First HPR Build - Wildman Punisher 3

[KenECoyote]

...
Or what if I want the central piece to be part of an antenna with the nosecone tip as a capacitance hat!

Guess we could bond the recovery harnesses on the inside of the nosecone just forward of the avbay ledge for a few inches parallel to centerline....

Harness really only needs to hold the nosecone weight (and whatever is in it). Use two for backup and it can be tiny... like 1/8" or 3/16".
Say, an inflatable bladder with the harness loops affixed.

Use the Syringe Tool to apply the thickened epoxy in a stripe on each side.... Then, insert the bladder partially inflated to align harnesses and inflate slowly until satisfied that it has well compressed the harness loops into the adhesive and flat against the nosecone wall. Need a non-bonding plastic layer in there...

Hmmmm...

There are some options for different ways to treat the nose cone build and I have seen ones where a kevlar loop was used (and I think I've done one). There's advantages to each, so it ends up what you like and are comfortable with really. Usually all of them are plenty strong if built correctly.

Regarding the antenna in the nose cone in place of the tip, that's interesting and if you can improve the range and need it, worth the try, but from what I've read, generally the range of the trackers with the recommended antennas in open air is sufficient for most people's flights.

Regarding your question about the center adjustable all thread, there are several ways to build that as well and the method I've used was the simpler one imo and I cover the non-glued parts of the all thread rod with masking tape if I worry about getting epoxy on them, but usually it wasn't a problem if I'm careful and the nose cone is big enough. I also used a nut or two at the bottom to anchor it into the epoxy & bb weight slurry. (Rod in first, then bb's, then epoxy, center as it's setting.)

 

[Handeman]

Right: Looking down a "throwaway" centerline on the base. Where the line disappears is the 90 degree seam with the bridge. For scale... the "in focus" pencil mark is the back edge of a sharpened 0.3 mm mechanical pencil.

Try this for setting up the square on the sled https://www.instructables.com/The-5-Cut-Method-Made-Easy-a-Foolproof-Process-and/. You will get the sled square well within 0.001 inch.

 

[cautery]

Try this for setting up the square on the sled https://www.instructables.com/The-5-Cut-Method-Made-Easy-a-Foolproof-Process-and/. You will get the sled square well within 0.001 inch.

Everything I am doing is to get it as close as possible BEFORE I do BOTH the 5-cut and a 3-cut at the same time. I want to compare the corrections and what the results WOULD be if each followed alone. Can't do anything until I get proper runners. The wood ones ain't gonna do it for me, and I don't have any </= 1/32" veneer to use as add-back spacers to try and tighten it up.

The saw is square now to well within 0.001.... it's in the mid to low ten thousandths now. But the miter slots are hideous. It's going to be a bear getting miter rails that fit an leave no sled slop...

 

[Handeman]

Everything I am doing is to get it as close as possible BEFORE I do BOTH the 5-cut and a 3-cut at the same time. I want to compare the corrections and what the results WOULD be if each followed alone. Can't do anything until I get proper runners. The wood ones ain't gonna do it for me, and I don't have any </= 1/32" veneer to use as add-back spacers to try and tighten it up.

The saw is square now to well within 0.001.... it's in the mid to low ten thousandths now. But the miter slots are hideous. It's going to be a bear getting miter rails that fit an leave no sled slop...

This is the youtube I followed. Worked well.

 

[cautery]

This is the youtube I followed. Worked well.

great minds think alike...

The problem is that the Red Oak I used apparently had some energy bound up in it. And I'm not cutting standard 3/4" x 3/8" miter rails....
Mine are only approx 0.625" x 0.3125" which when you try to cut the nominal 5/8" strip from a .3125 thick blank WITHOUT a splitter, or helper with insurance, the strip curves back into the blade and chews itself up. I just didn't have enough hands.

So, WHILE I am waiting on the UHMWPE plastic to cut stable runners, I am going to try and ass veneer strips to the outboard faces of the runners and sand them to fit....