Cherokee D At a glance scale

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Long_Gone

Well-Known Member
TRF Supporter
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
610
Reaction score
401
Location
NEPA
This is my first kind of build of the Cherokee D as I call it At A Glance Scale. Meaning this is not for purists that are exact or for any contest. I got some tubes from my daughter. She cuts vinyl and the tubes were left over and I thought I could build a rocket out of them. The tubes are about 3 times as thick as Estes tubes but they are free. So I gathered my senses and did the research and located some references that would help me along the way. First the tubes are 42mm O.D and 40mm I.D, a little too big for an exact Cherokee D. So I swagged the numbers and came up with I think is just right.

LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201016_120442 (1).jpg
    IMG_20201016_120442 (1).jpg
    77.9 KB · Views: 38
Next up join the two tubes. So I see the Cherokee D (long version) had an 18" BT but my BT is just a little but wider so I did some math and came up with 20" for my BT and the fins were calculated from that number....Forgot that in the last post. So here I am sizing up the coupler and cutting the tube to length. The two were epoxied together...thin layer!
LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201016_122703.jpg
    IMG_20201016_122703.jpg
    70.4 KB · Views: 16
  • IMG_20201016_122803.jpg
    IMG_20201016_122803.jpg
    71.3 KB · Views: 16
  • IMG_20201016_122142.jpg
    IMG_20201016_122142.jpg
    90.2 KB · Views: 15
  • IMG_20201016_122542.jpg
    IMG_20201016_122542.jpg
    88.8 KB · Views: 12
Next up is the motor mount. So I printed out the instructions and selected a 24mm motor tube and an E sized motor retainer and followed the instructions. I still need to cut down an old D engine for the motor block. Going frugal here...
LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201016_121604.jpg
    IMG_20201016_121604.jpg
    88 KB · Views: 13
  • IMG_20201016_214501.jpg
    IMG_20201016_214501.jpg
    83.1 KB · Views: 17
  • IMG_20201016_214610.jpg
    IMG_20201016_214610.jpg
    93.5 KB · Views: 17
While I was doing the cutting and gluing Jack Hydrazine's nose cone was printing (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3990420) but it did not do too well and had issues over multiple prints. So I decided to hit Fusion 360 and make one myself. You see in the first photo the magic happening, contrary to popular belief this where it really happens. The next photo shows the two side by side mine on the left and Jack's on the right. Don't know what happened both were printed with the exact same settings. Last photo Fusion 360 work. I know it is not perfect but " I think it is as close as I want to mess with it" Enough said. I am having fun not fussing the small stuff.

LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201016_210251.jpg
    IMG_20201016_210251.jpg
    56.1 KB · Views: 52
  • IMG_20201016_210703.jpg
    IMG_20201016_210703.jpg
    52.7 KB · Views: 52
  • Nose cone.jpg
    Nose cone.jpg
    103.7 KB · Views: 49
So the ugly tube and it's joint. Not bad have to clean it up and seal the tube and make it smooth. Not sure how much fussing I will endure here.........But I like my tube smooth!!!!!
LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201016_214924.jpg
    IMG_20201016_214924.jpg
    97.5 KB · Views: 18
Now some would think I am crazy, building a rocket out of scrounged up parts and crappy prints. That would be true if I had the parts right now, but I don't. I also went on HobbyLobby's web site and ordered an Cherokee G and a bunch of D and E motors.........Now I am crazy, but I want a beater bird and this is it notice I am building the D version (and secretly putting in bigen's in it) and with the tubes being thick it should take some beating. No I do not want a Medium-high power project rocket that can touch the face of God! I want a cool looking rocket that will perform decent.

LG~
 
So I think my nosecone came out pretty close to the image in the instructions, now I noticed there some variations of this along the way. I am not trying to be exact, I like it. I will round it off with some sand paper and smooth out the cone as best as I can and paint it Red! Yes small error in the shoulder and I will clean up the stl for the next print to eliminate the tape. <- Big deal!!!!
LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201016_220755.jpg
    IMG_20201016_220755.jpg
    83.3 KB · Views: 28
Next came the Launch lugs and I could not find any and no good .stl's. I had one that was for a 3" BT and a 1/4" rod but I thought that was way too crazy and would make the rocket look lopsided. So I scoured the house and found some straws that were 3/16" O.D. PERFECT!!!!! I glued them to smaller diameter Barbecue skewers and they look great and my scale cannot weigh them so they are weightless, nice!
LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201016_221244.jpg
    IMG_20201016_221244.jpg
    102.6 KB · Views: 21
  • IMG_20201016_221251.jpg
    IMG_20201016_221251.jpg
    98.4 KB · Views: 22
  • IMG_20201016_214635.jpg
    IMG_20201016_214635.jpg
    101.3 KB · Views: 24
That's enough for tonight. Tomorrow I will do some filling in the spirals on the tube and finishing the motor mount. I might steal a parachute out of the other rocket (Apogee chute) 12" dia. for this patched together build. I have the white and red paint in the garage....................Sticker sheets are coming Sunday so I can print the decals, Yep I said it! They are vinyl sheets you put in the printer and they are adhesive, so why not. Nothing is as it should be on this build.
More to follow.
LG~
 
Thanks for this thread ! I bought- built - flew one about 1971 or 72. It was my first launch of anything bigger than a "C". WOW I thought ! I was hooked on moving to higher power !
 
Spent some time on the stickers today, not perfect but doable. Filled and sanded the BT and Nose cone. I need to make the centering rings for the motor mount. Here a few photos of some of what I did last night and today. You can see the sticker sheet under the sanded bodytube/nosecone.

LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201016_223413.jpg
    IMG_20201016_223413.jpg
    43 KB · Views: 16
  • IMG_20201016_223806 (1).jpg
    IMG_20201016_223806 (1).jpg
    76.1 KB · Views: 16
  • IMG_20201016_223825 (1).jpg
    IMG_20201016_223825 (1).jpg
    82.4 KB · Views: 16
  • IMG_20201016_223838 (1).jpg
    IMG_20201016_223838 (1).jpg
    37.9 KB · Views: 18
  • IMG_20201016_230722.jpg
    IMG_20201016_230722.jpg
    105.8 KB · Views: 25
  • IMG_20201017_203412.jpg
    IMG_20201017_203412.jpg
    96.2 KB · Views: 25
I'm in... Glad my research was able to help with this.

Now, a thing to keep in mind... The first version of the Cherokee had the standoffs for the rail, but by the time the 2nd version (also short) that had been dropped. I realize this is kind of a mash up, but I thought it would be something you might have missed.

Pointy Side Up!!!
 
No I saw that but Im struggling with what to do the Instructions I am following don't have the stand offs but I saw you post and am considering it. And yes not at all perfect but coming well. Seeing that I was exposed to COVID and have to stay home two weeks. More construction happened last night and some today will be posting soon. I wish I were 13 again. I am more that 3x that now sucks.

LG~
 
So I was trolling the house for "Chipboard grade cardboard" and came across this Keebler crackers box that is double the thickness of a cereal box, perfect. These were made in to the three centering rings and one ring being a thrust ring (not glued to the inside but the bottom of the body tube to provide a strong connection to the body tube for the engine to push against). I do this with all of my rockets. I then applied epoxy to the base ring to further strengthen the parts.
LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201017_223620.jpg
    IMG_20201017_223620.jpg
    82.3 KB · Views: 15
  • IMG_20201017_223623.jpg
    IMG_20201017_223623.jpg
    34.3 KB · Views: 18
  • IMG_20201017_232302.jpg
    IMG_20201017_232302.jpg
    76.9 KB · Views: 19
  • IMG_20201017_234014.jpg
    IMG_20201017_234014.jpg
    69.6 KB · Views: 20
  • IMG_20201018_134337.jpg
    IMG_20201018_134337.jpg
    57.9 KB · Views: 19
Body tube getting filled, this was mostly sanded off and made smooth. The nose cone was also sanded and feels nice and smooth.

LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201017_203412 (1).jpg
    IMG_20201017_203412 (1).jpg
    96.2 KB · Views: 20
  • IMG_20201017_130510.jpg
    IMG_20201017_130510.jpg
    89.1 KB · Views: 21
Fins are getting sealed with lacquer (Correction Zinsser's Shellac) (spray) in light coats to serve as sanding sealer, seeing I have no real sealer or Elmer's glue to make some. They were sanded smooth before spraying with 320 grit. I am opting to go contrary to the instructions to sand the leading and trailing edges with some round in them to give them some durability. I am not concerned to hit the Karman line with this rocket, and am concerned with durability.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-too...c6Mq6sICUc8ciEboLhHxB60An-WMXAGxoCxmIQAvD_BwE
LG~

1603048445269.png
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201018_140022.jpg
    IMG_20201018_140022.jpg
    94.5 KB · Views: 9
Last edited:
Launch Lugs and Fins all mounted. Waiting for the sealer to dry for a 320 sand down then paint. I like it in the RAW, looks like military rockets before painting.

LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201018_210342.jpg
    IMG_20201018_210342.jpg
    67.8 KB · Views: 33
  • IMG_20201019_063851.jpg
    IMG_20201019_063851.jpg
    31.9 KB · Views: 32
  • IMG_20201019_063900.jpg
    IMG_20201019_063900.jpg
    58.2 KB · Views: 33
  • IMG_20201019_063904.jpg
    IMG_20201019_063904.jpg
    78 KB · Views: 30
Trying to get it right. Sanding out the uglies, and repainting it to my liking.
BTW the Cherokee-E came in and it seems frail compared to this one, I already thinking of making one of it like I am doing for the Cherokee-D.

LG~

Sorry for Portrait mode.....................
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201021_192954.jpg
    IMG_20201021_192954.jpg
    74 KB · Views: 20
Matching the monitor and printer colors>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>WTF!!!!
Ok the stickers sucked and were purple so I printed and printed and adjusted and finally I believe I have something I can live with.
First photo with the way off color purple!
Second photo all the work correcting the color.
Third more work and the one next to the nose cone works for me but I had to clean the printer head because it was missing some print. Grrrrrr!!!!!


LG~
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201022_185244.jpg
    IMG_20201022_185244.jpg
    54.6 KB · Views: 39
  • IMG_20201022_204637.jpg
    IMG_20201022_204637.jpg
    88.4 KB · Views: 42
  • IMG_20201022_210141.jpg
    IMG_20201022_210141.jpg
    157.2 KB · Views: 29
I put some clear UV spray on the stickers and will apply them tomorrow and then clear the entire rocket. Whew!! I did not want break down and buy decals because I wanted this to be a scrounge build while I was quarantined. So I am ok no COVID and everyone else is ok too. <-Sorry kind of personal but relevant.
So the Motor mount is 24mm and I just happen to have some D and E engines for this beast. I will take it to the RC field to fly it so it does not go south for the winter. Yes, glad you asked. It will be on video. Thanks for asking, that's a good question. Altimeter. Yes we will be flying one on this mission. Any more? Not a real high power build and not very scale, but will be rewarding when done. I say this because when I was a kid I was NOT allowed to get this rocket in 1977. Why? Mother was too cheap, and needed money for cigarettes. So I built it from scratch with junk around the house. It was cheaper because I had a lot of stuff already, like the motor tubes, balsa wood, parachute and a 3D printer. Get one of the Creality ones I love it, makes nosecones from PETG <-----------------
Ok.
LG~
 
I hope that matching the colors with the paint wasn't too painful... I averaged the red color from the scan of the original decals, and then used that average color to replace all the red I could. Saving the results as a .png file, I hope, made replacing it far easier than trying to fix a .jpg image's colors.
 
Back
Top