Homemade BT60 "half moon" baffle

[dmgrime]

So I'm working on an Estes Mean Machine, and with the length I wanted to avoid the laundry dropping way down during flight.

Since the top two tubes are to be joined by a supplied coupler I decided to try making my own half moon baffle.

I started with some 1/8 ply from local craft store (I know I need to get some better stuff!), and my harbor freight 8" drill press and circle cutter that I got for $4.50 with a coupon ...



Then I put a pencil through the center hole to keep things all aligned, and took about 45% off using a belt sander.



For assembly I glued the middle moon on to a piece of 5/16 oak dowel, then glued the middle into the coupler dry fitting the ends to keep things all aligned.




Then installed the ends, and fillets all around.



I debated putting a screw eye into the dowel, but decided to just tie my kevlar leader around the dowel with a uni-knot and some heat shrink tubing to keep it all looking clean.




I've got stainless steel tape coming that I'll put on the aft side of the lower moon.

 

[T-Rex]

I like it! I have always used a dowel in mine, but it never occurred to me to attach the kevlar to the dowel. Thank you for sharing!

 

[The_Lone_Beagle]

That looks neat! I'm curious, where did you get the stainless steel tape from?

 

[dmgrime]

That looks neat! I'm curious, where did you get the stainless steel tape from?

Search for this at Amazon ... the 1" is $9.70 but they have wider sizes:

TapeCase 1-3-3361 Silver High Temperature Stainless Steel/Acrylic Adhesive Foil Tape, 1" x 3 yd Roll, -30 to 250 degrees F Performance Temperature, 0.0038" Thickness, 3" Length, 1" Width

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Looks like that would work! Very creative!

 

[dmgrime]

Looks like that would work! Very creative!

I can't take credit for the steel tape idea - found that in a TRF thread posted by none other than Micromeister

 

[rharshberger]

I can't take credit for the steel tape idea - found that in a TRF thread posted by none other than Micromeister

I will be looking to find me some stainless steel tape of the proper width when the time comes for my 1/22 Mercury Atlas build, I think it would be about perfect for recreating the missle skin panels, and I happen to have a diagram of the individual bands and their widths. I could use chrome trim monokote to simulate stainless steel but real stainless steel tape would be so much more realistic.

 

[The_Lone_Beagle]

Search for this at Amazon ... the 1" is $9.70 but they have wider sizes:

TapeCase 1-3-3361 Silver High Temperature Stainless Steel/Acrylic Adhesive Foil Tape, 1" x 3 yd Roll, -30 to 250 degrees F Performance Temperature, 0.0038" Thickness, 3" Length, 1" Width

Thanks for that! I should have mentioned, there was another thread about baffles, where Mike Fisher from Binder Design talked about using JB Weld to coat the bottom side of the baffle, to give the plywood some heat protection.

Now that I'm searching for it, I can't find it, but did find an even earlier thread that discussed it, with a better picture!

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?31040-Old-JB-Weld

 

[dmgrime]

I used JB on my last two baffles then I found the thread talking about the stainless tape