Another Zephyr Build

[SteveNeill]

I couldn't be more pleased with the service, speedy delivery, well packed kit from Apogee. The kit was delivered by 11 am and by 5 pm I got this far including the epoxy work inside the engine assembly and fins. I haven't done the filets yet.

I used West Systems epoxy and cabosil with fast cat and it worked great. Really enjoying this build.

 

[K'Tesh]

I think it won't be able to fly faster than you are making it...

Slow down... Enjoy the build.

 

[Andrew_ASC]

LOL K tesh... But please slow down when you get to recovery section and ask all the questions you can think of.

 

[SteveNeill]

I've have been building for years. I've done so many models from scratch and otherwise for film and TV I have lost track. But seriously and I do mean seriously these are rockets. Not models. A different beast and although they look and build like a model they are functioning rockets and play by a separate set of rules. I get that. And I'm not to the recovery part yet.

I'm use to getting deadlines that are impossible from the studios and clients. Not enough time, not a enough money but always I manage. So a build like this tends to go quickly for me.

The last model I built for a client(San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) was the space station from 2001: a space odyssey. I had 60 days, had to build it from scratch and it was nearly impossible. Adam Savage insisted I could do it in that time and I barely made it.

I still have to do filets. Painting and a bunch of other stuff, rest assured I am enjoying this build much more so than that damn space station!

 

[neil_w]

That space station is amazing. At some point in another thread you should post pics of all the stuff you’ve built!

 

[SteveNeill]

Thanks. If you click on my website below you can see a lot of it and even a studio tour. We don't get much work anymore and the place is used mainly for my hobbies. Here's a picture of the 6 foot Enterprise I built from scratch. A few were made from my molds for museums. This is the one I own in my studio.

 

[spigalau]

What's under the tarp ??

 

[SteveNeill]

1985 Z I had restored inside and out. It's the weekend drivenow. Too clean to drive everyday.

 

[SteveNeill]

I went to my local Lowes but of course they didn't have Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Gloss Spring Green #314751. So I looked at the Krylon selection and used my iPhone picture of the Apogee Zephyr a matched to this Krylon green they had and it was very close(see picture).

Used West systems Epoxy(I have lots at the studio for making epoxy glass fuselages) and cablosil.

Lightly sanded the nose cone and used the Krylon primer on that. I was pleased with their primer. It filled scratches well.

Today I'll sand and primer with white primer the body and fins.

Normally I'd airbrush this in the paint booth but this was a little big for it. Need to build a bigger booth! I have this feeling these get bigger from here. No?

 

[K'Tesh]

Use caution with Krylon... I painted a nosecone with the stuff. Didn't touch it for a full day. When I did, I was happy with it, and casually tossed it onto my bed while I was in a rush to get out the door to go to school. I came home hours later, and the paint had stuck to my bedspread. The nosecone had a fuzzy patch where it was in contact with the fabric. It was warm in my bedroom, but not hot enough to melt paint/plastic (mid 80's, low humidity). The paint didn't transfer to the bedspread, but the weave did impress itself into the paint. Haven't used Krylon since.

 

[SteveNeill]

You'll find that almost any rattle can paint will do this. I let them hang or sit on the body tube for days. At least 3 before I put on decals or do any real man handling.

I have made 100's of models in my life time for the movies and personal builds. I have run up against this with everything from Dupli Color to Rustoleum. Lacquers do this less I have found but letting the paint dry for as long as possible is always best. Especially the way it's piled on for the glassy look we all love.

And yes I have had the bedspread markings as well, paper towel and other such irritating marks.

But as always I thank you very much for pointing this out and your concerns. It is greatly appreciated.

 

[SteveNeill]

Not too happy with Krylon white primer. I started to use it and it was not very thick or opaque. So I used the grayer scratch and fill to later be followed with flat white for its opacity and then gloss white.

Nose cone painted, retainer installed and now I play the waiting game on paint drying. I'm hoping to get the body tube painted white and the fines Monday.

 

[SteveNeill]

More filling and sanding and...oh white primer!

 

[AfterBurners]

I couldn't be more pleased with the service, speedy delivery, well packed kit from Apogee. The kit was delivered by 11 am and by 5 pm I got this far including the epoxy work inside the engine assembly and fins. I haven't done the filets yet.

I used West Systems epoxy and cabosil with fast cat and it worked great. Really enjoying this build.

I like the motor retainer. Does the kit come with it?

 

[SteveNeill]

No it doesn't but Apogee had them for about 25 bucks. Nice piece of metal.

 

[SteveNeill]

Forgot to show the finished Zephyr. I finished it a couple of weeks ago. No flight yet remember I live in California and have to make a 3 hour trip to Lucerne Dry lake bed to fly this. The LPR stuff I sneak at the local college.

This is an excellent kit and if all goes well in Oct. I'll get my level one. Next up will be a HPR scratch build. Thinking it over. It might be scale. And then there's that Von Braun project.

 

[SteveNeill]

No maiden this weekend. I'm bummed.

Fires caused me to cancel the ROC Roctober event at Lucerne. Roads closed, fires everywhere. The weather at Lucerne is perfect low 70's, no wind and no way for me to get there. Motor home was packed and we were ready to go.

Next chance is Dec 14th. It's a 3 plus hour drive to the launch site and it's the only one we allowed to do HPR in southern CA. Thus the long wait.

 

[PhysicsGuy]

Not too happy with Krylon white primer. I started to use it and it was not very thick or opaque.

Hey Steve, ALL of your models look fantastic. Nice work!!

I can confirm your experience with the Krylon white primer. Mine went on very thin and really didn't help fill any of the surface imperfections. I honestly thought something was wrong with the paint and bought another can from a different retailer.... same result. Decided to finish the project with Rustoleum. I like that Krylon can be applied in slightly higher humidity (and we have plenty of humidity here in FL..... would you like me to send you some?).

Good luck with the flight. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

--MARK
NAR 65148 L1

 

[SteveNeill]

Forgot to ever update this thread. 3 weeks ago I got my first flight with the Zephyr on a H100w White Lightning motor. I also on that first flight got my Level one cert. Thanks to Adam for reminding me. It was a perfect flight at the ROC's first members only launch in over a year. She's a good ship!