BULLET BOBBY (CARL “Be-Do, Be-Do, Be-Do” THE MINION) by Launch Lab Rocketry build log

[JoeFilgas]

Post 1 part 1 of 2 for pics. My Launch Lab Rocketry Bullet Bobby (18mm original size) STUART the original MINION rocket build log: I started King Bob’s friend off today by preparing the engine mount. I’ve modified it just a tad to include an Estes 18mm screw on motor retainer. I just dropped the MMT another 1/8” to accommodate the retainer and raised the top centering ring by an 1/8” of an inch. I followed my standard procedure in epoxying the retainer to the MMT using high heat JB Weld epoxy. Using wood glue I added the aft centering ring and filleted. The engine block was installed at the top of the MMT with wood glue and I used a 18mm motor casing to make sure everything was as it should be. The forward centering ring was then glued to the motor mount tube 1/8” aft of the front of the tube. This was set aside to dry. Next I sanded the glassine off the BT and then marked the fin and launch lug lines with the help of the included template. Next it was onto the plywood fins. They were all sanded down first together as a unit. I rounded the leading edges as well. Then they were all fiberglassed with 3/4 oz fiberglass cloth and thin CA glue. The fins were then sanded again with 220 grit to clean up the CA glue. The motor mount final fillet was then added. Finally the 3D printed nose cone was sanded down with 220 and 400 grit sand paper to prepare it for primer.

 

[JoeFilgas]

Part 2 of 2 for pics.

 

[Pinetree]

Overkill.


I like it!

 

[JoeFilgas]

My STUART mini Minion rocket proceeded just a bit further. After the motor mount had dried I tied in the Kevlar shock cord with a triple knot and then applied wood glue to permanently secure. It’s now been set aside to dry.

 

[JoeFilgas]

My Stuart Mini Minion rocket build log: tonight the motor mount has been installed with wood glue and filleted. Tomorrow the fins go on! Have some Stuart parts on the way so that’ll be about all I can do until they get here.

 

[JoeFilgas]

My STUART THE MINION rocket build log: today I started my re-marking (in pencil) the root of the fins at the 1” from the tip point and also adding a mark on each BT fin line at the 1” mark from the base for alignment purposes. Then using wood glue all four fins were installed as well as the launch lug. The fins and launch lug were then filleted. I’ve done a second round of filleting and may do one more as the fins don’t have much glue area to begin with.

 

[JoeFilgas]

My current builds (both in progress) showing the size difference between the Launch Lab Rocketry Bullet Bobby’s….OG (LP) and XXL (HP).

 

[JoeFilgas]

The glue fillets (4 rounds) are done and dry! This is such a cute little rocket!

 

[JoeFilgas]

My STUART MINION rocket build log: the first round of filler primer went on the nosecone and then set aside to dry. The glue fillets I did yesterday were sanded with some 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around some 1/8” doweling. Automotive glazing putty was then added to the BT spirals, fillets, fins and bottom and set aside to dry. I also have some Stuart parts on the way!

 

[Sandy H.]

Hopefully this doesn't derail the thread, but is this combination available as a kit? I've got a rocket buddy which would love this, but he's not a 3D printer guy etc. I know it is based on the awesome Bullet Bobby from launch lab, but the only reason it makes sense for him is if it is a real Minion and the work you've done is so cool, I'd love to buy it for him as a gift for sure. Any discussion can be via PM to prevent the typical thread left turn. . .

Great work on this project!

 

[JoeFilgas]

Hopefully this doesn't derail the thread, but is this combination available as a kit? I've got a rocket buddy which would love this, but he's not a 3D printer guy etc. I know it is based on the awesome Bullet Bobby from launch lab, but the only reason it makes sense for him is if it is a real Minion and the work you've done is so cool, I'd love to buy it for him as a gift for sure. Any discussion can be via PM to prevent the typical thread left turn. . .

Great work on this project!

Thanks so much! The minion aspect is all custom work. I gather parts from various sources like eBay and Etsy if I can’t make it myself. I buy the appropriately sized stuffies for the arms and legs and potential goggles. On my giant minion (Bullet Bobby XXL) I’ve also bought a crown and a doggy royal cape from Amazon. There aren’t any ready to go commercially produced minion rockets that I know of. I too do not yet have a 3D printer. I’ll probably end up making the one-eyed goggle for Stuart from a laundry detergent plastic cap and a small hollow ball, cut in half for the eyeball.

 

[JoeFilgas]

My STUART MINION rocket build log: I got the BT all sanded down from the glazing putty. I used 220 & 400 grits. The motor retainer ring was sanded, washed, prepped for and then primered. This is now as far as I can go until I get some parts I ordered for the Minion transformation.

 

[BABAR]

I loved this one by @SDramstad

 

[JoeFilgas]

I loved this one by @SDramstad
View attachment 643665

I LOVE IT! Outstanding great job thanks for sharing!

 

[JoeFilgas]

My STUART MINION rocket build log: not much to report today, but I did get the second round of primer on the nose cone. Parts needed should be here Wednesday!

 

[JoeFilgas]

Stuart’s nose cone final wet sanded with 400 grit and ready to go yellow!

 

[BABAR]

Stuart’s nose cone final wet sanded with 400 grit and ready to go yellow!

Lello!!

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Excellent build!

 

[JoeFilgas]

Excellent build!

Thank you!

 

[JoeFilgas]

My Stuart Minion rocket build log: well Stuart took a turn in direction today. A fellow Rocketeer wanted to see the red light version shown. I thought well let me look into that! I contacted Dave’s RC Electronics (he did the lighting for my scale Van’s RV7-A airplane) and let him know what the specs were that I needed (3 working red beacon lights, wired to handle a 9V battery). He got back to me and said he could do that so I’m waiting for him to put together a unit. This will be lighted for display only, but the lights will be permanently affixed to the nose cone for flight. Then it was on to creating the one eyed goggle piece. A trip to the dollar store yielded the perfect goggle material; a plastic napkin ring and an artists plastic paint palette holder which would be perfect for an eyeball. To make the flat ring fit around the tube as required took a complicated shape be ground/sanded into it. I found an awesome tube joint generator on cq.cx which produced a usable PDF template. The template was cut out and taped the the napkin ring. I used a sharp exacto knife to trace the line and score the line into the ring. Then I removed the paper and marked the score with a fine point sharpie pen. The handy dremel was then used to grind down to the line. I then used a shaped sanding block and file to carefully fit this piece to the BT. Then I moved onto cutting the eyeball piece from the artists palette. That was sanded down to fit tightly inside the ring… now the goggle piece. I shortened the width of the goggle as well because the ring was just too deep. Next the goggle glass was cut out of some scrap PETG plastic sheet. At this point I needed the goggle to have a front cap which would capture the plastic glass cover when all is assembled. After searching around the house I found an Ibuprofen bottle cap that after the inside of the cap was pulled out was a perfect fit over the goggle and as a bonus it already had interesting raised detail. It was cut and sanded to fulfill the need. Thin CA was used on the inside of the BT to seal and help prevent a zipper in flight. That was sanded down after the glue had dried and a bevel was also sanded in the top inside of the BT so so the nose cone would get a better fit. I have a new Minion plushie on the way for some body parts. The one I just received was too big. The goggles aren’t quite done as I have some detail I need to add plus I need to find the goggle strap.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

My Stuart Minion rocket build log: well Stuart took a turn in direction today. A fellow Rocketeer wanted to see the red light version shown. I thought well let me look into that! I contacted Dave’s RC Electronics (he did the lighting for my scale Van’s RV7-A airplane) and let him know what the specs were that I needed (3 working red beacon lights, wired to handle a 9V battery). He got back to me and said he could do that so I’m waiting for him to put together a unit. This will be lighted for display only, but the lights will be permanently affixed to the nose cone for flight. Then it was on to creating the one eyed goggle piece. A trip to the dollar store yielded the perfect goggle material; a plastic napkin ring and an artists plastic paint palette holder which would be perfect for an eyeball. To make the flat ring fit around the tube as required took a complicated shape be ground/sanded into it. I found an awesome tube joint generator on cq.cx which produced a usable PDF template. The template was cut out and taped the the napkin ring. I used a sharp exacto knife to trace the line and score the line into the ring. Then I removed the paper and marked the score with a fine point sharpie pen. The handy dremel was then used to grind down to the line. I then used a shaped sanding block and file to carefully fit this piece to the BT. Then I moved onto cutting the eyeball piece from the artists palette. That was sanded down to fit tightly inside the ring… now the goggle piece. I shortened the width of the goggle as well because the ring was just too deep. Next the goggle glass was cut out of some scrap PETG plastic sheet. At this point I needed the goggle to have a front cap which would capture the plastic glass cover when all is assembled. After searching around the house I found an Ibuprofen bottle cap that after the inside of the cap was pulled out was a perfect fit over the goggle and as a bonus it already had interesting raised detail. It was cut and sanded to fulfill the need. Thin CA was used on the inside of the BT to seal and help prevent a zipper in flight. That was sanded down after the glue had dried and a bevel was also sanded in the top inside of the BT so so the nose cone would get a better fit. I have a new Minion plushie on the way for some body parts. The one I just received was too big. The goggles aren’t quite done as I have some detail I need to add plus I need to find the goggle strap.

Aye, 'e's a scratch-builder, and shure 'e is! Tell me, was that napkin ring already chromed or do you have the secret best choming method out there?

 

[JoeFilgas]

Aye, 'e's a scratch-builder, and shure 'e is! Tell me, was that napkin ring already chromed or do you have the secret best choming method out there?

Arghhh! LOL! It came that way, but since it would be hard to match on the top cap it was sanded off so it could all be painted the same color.

 

[Buzzard]

Why is my little brain going: Wee Yuu...Wee Yuu...Weee Yuuuu.......?

 

[JoeFilgas]

Why is my little brain going: Wee Yuu...Wee Yuu...Weee Yuuuu.......?

BAAANNNAAAA!

 

[JoeFilgas]

More work on the eye and goggle today. So far I decided to fill in the cap grooves in favor of a smooth surface to which I’ll add rivets. I got the eyeball primered, sanded, primered again, sanded again and shot with gloss white. To make the goggle strap anchors I used two small pieces of 1/4” dowel. Before I cut to length I sanded the goggle O.D. into the dowel for a perfect glue fit. These were sanded down to shape and then I used medium CA glue to secure them to each side of the goggle. I’ll be cutting a relief slit to fit the strap for final installation. To seal the dowel wood I used thin CA glue and then sanded with 220 grit. The main goggle frame was then primered. That’s it for now.

 

[JoeFilgas]

Some more Stuart Minion progress! Got the eyeball painted white! The main goggle frame was primered twice. I did not sand the second round as I like a little texture on the goggle. After that dried I shot with its final metallic silver. The front ring has been sanded (from 1st round of glazing) and a few more low spots were filled and set aside to dry!

 

[JoeFilgas]

Laying out the rivits on the goggle cap. I first re-sanded with 220 grit. Next a paper template marked out on the centerline every quarter of an inch was made. That template was then taped to the cap and with a large T pin I punched through the paper into the cap itself to mark. The template was removed and the holes below were then marked with a fine point Sharpie. The first four glue rivets were made with Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue and set aside to dry enough to move onto the next set.

 

[JoeFilgas]

Goggle base un masked.

 

[JoeFilgas]

Well looks like I am re-identifying the rocket build from Stuart to Carl Be-do, Be-do, Be-do LOL! Last four simulated rivets on the goggle cap complete!

 

[JoeFilgas]

The Carl “Be-do, Be-do, Be-do” Minion rocket build log: mocked up the single eyeball and goggle with the freshly painted goggle cap.