Build Thread: LOC/Precision 3" Iris 38mm. "The Comeback Kit". First build in 20 years!

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Looks GREAT. Best of luck on the first flight. Any ideas when?
Remember knowing when NOT to fly is as important as anything else. I have had "go fever"....usually only diagnosed when looking back.
 
You done good. Comes a time when you have to say to yourself enough is enough. I've never said this on the forum here about paint and painting....... I paint my rockets with .50 cent tubes of acrylic paint from Walmart. Well, most of my rockets. Too often I start out with spray paint and get frustrated and..... make the move to the paint.....brush. The one color that doesn't work well on these materials is the white. So I always spray the white. Here's a couple samples of the .50 cent stuff...... (oh ya, I spray a clear coat)(the patriot green was sprayed. the green on the doorknob was sprayed) All else is .50 cent paint. Most detailing is done with tape. I put layers upon layers and then sand the color down to 600 grit. Amazing finish. Hard and slick. Then coat it. There's more than one way to skin a cat. I think your IRIS came out great. Congrats.!!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5984.JPG
    IMG_5984.JPG
    406.9 KB · Views: 24
  • IMG_6121.JPG
    IMG_6121.JPG
    126 KB · Views: 23
  • IMG_6120.JPG
    IMG_6120.JPG
    118.5 KB · Views: 21
  • IMG_6123.JPG
    IMG_6123.JPG
    164.8 KB · Views: 21
How much does your IRIS weigh.?? And how did the CP/CG come out.?? Have you stuck a motor into the tube yet.??
 
Ok, NOW I'm done with the finish. (This time I mean it.)

Changes made:
  • Removed foil and used the "Dark Steel" paint instead. This is an awesome color, it is a paint/primer combo, and it can be clear coated to hell without altering the color.
  • Re-touched white.
  • Re-painted lower booster black.
  • Coated entire rocket with 4 coats of Rustoleum "Triple-Thick Glaze". This stuff looks amazing. Needs to be applied carefully, though. It will build up quickly.
  • Aligned payload section so that the roll pattern alternates there. I think this looks more dynamic and creates more of a contrast between the two sides of the rocket.
IMG_0734.JPGIMG_0735.JPG
IMG_0736.JPGIMG_0737.JPG
 
How much does your IRIS weigh.?? And how did the CP/CG come out.?? Have you stuck a motor into the tube yet.??
She's about 43 ounces without a motor. That includes the camera gear. The Iris is overstable in it's original design, but the extended motor mount and tailcone retainer mods made it a more reasonable 1.3 to 1.7 calibers.

Here's some screen shots of the OpenRocket file with a few of the motors I was considering for her maiden flight. She should fly beautifully on any one of these:
Iris I216.png
I-216

Iris I280.png
I-280

Iris I470.png
I-470

I do not have any motor hardware yet. Probably going to use a single-use for the first couple of flights.
 
You done good. Comes a time when you have to say to yourself enough is enough. I've never said this on the forum here about paint and painting....... I paint my rockets with .50 cent tubes of acrylic paint from Walmart. Well, most of my rockets. Too often I start out with spray paint and get frustrated and..... make the move to the paint.....brush. The one color that doesn't work well on these materials is the white. So I always spray the white. Here's a couple samples of the .50 cent stuff...... (oh ya, I spray a clear coat)(the patriot green was sprayed. the green on the doorknob was sprayed) All else is .50 cent paint. Most detailing is done with tape. I put layers upon layers and then sand the color down to 600 grit. Amazing finish. Hard and slick. Then coat it. There's more than one way to skin a cat. I think your IRIS came out great. Congrats.!!
Thanks for the positive feedback! I actually just posted the final FINAL finish pics a few minutes ago. Made some improvements and I'm much more satisfied. I love the acrylic paint idea. Is it a mess sanding down the brush marks? And another benefit you didn't mention: Far less masking!
 
1ST FLIGHT MOTOR SELECTED!

AEROTECH DMS I280-14A DARK MATTER "METALSTORM"!


Reasons for selecting this motor:
  1. Single use (economical)
  2. Adjustable delay.
  3. Freakin' awesome.
  4. LOUD!
  5. I built this thing for speed, so let's give it to her!
According to Open Rocket:
Maximum velocity: 640.47 mph (Mach .85) 1.79 seconds after liftoff.
Expected altitude: 3,941'
Maximum acceleration: 32 G's

And because this:


And this:


And this:
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the positive feedback! I actually just posted the final FINAL finish pics a few minutes ago. Made some improvements and I'm much more satisfied. I love the acrylic paint idea. Is it a mess sanding down the brush marks? And another benefit you didn't mention: Far less masking!
Yes. As with most sanding it's like a dust storm. I try do it in an 'open space' to avoid the dust building up on 'things.' I use a real soft brush and it eliminates the brush strokes some. But, when I see the brush strokes that when I start to sand. Masking is an art in itself. I try to avoid it but using a brush, imo, helps achieve a cleaner line. Another advantage to using acrylic paints is that it dries fast.!!! Once the finishing stage begins I can have a rocket finished within an hour ..... hour and half. When I first saw that you painted a fin red I didn't like it and I thought you had made a mistake.. Now I think it looks great. That happened when you showed the video of you spinning the final product. I love it. You did a nice job.

That third video is pretty cool. But man, I'd never launch into clouds like that. I think it was the 2nd video that was like no way am I launching into those skies.!! That's one of the best ways to lose a rocket. Perfect example.!!
 
Last edited:
Yes. As with most sanding it's like a dust storm. I try do it in an 'open space' to avoid the dust building up on 'things.' I use a real soft brush and it eliminates the brush strokes some. But, when I see the brush strokes that when I start to sand. Masking is an art in itself. I try to avoid it but using a brush, imo, helps achieve a cleaner line. Another advantage to using acrylic paints is that it dries fast.!!! Once the finishing stage begins I can have a rocket finished within an hour ..... hour and half. When I first saw that you painted a fin red I didn't like it and I thought you had made a mistake.. Now I think it looks great. That happened when you showed the video of you spinning the final product. I love it. You did a nice job.

That third video is pretty cool. But man, I'd never launch into clouds like that. I think it was the 2nd video that was like no way am I launching into those skies.!! That's one of the best ways to lose a rocket. Perfect example.!!

I'm likin' what your sellin' with those acrylic paints. And I thought that part of the booster with all white was just too stark. The original Iris had red fins in some schemes, so I thought, "What if I just did one?"

That motor is awesome. I think she can take it, though
 
I am by far an expert on all this since I'm waiting on a launch day to obtain my lvl 1 as well..
I know you are perhaps "re-certifying", so not sure if the rules are different, but....

You can't certify on a sparky motor if I read things correctly.

I'll be happy to go back in the corner and keep my mouth shut if I'm incorrect, but figured I could maybe save you the coin on the wrong motor.

Koffee
 
I am by far an expert on all this since I'm waiting on a launch day to obtain my lvl 1 as well..
I know you are perhaps "re-certifying", so not sure if the rules are different, but....

You can't certify on a sparky motor if I read things correctly.

I'll be happy to go back in the corner and keep my mouth shut if I'm incorrect, but figured I could maybe save you the coin on the wrong motor.

Koffee
Damn. I knew it was too awesome to be true. But I'm sure I saw a video of a Level 1 cert on this very motor. Maybe the rule applies to level 2 and 3?

Here it is:

LOL. "Age Restricted".
 
Edit...... I see the title so apparently it is a sparky. Disregard the following......

I'm no expert either but what we are seeing in the video looks like it is a Black Max motor. Black smoke but no sparky to it. I could be wrong but someone will come along and say so if I am.
 
Last edited:
From the Tripoli Level 1 page on their website:

"Motor – The certification flight must be with a single certified H or I motor (tested total impulse between 160.01 and 640.00 n-sec). Staged and/or Clustered rockets may not be used for certification flights. The flyer shall be observed by the certifying member or their designated representative during the assembly (if a reload or hybrid) and preparation of the motor."

Don't see anything here about it.

And the I-280 DM has 561 n/sec total impulse if I'm reading the chart right and I think I am. So looking good?
 
Loc Hi Tech.. pushed to its absolute limit..
 

Attachments

  • 20210221_151259.jpg
    20210221_151259.jpg
    104.7 KB · Views: 24
  • 20210221_151237.jpg
    20210221_151237.jpg
    90.9 KB · Views: 29
  • 20210221_151843.jpg
    20210221_151843.jpg
    101.1 KB · Views: 30
  • 20210221_172731.jpg
    20210221_172731.jpg
    175.8 KB · Views: 27
  • 20210221_172754.jpg
    20210221_172754.jpg
    194.7 KB · Views: 31
  • 20210221_114714.jpg
    20210221_114714.jpg
    99.6 KB · Views: 30
Back
Top