Semroc Vector-V Build Thread

We'll start, as all good build threads do, with the kit in the bag as it arrived.



The bag contains: two ST-7 tubes, one short and one long; a short ST-13 tube for the fin can; a nose cone; a laser-cut fin sheet containing five cardboard fins (the same ones used on the current production Estes Viking); a laser-cut pair of centering rings; a printed sheet with the pattern for the transition shroud and the upper body tube wrapper; a parachute kit; decals; and a zip-closing bag containing the launch lug, shock cord, and other small fiddly bits. All materials are of excellent quality, the laser-cut parts in particular.



Per the instructions, the first step is to build the motor mount. There's a steel "old school" engine hook which drops into a pre-cut slot at the upper end, and is secured in the middle of the tube with a few wraps of masking tape. The notched centering ring goes on the bottom end.



The next step is to cut out and form the transition shroud. It's made of thick, glossy paper. After it dries, it gets glued to the other centering ring.



The shroud-and-ring combination gets placed on the upper end of the motor mount, resulting in an object that looks like a BT-20 table lamp.



The next step, per the instructions, is to attach the fins to the fin can tube. Once that's finished, I'm going to deviate from the instructions a little and build the rocket in subassemblies to facilitate painting. We'll pick things up there in our next episode.

Ah one of the lastI suppose we will see of Semroc.......there were so many of their kits I wanted to build so I will content myself withw atching your thread . Good luck and may all your paint be smooth as silk /)

The instructions have you assemble the motor mount into the fin unit, then attach the upper body tube to the lower one, then put the mid-body vane assembly on the upper body tube. (You glue the spacing guide on the body tube, then glue the basswood to the spacing guide.) To facilitate painting, I put the vanes on the upper body tube before assembling the rocket any further, and also hit the nose cone with wood filler and sandpaper. You end up with four major pieces



I sprayed the body tube ad the shroud on the motor mount white. The original plan was to paint the nose, vane assembly, and fin unit a sinister gunmetal gray. I painted the nose and fins, only to realize that the color looked better in my mind's eye than it did on the actual model. I repainted the fin unit and nose cone black. Here's where we are now:



I want to paint the vane assembly something, but I'm not sure what. Maybe black, maybe gunmetal, maybe black or gunmetal with some bright color(s) on the outer edge of the vanes, maybe something else entirely. Any suggestions from the audience?

At my son PJ's suggestion, I painted the vane assembly light green, bordered by 1/8" black stripes. Here's a photo with the motor mount and shroud already in place. Painting the parts separately resulted in a nice clean color separation.



Next step is to install the stage coupler in the motor mount tube. It goes down against the engine hook, where it acts as a thrust ring.



Next step is to tie the Kevlar to the stage coupler using the pre-punched hole.



The stage coupler was a tight fit. A very tight fit. In retrospect, I should have sanded the outside of the coupler or the inside of the body tube, because when I put the upper body tube on, DISASTER STRUCK!!!



The glue "grabbed" before I could get it snugged down all the way against the shroud and left a 1/16" gap between the upper tube and the shroud--and the shroud ended up with a slight wrinkle. This imperfection was covered up with another 1/8" black stripe.

Next step is to fish the Kevlar out the front end, tie the elastic to the Kevlar, and the nose cone to the elastic. At that point, the major construction is complete.

I've never been able to get 18mm tubes and parachutes to work and play well with each other, so I installed a handcrafted, artisinal 36" caution tape streamer and saved the excellent Semroc parachute for another project.



In our final chapter, we'll add decals.

I added another black stripe to balance out the one at the top of the shroud, slapped on the decals for the roll pattern and the kit name, gave it a shot of Dullcote, and now she's done!

Semroc is being bought even as we type. The paper work is almost done. Semroc WILL return.

Astro-Baby said:

Ah one of the lastI suppose we will see of Semroc.......there were so many of their kits I wanted to build so I will content myself withw atching your thread . Good luck and may all your paint be smooth as silk /)

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