's fine creations... I'm gonna try it anyway, I think. I've decided that if it ain't scale, it has to glide, stage, or have clustered motors to be fun. Matter of fact, I've just test flown a bird that does all three... ain't rockets fun?
-Braz

Originally posted by ELBRAZ
Ahh, but Sandman, you are a craftsman. I am a dofus who has to use a whole wood-working shop to get a Big Bertha fin on straight. I've thought about using a drill press to create a socket in the tip of the NC and press fitting the spike, but I have an aversion to ruining BMS's fine creations... I'm gonna try it anyway, I think. I've decided that if it ain't scale, it has to glide, stage, or have clustered motors to be fun. Matter of fact, I've just test flown a bird that does all three... ain't rockets fun?
-Braz

Click to expand...

Easy:

Hire Sandman...

elbarz:
How do we say this... can't never could? don't be afraid to push your building limits.. that's how we improve.
If you have a drill press you'er most of the way there. Use a straight pin or needle and gently push it into the point of your balsa nose cone.. as perpendicular as possible, If your chuck will hold the pin this can be done with the drill press. next sand off a little of the tip flat and slightly smaller than your spike. Make sure to leave some of the pin hole visible as your "center" mark.
dill out the aerospike pocket, test fit the shaft and adjust with a needle file if necessary.
See it really is easy, hardest part is making sure the nose cone is level and the point is centered under the drill bit.

could you use a ink pen body for the spike?

mabey do a little work on the tip to make the point?

How about putting the cone in a plain BT, and setting up a miter box to cut off the point. Then epoxy your tip on with perhaps a toothpick or small dowel to pin them together.

Thanks, folks. I think I'll ruin a few less nose cones figuring this out , now. Getting a true flat on the NC with a miter box is really good. Then we'll go with a pinvise holding a needle chucked in the drill press. Thanks! Now I just need to learn to do a decent paint job....
-Braz