First scale scratch build, the Astrobee D

qquake2k · May 20, 2012

Did some playing around with the #3 screws and 3/16" countersink I bought for the payload section. I think they're going to work out great.

cjp · May 21, 2012

qquake2k said:
That's what they cost. The Aeropacks are similar in price. That's why I haven't bought one before now. Tee nuts and my homemade clips work just as well. I was thinking this might look better on the Astrobee, but I don't know if I want to use it like this.

Go with your gut feelings,if your not sure, use what you know will work.That's how I am.It will look great no matter what.

qquake2k · May 21, 2012

cjp said:
Go with your gut feelings,if your not sure, use what you know will work.That's how I am.It will look great no matter what.

I'll probably go with my homemade clips. I already have the tee nuts installed and epoxied in the aft centering ring.

jeffgeraci · May 21, 2012

qquake2k said:
Since I have no way of bending a radius in the bottom of the lugs to match the body, I epoxied some 3/16" thick balsa to the bottoms. It should be relatively easy to sand the radius in the balsa.

I love this technique; never would have thught of that... in fact, I didn't. Nice job!!

qquake2k · May 22, 2012

jeffgeraci said:
I love this technique; never would have thught of that... in fact, I didn't. Nice job!!

Thank you!

qquake2k · May 22, 2012

This is turning out to be a slow build, and that's the way I want it. I won't be able to launch it until October or November, anyway. I want to take my time and do it right.

I cut the body tube, payload section, and motor tube to length with the miter saw. I also cut a section off the nose cone shoulder. It was too long, and I'll need to put a bulkhead inside it.

o1d_dude · May 22, 2012

That does look like a long shoulder for that size nose cone. Maybe two caliber. What's up with that?

qquake2k · May 22, 2012

o1d_dude said:
That does look like a long shoulder for that size nose cone. Maybe two caliber. What's up with that?

It was 4-1/2" long. Dunno why.

cjp · May 23, 2012

Jim,It's coming along just fine.Taking things slow are best.I get in trouble because I don't think things out and mess up.Always in a hurry.I'm feeling great after my surgery and will be home tomorrow.Thanks for the prayers my friend,they were a blessing.

Dseter · May 23, 2012

qquake2k said:
One thing I'm concerned about, is something I've never done before. I need to paint the tip of the nose cone a different color. Not sure how I'm going to mask it.

You could try to use an Estes or similar paper shroud transfer as a guide, I don't think the shroud itself will fit tight enough as a mask but I would apply the Tamiya yellow masking tape onto the cone, then use the shroud as a guide to carefully cut around the masking tape. I like the idea of using a rubber band or rubber gasket also.

qquake2k · May 23, 2012

cjp said:
Jim,It's coming along just fine.Taking things slow are best.I get in trouble because I don't think things out and mess up.Always in a hurry.I'm feeling great after my surgery and will be home tomorrow.Thanks for the prayers my friend,they were a blessing.

Hey Carl, glad you're feeling great after the surgery!

cjp · May 23, 2012

Thanks Jim,

cjp · May 23, 2012

I using a Nook and it not the best thing to use to type with fat fingers.I should be home tomorrow kind of over did my rehab and have some swelling but that's going to happen.Anyway really like your build,Jim this is going to be cool build that should be a great flyer.There is nothing wrong with a slow well thought out build.Talk to you later,Carl.

qquake2k · May 24, 2012

cjp said:
I using a Nook and it not the best thing to use to type with fat fingers.I should be home tomorrow kind of over did my rehab and have some swelling but that's going to happen.Anyway really like your build,Jim this is going to be cool build that should be a great flyer.There is nothing wrong with a slow well thought out build.Talk to you later,Carl.

You have wireless at the hospital? That's pretty cool!

qquake2k · May 24, 2012

Dseter said:
You could try to use an Estes or similar paper shroud transfer as a guide, I don't think the shroud itself will fit tight enough as a mask but I would apply the Tamiya yellow masking tape onto the cone, then use the shroud as a guide to carefully cut around the masking tape. I like the idea of using a rubber band or rubber gasket also.

Yeah, I haven't decided yet how I'm going to do it. There are several methods, and since I've never done it before, I don't know which would work better. I need to talk to my brother-in-law too, he's a fantastic model builder. He might have some ideas.

qquake2k · May 26, 2012

I got the fins cut out today. I used the 3/16" plywood I got from BalsaUSA, and they turned out better than I expected. I think they're plenty flat enough. As usual, I pinned the blanks together so I could cut them out all at once on the bandsaw.

qquake2k · May 26, 2012

Leaving the fins pinned together, I match sanded them on the stationary belt sander. Even though they're pretty flat, I clamped them to the steel table on my sander. I'll leave them clamped over night.

qquake2k · May 26, 2012

I got the forward centering ring epoxied to the motor tube, using a piece of plastic pipe as a guide.

qquake2k · May 27, 2012

I cut another scale launch lug, this time with the bandsaw table at 35 degrees. Good thing the H bar was 6 feet long! I think it looks better. It's the one in the middle.

jungmann1 · May 27, 2012

Jim, I am sure you have covered this before but I guess I missed it. With your technique of pinning the fin blanks together, are the pins just friction fit, where you can drive them out when all your match sanding is done, or are they glued in so you have to drill them out? Thanks, dude, your build is looking great! John.

qquake2k · May 27, 2012

jungmann1 said:
Jim, I am sure you have covered this before but I guess I missed it. With your technique of pinning the fin blanks together, are the pins just friction fit, where you can drive them out when all your match sanding is done, or are they glued in so you have to drill them out? Thanks, dude, your build is looking great! John.

Thanks for the compliment, John! I don't glue the pins in, they're just friction fit. I cut them from a length of 1/4" hardwood dowel.

qquake2k · May 27, 2012

I'm pretty happy with the scale lug version 3. I think it'll look good when it's finished.

qquake2k · May 27, 2012

I got the forward motor mount centering ring epoxied in the lower body tube. Also got the three half moon baffles epoxied in. I coated the sides that face the motor with epoxy, to help them resist the heat.

gdjsky01 · May 28, 2012

qquake2k said:
I'm pretty happy with the scale lug version 3. I think it'll look good when it's finished.

Well we're happy if your happy!

Lookin nice.

cjp · May 28, 2012

Great looking detail Jim,2 builds at the same time.Your the man buddy.

qquake2k · Sep 22, 2012

I bet you guys forgot about this build! It's been a few months, but I'm back to work on it. My brother-in-law works at Aerojet, and they're going to have a booth at some function at an Air Force base. They want to display my Astrobee-D there, so I have less than a week to get it done. I better get busy!

I flooded the coupler with CA as usual, and sanded and polished it on the lathe. I also flooded the inside of the body tube with CA, and sanded it smooth.

qquake2k · Sep 22, 2012

I cut some balsa rounds from the balsa that Bill gave me. I need bulkheads in the nose cone and coupler for the screws that will be in the payload section.

qquake2k · Sep 22, 2012

There will be two rows of screws in the payload section, 12 at the top and bottom. I printed a drilling guide, made with two fin wraps I created at Payloadbay.com. I also made a simple jig to hold it on the drill press, so the holes would all be the same distance from the edges.

qquake2k · Sep 22, 2012

The screws are 3-48 stainless flathead machine screws that I got from Microfasteners.com. I drilled 5/64" holes for them, which is slightly undersized. Then I countersunk all the holes. There's a lot of them!

qquake2k · Sep 22, 2012

The holes were a little messy from the countersink, so I put a drop of CA in each of them. That allowed me to sand them smooth, and clean them up with the countersink by hand. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.

First scale scratch build, the Astrobee D

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