Nice, I am always looking to do things either better or simple.
L2 Design and Build...4x Upscale EAC Viper.
- Thread starter MarsLander
- Start date
Help Support The Rocketry Forum:
Super imposed a straight line on the picture. I'm sure it is less than 1/2 degree off.
Got the idea from here (below). Nice thing is that you just replace the shim with the correct fin stock thickness and you can use any size tube and any size fin thickness.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/homemade-fin-alignment-guide-version-2.9859/
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/homemade-fin-alignment-guide-version-2.9859/
DAllen
Well-Known Member
Thinking about how to describe it...since the rocket is aligned to the V in the wood, when you put the fin through the slot and clamp the fin to the wood, if there isn't a lot of slop in the fin slot, it will rotate the airframe and square the fin...hope that helps...
4th fin on! 2nd canard on!
Off the jig! Fillets and finish next. Power is out, so got started on the business end. Loaded up the recovery and dry assembled. 3887g, CG 36.25, margin unloaded (with 38mm adapter), 2.28. With J350 or 500, margin is 1.8. Baby Ks 1.5. I’ll take that…
Slinging Six10! Prep FG, acetone, tape, 16 fillets, 2 hours! Done! Light makes the fillets look uneven, the variation is small and I'll get them with putty. Next round, internal fillets!
When I joined as a pre-teen ; all we got was an Iron-On to put on a tee-shirt...
Edit: then as we earned more "Stripes" they sent us more Iron On to put more stripes in the Exhaust..
The way to earn more Stripes was to buy more higher skill level kits from the Club....
Yes indeed, I was barely a teen. I never took the time to put the iron-on on a shirt...
Frankly, taking a Star Orbiter and using fins to match the old Design would be super Kewl and replacing all Purple Stuff with florescent Orange to be a much better kit.
Cleaned up fillets, 1 round of putty and wet sand. Internal fillets done (I swore I took a pic, can’t find it, ugh). Used one tube of six10 so far.
Rear CR on with rocketpoxy. 40 years of west systems experience and six10 feels like home. Rocketpoxy is thicky, sticky, gooey. I can see how it would be nice for fillets, if you let it sit a bit.
Rear CR on with rocketpoxy. 40 years of west systems experience and six10 feels like home. Rocketpoxy is thicky, sticky, gooey. I can see how it would be nice for fillets, if you let it sit a bit.
Last edited:
It has been 20 years since I built a HP rocket. You forget things. There are changes and new techniques over time.
Two learnings from this build:
Hope these help you! Live and learn!
Two learnings from this build:
- I have never taped off for fillets before. Always used West/Colloidal/Cabosil in the past. Wet it out, lay it down, finger, done. I tried the tape method and failed. As you can see in the pictures below, I laid the V down about 1/2 inch longer than the fin. Don't do this. Lay the tape down to the point of the fin. As you can see, I had an odd blob at the end. Finally got rid of it and reshaped, but what a PITA.
- Had I to do it again, even with the tape in the correct position, I would have come back 30-45 minutes after laying it down and gone back to my old method and used alcohol and a finger to make final fillet.
Hope these help you! Live and learn!
Last edited:
Some are good (first two pics), some not so much. Pinholes, potholes, and a few in between…your favorite finish fixer?? Poxy, Poxy with easily sandable filler (cabosil), filler, putty?
Last edited:
Nose cone AVbay venting done. Lots of putty work on the airframe…should have taken B4 pics. 2nd round of airframe primer, and 1 round on the NC. Surprised at the number of imperfections in the nose cone. Paint booth up!
Can't wait to see a video of this launching
G10 primer fail!!! Lots of fglass experience (boats/planes), none with G10. Used 120 grit immediately before assembly on the areas getting bonded. My experience is that abrasion right before assembly is strongest. Did not abrade the rest of the fin at assembly, did that with 220 right before prime. I’m pretty good at sanding, and will water-break test if I’m the least bit concerned. When primer is dry, I also “fingernail” test primer (learned that years ago). Fins all failed the fingernail test, DRAT! Airframe passed the fingernail test. Razor blade made short work of that…blade would not touch the area that was prepped with 120. For me, G10 prep =120 grit.
First prime on NC came out nice with just a couple pinholes.
First prime on NC came out nice with just a couple pinholes.
Last edited:
Level 2 written passed...100%. One more thing out of the way...
First colors down. Took testing 3 caps to eliminate spitting. Fat cap green level 5 works the best. Will take some 800-1000 grit 3M pads to level. Montana gold “Valerie” matches stickershock23 colors pretty close! 24 hours then Montana Varnish!
Montana gold certainly has a learning curve. Took 3 tries to get it right.
Learnings:
Will top coat with Duplicolor Engine Enamel Clear Gloss. I may take it to a bodyshop and get a 2K quote, but I just can't bring myself to risk me applying 2K...don't want the health hazard.
Learnings:
- Use a green #3 cap, and
- Spray closer and heavier than you think. You would think it would run (it would with any other paint), but with Montana, you need to be close and heavy to avoid the pitting/mottling in pic 1.
Will top coat with Duplicolor Engine Enamel Clear Gloss. I may take it to a bodyshop and get a 2K quote, but I just can't bring myself to risk me applying 2K...don't want the health hazard.
Last edited:
Found a TAP, at the local club holiday party, to supervise my L2 at LDRS. Spent about an hour with him tonight and learned a lot. Thanks Chris Pearson!!! (None other than one of the original North Coast Rocketry founders and LDRS-1 Host/Sponsor).
Key learnings:
Key learnings:
- If you have G10/12 fins, bevel the leading edges and seal with thin CA. This will lessen any impact of high speeds (> Mach) delaminating G10/12.
- With 4" and larger birds, just use 1515 buttons/guides...many clubs have <6' 1010 rails.
- With G10, .125 thickness, don't worry about flutter/shred until you hit Mach boundary
- Sand FG before bonding (I knew this and used 120 before any bonding/priming)
- No pins, with nose/motor deploy doesn't matter, as long as shake test show sufficient. Also, 1pin vs. 2pins doesn't matter with typical shoulder lengths.
- Blow it out or blow it up (within reason)
Last edited:
I have my original, a bt-60 and a 2.6" upscale. Also an original club package still unopened. Love this rocket. Forgot the Baby Bertha based Goonie.
Last edited:
Nice build!
Well, the Montana gold didn’t go down so well on the airframe, thread here-->Montana Gold Frustrations.
Decided to start over. Man that is a crappy decision to make, but that's the price of an education. Especially hate I lost ALL the body filler putty corrections. UGH. Ran out of acetone, more later.
Decided to start over. Man that is a crappy decision to make, but that's the price of an education. Especially hate I lost ALL the body filler putty corrections. UGH. Ran out of acetone, more later.
Chris is a very great guy. Back in the Day the "NCR Big Brute" made by NCR was packed by Chris in CLE and he shipped it to me in TOL. I did my TRA "Confirmation" on it at DanVille Dare II in 1989 on an AT H70 29mm Single Use.
Great guy to have as your Tap
Since I'm struggling with Montana gold over LARGE areas, but I seem to be able to get smaller areas (nose cone came out fine), I have a new plan of attack.
Route .5: I'm not expecting it to work, but I'm going to test using a gloss enamel as a base coat, and over coating with the Montana laquer colors. I know...NEVER lacquer over enamel...I'm a fool. I have a spare MM tube that I can do some testing. Rumor has it that the Montana paints, in fact, can be painted over enamel. Will be interesting test.
Route 1: Krylon Acryli-Quick Acrylic Lacquer Gloss White base, Montana Gold Yellow/Purple accents. This should keep it all in the Lacquer family.
If that fails...
Route 2: Order custom colors from www.myperfectcolor.com and use their Acrylic Enamel custom color sprays. Really expensive with their "batch production" fees, but the colors, like the Montana paints are close to the vinyl decals.
In either case, I found a local body shop to do the clear coat...pick up the NC on Monday.
Route .5: I'm not expecting it to work, but I'm going to test using a gloss enamel as a base coat, and over coating with the Montana laquer colors. I know...NEVER lacquer over enamel...I'm a fool. I have a spare MM tube that I can do some testing. Rumor has it that the Montana paints, in fact, can be painted over enamel. Will be interesting test.
Route 1: Krylon Acryli-Quick Acrylic Lacquer Gloss White base, Montana Gold Yellow/Purple accents. This should keep it all in the Lacquer family.
If that fails...
Route 2: Order custom colors from www.myperfectcolor.com and use their Acrylic Enamel custom color sprays. Really expensive with their "batch production" fees, but the colors, like the Montana paints are close to the vinyl decals.
In either case, I found a local body shop to do the clear coat...pick up the NC on Monday.
Round 2 begins!
Why don't you talk to them about doing the basecoat with their auto paint? My SIL manages a body shop and I tell them what basic color I want and when they are painting that color, they can easily put a little extra paint in their cup so that it really doesn't take more than a couple of extra minutes , same for the clear coat. That way you end up with an auto quality paint job.
