jlabrasca
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- Oct 31, 2016
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Started making parts for Estes Industries Rocket Plan #128 TAO -- thought I'd invite the TRF along for the swearing and fits of digital-fabrication-derangement-syndrome (that is totally a thing) induced rage.
Fin-can + booster first.
The original plans call for 1/8 inch balsa for the fins. I modeled the fins 3mm thick -- which looks really chunky -- but I wasn't sure about the stiffness of the Amazon Basics PTEG, so I stuck with it. I'll add some details of the modeling and printing in subsequent posts. I am thinking about trying again, with thinner fins.
The original plan was to insert wooden dowels at the top and bottom of the hatch, to engage with holes in the bottom of the booster and the inside surface of the sustainer airframe. When I tried that, it turned out to be too hard to get everything lined up flush and secure. So I printed another version (with a lip at the top of the hatch.
Still uses dowels (wooden tooth picks) at the bottom. I switched out the filament for the red PETG because I wanted to see how my kluged-up filament dryer worked. It doesn't -- so I had to drill some blobs out of the holes where the toothpicks will go.
It fits together well enough, but the inner diameter of the fin can is a just little too small for the Estes BT60 coupler I was planning to use.
I think this will cease to be an issue when I cut away the piece for the hatchway.
Fin-can + booster first.
The original plans call for 1/8 inch balsa for the fins. I modeled the fins 3mm thick -- which looks really chunky -- but I wasn't sure about the stiffness of the Amazon Basics PTEG, so I stuck with it. I'll add some details of the modeling and printing in subsequent posts. I am thinking about trying again, with thinner fins.
The original plan was to insert wooden dowels at the top and bottom of the hatch, to engage with holes in the bottom of the booster and the inside surface of the sustainer airframe. When I tried that, it turned out to be too hard to get everything lined up flush and secure. So I printed another version (with a lip at the top of the hatch.
Still uses dowels (wooden tooth picks) at the bottom. I switched out the filament for the red PETG because I wanted to see how my kluged-up filament dryer worked. It doesn't -- so I had to drill some blobs out of the holes where the toothpicks will go.
It fits together well enough, but the inner diameter of the fin can is a just little too small for the Estes BT60 coupler I was planning to use.
I think this will cease to be an issue when I cut away the piece for the hatchway.
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