Rube Goldberg Lander

[JAL3]

The eight remaining lug fins were glued into place on the payload tube.

 

[krusty]

Three more lug fins were installed in this session for a total of 4. The payload bay was set aside to dry.

I like the look of this

(Edit - the photo from the original post didn't show?! Anyhow, I like the body tube with all the BT2.5's around it!!)

Krusty

 

[JAL3]

In addition to the "build" stuff just documented, SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED decreed that I had some yard work to do. When that was done, I figured it was safe to apply what I hope to be the final bit of putty on boom assembly 1's joint.

 

[JAL3]

I mentioned before that I had hardened the balsa with thin CA. I was satisfied with the durability imparted but I did not like the finish. My favorite finish comes from using MarcG's Teamwork recipe. I had last used mine over a year ago. I opened up the mason jar and found that what was left seemed like unadulterated Bondo Spot and Glazing putty. That's not surprising since that is one of the main ingredients. I reasoned that the only problem is that some of the solvent had evaporated so I added Minwax wood hardener and mixed it to the desired consistency. That seemed to do the trick and I was ready to tackle the rest of the balsa.

 

[JAL3]

Teamwork was painted onto the nose cone and pod transition of pod 2.

 

[JAL3]

It seemed about like I remember so I did the same thing to pod 2.

 

[JAL3]

I then did it to pod 4.

 

[JAL3]

I didn't want to play favorites so pod 1 got treated also.

 

[JAL3]

The pods were then set aside to dry.

 

[JAL3]

Since I had the Teamwork out, I applied it to the payload transition and the main cone as well.

 

[krusty]

What's the teamwork goop you're using?

Krusty

 

[JAL3]

I opened up the Template Widget and printed five paper transitions. Each was 4" long, began at BT50 and ended at 2.3" diameter.

 

[JAL3]

Its something that MarcG came up with. It is 50/50 by volume mixture of Bondo Spot and Glazing putty and Minwax wood hardener. It sands down perfectly.

 

[JAL3]

I got more done today but SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED has just explained to me that in her native land, Father's Day has a different connotation... something to do with pleasing the Mother by doing chores or some such...

Back later.

 

[JAL3]

The dog is out walking the wife now so... I shall continue.

 

[JAL3]

Tick marks were placed along the mating edges of the transition at 1/4" intervals.

 

[JAL3]

A ruler was then used to draw a line between the top mark on the left and the 2nd from the top mark on the right.

 

[JAL3]

Additional lines, all parallel to the first, were then drawn using the ticks as a guide.

 

[JAL3]

The paper transition was then cut out leaving an arbitrary gluing tab along the left side.

 

[JAL3]

All the other transitions were treated likewise.

 

[JAL3]

I wanted to pre-curl the transitions so I wrapped them around a pencil.

 

[JAL3]

An extremely thin layer of TMT was smeared along the gluing tab and the two long edges were mated, aligned and pressed together.

 

[JAL3]

The process was repeated to produce 5 transitions, soon to become engine nozzles.

 

[JAL3]

The worst of the motor tubes, in terms of size of JB Weld fillet, was chosen as a standard to which the others would adhere. A BT50 to BT55 centering ring had its interior sanded and was slipped over the motor tube and pushed to the bottom end.

 

[JAL3]

The ring was then glued into place and filleted with TMT.

 

[JAL3]

All five motor tubes were treated the same way.

 

[JAL3]

That brings me up to date with progress thus far.

I am on call now until 7 AM. Unless paged, I do not go in to work again until 11 PM tomorrow. That being the case, I may or may not go back out and work on this thing some more. My time would probably be better spent finishing up the fin and leg design instead but I don't feel like doing either right now.

 

[JAL3]

The nozzles were slipped down the motor tubes and gentled into place around the centering rings. They were then fixed into place with TMT.

 

[JAL3]

One side of each of the lug fins was filleted with TMT.

 

[JAL3]

After the TMT had dried, the paper nozzles were drenched in thin CA to strengthen them, stiffen them and make it easier to attach the reflux capacitors.