A rocket for a smurf

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The 1.5" hole saw was certainly not necessary, it's just the first thing I found that was good enough.
I should have quoted the exact bit I was responding to:
A 1.5" diameter is still a little too big, so I'm hoping to buy a 1.25" hole saw shortly and use it as a guide...
A 1.25" guide does not have to be another hole saw. A BT-52 comes quite close, for example.
 
A 1.25" guide does not have to be another hole saw. A BT-52 comes quite close, for example.

Oh right, maybe I do have a BT-52 rocket or tube. I'll have to check. The 1.25" hole saw is mostly for actually drilling the hole though (for balsa, what works best for me so far is 1: hole saw for the hole 2: chisels for removing the middle part, and 3: Forstner bit to finish off the bottom - that's how I did the 2" hole in my post 197). I would use it as a guide only so I don't have to buy a pipe, but if I do have a BT-52 rocket tube, that would in fact make a better guide.
 
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This was just released. Coincidentally, it sort of relates.
 
So ... While Handy is awaiting a brand new Dremel to carve out portholes on the nose cone - because no regular drill bit has proven to be reliable for making balsa hole with clean edges, and neither have cookie cutters - Smurfblossom and Sassette cut out 1.25-inch vinyl circles and applied them to 1.25-inch Aluminum Circle "Stamping Blanks". These particular ones are designed to make jewelry, but they're really just flat aluminum disks.
PortHoleBackdrops.JPG
Smurfblosson: We'll be gluing one of these behind each porhole window!

Sassette: So when we look in a window, we'll see a reflection of the night sky!

Smurfblosson: We'll have to chose between plain dark blue and sparkling dark blue.

Sassette: I like the sparkly one!
IMG_1922.JPG
 
I think a reason why drilling the portholes didn't work very well is because I painted the thing before drilling. Or maybe I'm just too fussy. Let's say that's the problem. But I've been thinking about getting a Dremel for a while now, so this is really the kind of opportunity I needed to justify the purchase. Looking forward to it!

One side of the ship would obviously be dark, and the other sparkly.......IMHO, anyway.

It will be easier to decide the color once everything else on the nose cone is done.

Aluminum? Perfect for this, but selling them for jewelry? Those should be silver. I mean, good for you that they're not, but sheesh!

I think making low-cost jewelry is a hobby for many people. They do it for themselves, not necessarily for resale. Sort of like making rockets, but for people who prefer jewelry over rockets.
 
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Funworks, this is amazing! i do look forward to teh story & how it advances!

I must admit, I thought Smurfette wash teh only 'female' of teh 100 Smurfs.. (Rumor has it, that she carries around .45 Smurf-o-matic to keep the boys at bay! :D )
 
I think making low-cost jewelry is a hobby for many people. They do it for themselves, not necessarily for resale. Sort of like making rockets, but for people who prefer jewelry over rockets.
Oh, I'm well aware of that. I've done some jewelry making, about 35 to 40 years ago. (One of the several hobbies I'd like to get back to but for time and money.) And I worked in silver. A 1.25 inch diameter, 22 gauge sterling silver disc costs $11.38 today (prices change daily) from Rio Grande.
 
Funworks, this is amazing! i do look forward to teh story & how it advances!

I must admit, I thought Smurfette wash teh only 'female' of teh 100 Smurfs.. (Rumor has it, that she carries around .45 Smurf-o-matic to keep the boys at bay! :D )
Its been many, many years since I watched the Smurfs on TV on Saturday morning.... At first, the Smurfs were all male. Then Gargamel made Smurfette as a trap/lure/something in order to find the Smurf village. Like always, that didn't work out and she joined the rest of the Smurfs. I don't remember how the younger Smurfs come to be but they were a mix of male and female. Maybe they came around after I stopped watching the show (grew up some).

Anyone remember to full story of Smurfette and all the younger Smurfs? Maybe my memory of Smurfette is wrong? Its been a few decades....
 
Anyone remember to full story of Smurfette and all the younger Smurfs? Maybe my memory of Smurfette is wrong? Its been a few decades....

Most of what I know I learned this year:

- Smurfette: All original Smurfs were male and Gargamel made Smurfette to lure them, but Papa Smurf converted her to be nice instead. In other words, the origianl comics were boy-oriented but Hanna-Barbara thought a Smurfette would incease cartoon viewership.

- The 3 "Smurflings" (Slouchy, Snappy and Nat), which are not in "this rocket-building story", are 3 regular smurfs who accidentally got younger through some magic I don't remember.

- Sassette: The 3 Smurflings created Sassette as a friend for Smurfette, using Gargamel's magic. Sassette started out evil, but Papa Smurf converted her to be nice like Smurfette and join the gang. I like her in photos because she's the only girl smurf with a scult that can fit in everywhere.

- Between 1989 and 2017, nothing really happened except for a couple of movies I don't want to watch.

- In 2017, a decent fully animated movie was released called "The Lost Village", and the title sort of explains why no one new about the existence of girl smurfs. You can find clips online.
 
Port Holes Clean.JPG
Clumsy:
Gee! I can’t wait to have my turn with that smurfy new tool!

Pointing smurf:
Handy let me use his new rotary tool to grind the acrylic windows down using one of Smurfblossom’s aluminum disk as a template! They look even better now!

Smurfblossom:
Handy is literally like so smurfed up right now!

Sassette:
Jewelry supplies are so SMURFY!

Handy:
To make 1-1/4 inch port holes on balsa, here’s what worked:
  1. Using a 1-1/8 inch hole saw to drill a hole with a rough edge,
  2. Using a rotary tool at 15 000 RPM with a cylindrical diamond grit bit to gradually increase the hole diameter until a 1-1/4 inch aluminum disk could fit in!
Brainy:
Always wear eye protection when using power tools! And don’t forget to register your new purchase online, and for your own safety and the tool’s longevity, read the owner’s manual from A to Z! I even read it in all the languages it’s written in, because Papa Surf always says: When it comes to high voltages, we Smurfs have to be extra careful! Because we’re only 3 apples tall and that’s much less than how many Volts these things are running on! And if one of us Smurfs were to stick his tongue on 12 Volts, we don’t know what would happen! Because no Smurf has ever tried it! And …

Earache Smurf:
I know exactly whose smurf tongue I’d like to stick in a 12V power supply right now.
 
Backdrops 3 Cutting.JPG
Injured Smurf: Wow! That’s a heavy knife!

Clumsy: Gosh! Sorry I dropped it on your head!

Smurfblossom: You see Sassette, and when there’s a blade ON the knife, it’s even MORE dangerous!

Sassette: Smurfaroo! I think I’ll just watch!

Vanity: These colours look soooo good!
Backdrops 4 Selection.JPG
Smurfblossom:
So now we have four choices for the port hole back drops! Which one do YOU like best?

Sassette:
Sparkly blue!

Clumsy:
This one looks like blueberries! Hee-yuk!

Vanity:
Isn’t this the smurfiest one? Oh my!

Pointing Smurf:
I bet Feathers would pick this one!

Feathers:
Are you still playing with that “space” ship? Look, the sky changes color all the time doesn’t it?

Smurfblossom:
One color has to be glued in the port holes for flying, but maybe the others can be used when the ship is just standing in the rocket garden!

Sassette:
Handy will figure something out!
 
Making Port Hole Balsa Rings – Step 1 – Cutting Out Balsa Disks

Handy:
Now that we have windows and back drops, we can make the O-rings! In this picture, you can see the stacks we’ll fit inside the port holes.
1613343090421.png
  • A 1/16-inch thin balsa spacer, because we want a stack to protrude beyond the nose cone surface so we can then sand it down to be flush with it. These thin spacers can be cut out with scissors.
  • A colored back drop, and we chose sky blue, the color most likely to match a flyable sky, and that matches our comic book perfectly.
  • An acrylic window.
  • A 1/4-inch thick balsa disk, that we’ll turn into a ring in the next step, and eventually sand down to be flush with the cone surface.
To make the 1/4-inch thick disks, we just used a 1.5-inch diameter hole saw through a 1/4-inch thick balsa board. The disks it cuts out are just what we need to start off O-rings!

Clumsy:
Gee! This is getting kind of complicated!

Making Port Hole Balsa Rings – Step 2 – Turning the Disks into Rings

Handy:
To turn the disks into rings, we used a rotary tool with a sanding band bit. Starting and finishing measurements were:
  • 1-1/2-inch O.D. disks,
  • 1-1/4-inch O.D. rings, with 1-inch I.D.
The 1-1/4-inch O.D. is for fitting inside the holes we drilled in the nose cone, and the 1-inch I.D. is for accepting removable disks with different colors. So only the permanent, flight worthy, sky-blue back drops have to be 1-1/4-inch in diameter All the other colors have to be on 1-inch disks instead, so that they can fit inside these new ring.

Clumsy: Gosh! But how will we remove a disk if it gets stuck in the port hole?

Handy: We can use a suction cup!

Clumsy: A what?

Jokey (off-screen): A smurfer to smurf out smurfables! Hee-argh!! Yuk!! Yargy Yarg!!

Handy:
Jokey’s actually right… On this picture, you can see a stack for each one of the 4 colors, and the rotary bit we used to make the balsa rings:
1613343234114.png
Clumsy:
Ohhhh … I still don’t get it Handy.

Handy:
Well, it'll be easier to see when we put it all on the nose cone!
 
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Grouchy:

I HATE waiting for Dupli-Color Primer Filler to dry on a sanded false metal strapping with balsa rivets, and on CA-strengthened balsa rings sculpted with a rotary tool, that are supposed to look like port hole window frames for a space ship that can’t even reach space!

IMG_1934.JPG
 
The Smurfs date back to 1958. Smurfette was introduced in the 60's.. they were a Belgian creation by Artist "Peyo" and were uniquely 'European' until the early 80's. They were popular among the French Canadians as well; as most of our 'reading material' originated from France & Europe.. So, I was reading les Schtroumphs, Asterix & Obelix, Gaston Lagaff, Barbapapa, etc.. way back in the 70's..

(sorry for being a pedant!)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smurfs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smurfette
 
Smurfette was introduced in the 60's..

Ok thanks. I really thought Smurfette and all the "personalities" were introduced in the 1980s cartoon, because neither The Magic Flute, nor the Astro Smurf comic have any of that. (Smurfette is in the Astro Smurf cartoon but not the Astro Smurf comic.).

Well, looking back at my statement in post #222:

"All original Smurfs were male and Gargamel made Smurfette to lure them, but Papa Smurf converted her to be nice instead. In other words, the origianl comics were boy-oriented but Hanna-Barbara thought a Smurfette would incease cartoon viewership.",

I don't think it's wrong. From your wikipedia link about Smurfette:

"... the reintroduction of Smurfette as a permanent character in the animated series was "bowing to merchandising dictates" in order to "appeal to little girl toy consumers."
 
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There's an injured smurf with bloodstain on his hat? That's unexpectedly grim, though realistic.

I did like Asterix and Obelix, my parents had a few of their films recorded and I thought they were a riot as a kid
 
Ok thanks. I really thought Smurfette and all the "personallities" were introduced in the 1980s cartoon, because The Magic Flute had none of those. I should have done more research or kept shut about unconfirmed statements. The only comic I read is Astro Smurf, but only last year after I started project.

No worries.. I think this is another example of the US appropriating (typically European) content / entertainment, and then rebranding / refurbishing it to suit their market. Some 'adult' styled sci-fi / futuristic comics were also refurbished for the American market, notably by Heavy Metal magazine.

But sadly, a few didn't quite make it big in the US. Luc Bresson's telling of the series "Velarian" & Moebius' 'The Incal' (5th Element - loosely based on) didn't quite make it as big as they should have. Different markets & style expectations I guess.

Tin Tin is another one that has a long history in Europe, but never really caught on in the US.. And I'm sure his story line has influence many in Hollywood.. We love his rocket ship!! [Destination Moon] (and you pronounce his name Tain Tain (but without the 'n').. Not 'Tin Tin' like the metal)


I do, really, wish Gaston Lagaffe was translated! He was hilarious!


And I have been called 'pedantic' but a few friends. So, for that I apologize.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaston_(comics)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tintin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destination_Moon_(comics)
 
There's an injured smurf with bloodstain on his hat? That's unexpectedly grim, though realistic.

Here's a picture of the same I just found online to show it's rather a bandage:

s-l640.jpg
(Haven't you ever worn a bandage ON your hat? 😄)

Edit: I just realized there might be 2 interpretations to that post so here's the one I had in mind:

Clumsy dropped the knife handle on the injured smurf, so Blossom took over and her line to Sassette implies that a knife without the blade is dangerous enough to injure a smurf, but even MORE dangerous when the blade is ON. So Clumsy was so clumsy he managed to injure someone before the blade was even attached to it. Graphically, it's just a typical cartoon "BONK" on the head.

I guess finding the right point between subtilty and obviousness is part of the challenge.
 
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No worries.. I think this is another example of the US appropriating (typically European) content / entertainment, and then rebranding / refurbishing it to suit their market. Some 'adult' styled sci-fi / futuristic comics were also refurbished for the American market, notably by Heavy Metal magazine.

I think their are a great example of US-Europe collaboration. Peyo had a great idea, but could not have made the cartoon. Hanna-Barbara added what it needed to make them blow up. Unlike the other comics you mention, I think the Smurfs were simple and generic enough to be molded for new, very large audiences.
 
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These figures are the perfect size, so I just go with it (the only brand I can think of with both a figure collection scaled to a rocket I can build). They're also the first show I remember after Sesame Street so I don't mind them. Plus, there had to be adults somewhere to make them happen.
 
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I kind of hate the Smurfs... but I love this thread anyway. :)
Same here, with emphasis on "kind of". Upthread I described them as what you get when you cross a Keebler elf with a blueberry. Long ago, a friend of mine had a t-shirt with a picture captioned "Hulk smash blue people"; I'll leave the picture to the imagination.

And yet, this build is dynamite, and the thread is downright smurfy.
 
Tin Tin is another one that has a long history in Europe, but never really caught on in the US.. And I'm sure his story line has influence many in Hollywood.. We love his rocket ship!! [Destination Moon] (and you pronounce his name Tain Tain (but without the 'n').. Not 'Tin Tin' like the metal)

When I was in college (in America), the professor who oversaw my senior design project was French and as part of the project asked us to evaluate shaping the launch vehicle we were to design like the Tintin rocket... of course we quickly discerned that the massive fins with the pods on the end were useless weight and shaping the body with the compound curve would just make manufacturing needlessly difficult. It was the first time I had heard of Tintin.
 
Tin Tin is another one that has a long history in Europe, but never really caught on in the US.. And I'm sure his story line has influence many in Hollywood.. We love his rocket ship!! [Destination Moon] (and you pronounce his name Tain Tain (but without the 'n').. Not 'Tin Tin' like the metal)
I always liked Asterix better than Tintin but they were a little hard to find in English.

I did notice in French class that the English translations of some of the Tintin stories were changed a bit from the French, though I forget which ones now. Many of the Tintin plots/art also haven’t aged well, particularly when he goes to Africa or Asia.
 
When I was in college (in America), the professor who oversaw my senior design project was French and as part of the project asked us to evaluate shaping the launch vehicle we were to design like the Tintin rocket... of course we quickly discerned that the massive fins with the pods on the end were useless weight and shaping the body with the compound curve would just make manufacturing needlessly difficult. It was the first time I had heard of Tintin.

but it looks cool!! :D
 
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