- Joined
- Jul 24, 2015
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Just finished building my spider bowl saucer. Hardly needs a build thread but I need to cut my teeth on something simple as this is my first. I did learn that I need to take more pictures as I missed a couple of steps. I do intend to CHAD stage this D to D. For the uninitiated chad staging is just taping a 0 delay bp motor to the nozzle end of another with cellophane (scotch) tape. I have a bunch of old D12-0 motors that need used. All the parts except the basket were floating around in boxes. Just got back into rocketry, I keep finding stuff from the previous insanity. So this build cost a buck!
The parts. Forgot to put the top retainer ring in the pic. I decided to use a cr to spread the motor impulse over a larger area. I do have some 24mm reloads that might go in this. I think the cr is from a kit bashed Big Daddy, about 3 inches across. I used West 5 minute epoxy. I intend to use the booster shown to actually tumble recover the first stage. The sustainer is long gone, might as well get some use from it. Motor retention and thrust rings will be masking tape.
Since some have had issues with breaking the webs using a sprue cutter to remove the center, I decided to use a single edge razor blade and heat to do the job.
Cleaned up the hole with a dremel drum sander to fit the 24mm engine tube.
Flipped it over, centered the cr with the engine mount and marked the perimeter. Sanded the web with 80 grit to give the epoxy something to grab.
Glued the cr in place. Note the engine mount with the top retainer glued in place.
Installed the motor mount from the top using plenty of epoxy so it flowed into the first ring of the web for reinforcement. One of the pics I shoulda, woulda, coulda took, but didn't :-( .
Drilled a hole through the web and centering ring for the launch lug. Yup another missing pic. Boy I suck at this.
Used a launch rod to align the lug and glued it in place. Hit it with a little Testors orange (good color match) and this is the finished product.
As noted by someone else, I need to color the spiders black. And yes the first boosted flight will be a heads up, never flown a saucer with a booster and simulating its behavior is beyond me.
If the weather cooperates I'll fly this at the BSRA launch on Saturday. We're forecast to get 6 - 10 inches of snow here tomorrow so who knows. Of course the launch is 230 miles west of me so they may get nothing.
The parts. Forgot to put the top retainer ring in the pic. I decided to use a cr to spread the motor impulse over a larger area. I do have some 24mm reloads that might go in this. I think the cr is from a kit bashed Big Daddy, about 3 inches across. I used West 5 minute epoxy. I intend to use the booster shown to actually tumble recover the first stage. The sustainer is long gone, might as well get some use from it. Motor retention and thrust rings will be masking tape.
Since some have had issues with breaking the webs using a sprue cutter to remove the center, I decided to use a single edge razor blade and heat to do the job.
Cleaned up the hole with a dremel drum sander to fit the 24mm engine tube.
Flipped it over, centered the cr with the engine mount and marked the perimeter. Sanded the web with 80 grit to give the epoxy something to grab.
Glued the cr in place. Note the engine mount with the top retainer glued in place.
Installed the motor mount from the top using plenty of epoxy so it flowed into the first ring of the web for reinforcement. One of the pics I shoulda, woulda, coulda took, but didn't :-( .
Drilled a hole through the web and centering ring for the launch lug. Yup another missing pic. Boy I suck at this.
Used a launch rod to align the lug and glued it in place. Hit it with a little Testors orange (good color match) and this is the finished product.
As noted by someone else, I need to color the spiders black. And yes the first boosted flight will be a heads up, never flown a saucer with a booster and simulating its behavior is beyond me.
If the weather cooperates I'll fly this at the BSRA launch on Saturday. We're forecast to get 6 - 10 inches of snow here tomorrow so who knows. Of course the launch is 230 miles west of me so they may get nothing.
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