TimothyAReed
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Build Log #6 Dec 26, 2019
Today was a productive day finishing the base fillets for the fincan. A considerable amount of work was put into the GPS tracker mount, and the extra bulkhead was repurposed with the help of the 3018 CNC mill. I just realized that I have to order some recovery cord because the kit only came with one kevlar strap. I could use the kevlar strap for the drogue and a different cable for the main chute. However, my OCD might not let me "mix&match" recovery cords. Fellow forum dweller C.O.B.H.C. previously mentioned battle rope for recovery cord so I might go with that:
Note: The nosecone after the bottom was cut off and the bulkhead as it came from LOC
Note: The bulkhead was just slightly larger than the ID of the nosecone, so I milled a 3mm deep shoulder that will allow the bulkhead to seat in the nose cone (it will be epoxied in place).
Note: Side view of the now modified bulkhead. Notice that one of the baffling tubes is being used for housing the GPS tracker, the mill (pictured above) also enlarged the center hole for it to fit snuggly. For those that are curious, I removed the outer wrapping for the tube so that the epoxy will soak into the fibers easier and save a little bit of weight. I did the same to the MMT tube and saved ~6 grams for comparison.
Note: The final product, sort of, I still have to drill the 1/4" eyebolt hole and figure out exactly how I want to fasten the GPS into the tube. The original thought was to 3D print a screw assembly, think Estes motor retention screws, and mount the tracker on a sled attached to the screw cap. After looking at the numbers, the method above would have been a little too cumbersome due to the size of the inner tube. I am currently thinking about printing an insert with a flange that screws into the plywood instead.
That's all for today, thanks for keeping up with my rambling!
Today was a productive day finishing the base fillets for the fincan. A considerable amount of work was put into the GPS tracker mount, and the extra bulkhead was repurposed with the help of the 3018 CNC mill. I just realized that I have to order some recovery cord because the kit only came with one kevlar strap. I could use the kevlar strap for the drogue and a different cable for the main chute. However, my OCD might not let me "mix&match" recovery cords. Fellow forum dweller C.O.B.H.C. previously mentioned battle rope for recovery cord so I might go with that:
I am going to be using a 100 Foot long tether of Atwood Rope Battle Cord (https://atwoodrope.com/collections/battle-cord) in drogue section and 75 feet for main.
Note: The nosecone after the bottom was cut off and the bulkhead as it came from LOC
Note: The bulkhead was just slightly larger than the ID of the nosecone, so I milled a 3mm deep shoulder that will allow the bulkhead to seat in the nose cone (it will be epoxied in place).
Note: Side view of the now modified bulkhead. Notice that one of the baffling tubes is being used for housing the GPS tracker, the mill (pictured above) also enlarged the center hole for it to fit snuggly. For those that are curious, I removed the outer wrapping for the tube so that the epoxy will soak into the fibers easier and save a little bit of weight. I did the same to the MMT tube and saved ~6 grams for comparison.
Note: The final product, sort of, I still have to drill the 1/4" eyebolt hole and figure out exactly how I want to fasten the GPS into the tube. The original thought was to 3D print a screw assembly, think Estes motor retention screws, and mount the tracker on a sled attached to the screw cap. After looking at the numbers, the method above would have been a little too cumbersome due to the size of the inner tube. I am currently thinking about printing an insert with a flange that screws into the plywood instead.
That's all for today, thanks for keeping up with my rambling!