Secret Santa Christmas In July 2020

[Karl]

My Li'l Thor ... coming along nicely. Thanks again Santa.
View attachment 424183

Got to love SBR kits. Given how stout those kits are you should be able to throw Q-Jet's at it no problem

 

[Alan R]

Got to love SBR kits. Given how stout those kits are you should be able to throw Q-Jet's at it no problem

I put on lugs instead of the included tiny rail buttons so I can shoot it on my own launcher. Other than that, just building it stock. I ran into a problem with my 3Cubed design (triangular centering rings) and needed a break to think about it.

 

[markschnell]

Just curious - What's the deal with revealing the secret? Is there a date when the list will be shared? I'd like to know who my secret Santa was and have no way of knowing, I have no context for even making a guess. Not complaining, this has been great fun, just asking.

 

[dr wogz]

Mark, just start randomly guessing.

(It wasn't me.. so only 12 or 15 to go..)

 

[Alan R]

I don't care who my Santa was. That's part of the fun. I don't even try to guess. In my case, not really possible anyway. Except maybe picking from the several people that 'like' some relevant posts.

 

[Tobor]

Well, well well...
Looks like the Post Office found my package. I has arrived at my local USPS Regional Facility . Of course this is the same facility the package arrived at on June 20th.....

Keeping my fingers crossed.

1st time:
June 20, 2020, 6:52 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility

2nd time:
July 10, 2020, 3:50 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility (Same location as above)

3rd Time:
July 13, 2020, 6:10 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility (Same location as above)

Soooooooo, here we go again..........

 

[Wally Ferrer]

1st time:
June 20, 2020, 6:52 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility

2nd time:
July 10, 2020, 3:50 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility (Same location as above)

3rd Time:
July 13, 2020, 6:10 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility (Same location as above)

Soooooooo, here we go again..........

This begs the question, Papa Elf- Is Tobor somehow on the naughty list? Or would that be the USPS..?

 

[n3tjm]

Last I checked he wasn't on the naughty list.

Got some more work done on the Sumo.

Motor Retainer attached with WB Weld, and inside edge of tube treated with CA.


Got some primer applied.

 

[Tobor]

.........Yeppers, the Post Office has been in rare form these few weeks (Or decades depending on your serviced area).

This morning went like this...
July 14, 2020, 2:06 am
Arrived at Post Office

July 14, 2020, 7:10 am
Out for Delivery

Then this afternoon I saw (paraphrasing from memory) the following on the USPS website.

July 14, 2020, 2:15 pm
Delivery was attempted but personnel could not gain access to premises.

In my town all Postal Carriers have a Postal Key that buzzes them into apartment buildings like mine. Figure this one out......

Then this evening right as I was walking out the door for dinner with my fiancee, I run across this....

Rugby practice anyone?

But bless my Secret Santa, as he had ordered the following gifts for me!!! Man ya gotta love the durability of fiberglass.


A Mach1 AGM Piercer (BT-55 sized), Top Flight 15" chute and an Aero Pack 24mm retainer !!!
YeeeHa! Many many thx to my very generous Secret Santa and Merry Christmas in July!

 

[n3tjm]

Got some more work done on my Secret Santa gift. Yesterday I sprayed the fins yellow. The yellow was a lighter yellow than I was expecting and but it is fine. After letting it dry over night, decided that I needed another coat of yellow paint because I saw "shadows" (Normally I have a white undercoat, but every wall-mart I been to has been out of the basic white and black glossy colors [I actually did find one can of glossy black that wasn't already sampled]). So today I applied a second application of yellow paint. So tomorrow I will apply the final color. (Oh, and I bought a 3D printer today , Guess what I am going do with it)



Oh, I remembered something. In the video of my present opening I mentioned I never built a Sumo, but I had one given to me already built. I just remembered that I did build another one, after the original suffered a G71 cato and Aerotech replaced the reload, case, and the rocket. Not sure what happened to that Sumo?

Since is a Secret Santa thread, I am going to post here another former SS gift that I am also working on during this vacation. A while back I asked for a rocket that can fly on a H45. So a Santa sent me a LOC Vulcanite H76. I got the rocket built, but I never gotten around to finishing it. Well I decided I want to finish it. Yesterday, I put the first color on the rocket. A single yellow fin.


Today, I painted the other two fins and the nosecone Red.


Tomorrow I plan to paint the final color on the Vulcanite. Gloss Black. The Payload section is going to be wrapped with this:

I also plan to put some of this material on the fins. Also, I am going have someone local with a Cricket machine cut the lettering using this mirror wrap. I think this rocket is going look amazing. And the shiny sections may make the rocket easier to see as it is coming back down from it's first flight which will be with an I205 (I was hoping for a H45 or H100, but I had to go with what my friend had in inventory)

When I get back from vacation, I have a LOC Viper IV, an Estes Leviathan, and an Estes Executioner to get painted. Those rockets I plan to fly at an upcoming SPAAR launch, but that launch is for low and mid power. I might fly the Vulcanite on a G79 at the SPAAR launch.

 

[NateB]

Is everyone accounted for now?

I'll be starting my builds tomorrow if it is raining. All of the other parts I ordered to get started have arrived.

 

[n3tjm]

I believe everyone is now accounted for.

 

[n3tjm]

Got some more work done today

 

[Glasspack]

Last I checked he wasn't on the naughty list.

Got some more work done on the Sumo.
View attachment 424394
Motor Retainer attached with WB Weld, and inside edge of tube treated with CA.

View attachment 424395
Got some primer applied.

Wow that motor is recessed a good bit ....You inspire me to start my Sumo kit

 

[n3tjm]

Make sure you reinforce the aft edge. It will get dinged up pretty good. If you decide to forgo the piston, you can use the tube coupler as a stiffener. I decided to include the piston this time so I used ca.

made it home from my vacation with minimum damage to the paint of both rockets. Will touch up the paint once I recover from my drive.

speaking of which, the neighbors daughter saw me come home so she ran over and gave me a package I was expecting. Inside it was some stuff for the vulcanite.

 

[n3tjm]

Ooooo Shiny!

 

[n3tjm]

 

[n3tjm]

 

[MikeyDSlagle]

Nicely done.
What was the final weight on that Sumo?
Flies great on those G64s.

 

[Scott Hala]

I've been waiting on some decent (less than 90 degrees and 80% humidity) weather so I can work in the garage and watching video after video on how to build fiberglass rockets. I hope to be able start scuffing and tacking on fins tonight, if it's raining. I've also started getting parts in for my "portable" paint booth.

 

[n3tjm]

Nicely done.
What was the final weight on that Sumo?
Flies great on those G64s.

I didn't think about weighing it. I will do so when I get a chance
Also check out my youtube channel. You will see other Secret Santa gifts that I finally got around to painting, and only one besides the Sumo got decaled.

Last Wednesday I flew my finished Vulcanite with an I205. It landed in the thick trees on the edge of the property and was not found. We even sent in a drone to see if we can find it from above. Amazing flight though

 

[TheTank]

Finally got a chance to fly my gift (Misselworks RRC2+) in my first dual deploy yesterday. I chickened out at the club launch that day as it was a little windy and I didnt want to risk it coming in ballistic with a bunch of people there. Went back out to my field in the evening and gave it a go. Worked like a champ! Thanks Santa!

 

[n3tjm]

Nice. I flew mine too but the rocket landed in the thick woods and never was found

 

[Alan R]

wow. this thread still going on .. well. . don't believe I ever posted this one. from July club launch.
I changed the mini buttons for lugs.
photo courtesy of our club photographer.