mtnmanak
™
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- May 5, 2020
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Unpopular opinion: TVM is a nice guy, but I don't like how he builds. I prefer a more precise build approach with an eye towards a more robust assembly.
For me, the process of building and finishing is part of the hobby, but not everyone in rocketry is here for the same things.
As long as the flight execution is safe, it's all good.
Agree completely with the assessment of TVM's build processes. As I noted in the first post on this thread, I added a centering ring to the front side of the fins and then later in the thread, I deviated from the videos by not gluing in the rear centering ring until I had placed internal fillets around all the fins, in addition to the care placed on ensuring the fins were straight. For me, this is standard practice for most through the wall fin installations, so I only used the video as a guide for that.
As a reference, watch TVMs Zephyr build video. I cringed at his epoxy application on the fin can. I think I got epoxy on me just watching it.
I just got done watching all the build videos this past week but haven’t purchased it yet. I’ve had my eyes on it for a long time among other kits so we’ll see. TVM takes some short cuts that I wouldn’t, but maybe with his experience he knows where he can and can’t cut corners. That is the reason I get so much time wrapped up in my builds. I would spend more time on adding fillets to centering rings, measuring instead of eye balling, wedging the fins between CRs, etc. Does it come faster, guys the more you build or does a guy just get more particular as he learns lol? I’ve only built a handful of hpr rockets so far
I do think this gets easier. This particular bird is a wonderful kit with excellent materials - Apogee should be commended for putting this kit out there. However, at the end of the day, it is about as bog standard of a 4-fins-and-a-nosecone rocket as you will find. Outside of some epoxy and drilling skills, this a super easy build. Kind of a "if you've built one, you've built them all" kind of thing. Every rocket is different, and every build has its challenges, but this one is a great kit to learn on if this is your first HPR, Level 2 or fiberglass kit.
I would note, though, that if this is the first time you are working on a full FG kit, take your PPE a little more seriously than TVM did in the video. He does wear gloves, a mask and eye pro, which is seriously great, but I think he was very cavalier wearing short sleeves. Maybe I am just more susceptible to the FG than other people, but I know the tube edges and the dust irritate my skin terribly. I wear long sleeves and kitchen rubber gloves when sanding and cutting the FG. If I don't, my arms look like I have some awful disease and they itch for days. Especially when I sand the inside of the tubes. Not only does the dust get on your arms, but, for me, the edges of the tube/bottom of the nosecone cut my skin a lot if I am not wearing long sleeves. Just my experience.
I I have watched the instructional videos on putting this thing together twice but that was a long time ago so I think I'm going to watch the whole thing again before I start mine. I'm pretty sure I just want to build it exactly like the video shows as I will only be flying this rocket maybe twice, three times at the most, built the way the video shows I would imagine that it will hold together well enough for three flights
Even if you deviate from TVM's methods/techniques and do this more deliberately and with precision, if you watch the videos again, you will see that the total video length is just under 3 hours (with the kit, you get a DVD with the video uninterrupted, so it is easier to see the total time). The only cuts/pauses in the video are really for glue or paint to dry. Consider that 3 hours includes TVM talking about stuff and painting the rocket and a solid 20 minutes about the launch and failure/repairs. So, maybe in the videos there is about 2 hours of actual building.