Model Rocket Building Blog
260 Space Booster Part 1 PartsI'll use standard Estes parts from the plans: From left to right: Clear fin (body wrap) substitute is a 4' clear fluorescent tube guard 7" BT-60 and Balsa Adapter #TA-5060 7 3/4" BT-50 and Nose Cone #TA-550 4 1/4" BT-20 Engine Mount Tube 12" Parachute, Shroud Lines and Tape Reinforcement rings ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 2 ShroudsTwo shrouds were made using the Transition Tool at PayloadBay.com http://www.payloadbay.com/index.php?page=Tools&action=TRANS I wanted to use dimensions from the plans, but the first print I made wasn't correct. I checked the printed fin marking guide by wrapping it around the lower BT-60 tube ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 3 ShroudsAfter the shrouds were printed up on 110 lb. card stock the rough cut shroud was taped on some unprinted stock. I can cut two shrouds at the same time. The shrouds from the PayloadBay.com Transition Tool are meant to be cut out right down the center of the printed line. You can see I've already ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 4 Engine Mount Coupler TIPTo give your coupler more of a gluing surface, sand the edges flat with 200 grit on a sanding block. On the left is the cut edge of the coupler as sent from the vendor. The edge is actually more of a angled wedge from cutting. On the right is the edge after sanding flat. Enlarge the picture to see ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 5 Engine Mount CouplerIt's hard to get a fillet of glue on the inside edge of a coupler assembly. Apply a ring of glue on the inside edge of the coupler. Try to apply it a smoothly as possible. The glue will want to bead up, that's okay. Then apply a second ring of glue on the outside edge. Set the adapter ring on the ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 6 CA and Dry FitI always read about hardening up a card shroud with CA glue. It's always implied to cover the outside of the shroud with glue after it is glued in position. I prefer to apply the CA to the inside of the shroud with a Q-Tip before it is glued on. But, keep the CA away from the edges where it will ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 7 Engine Mount GluingBefore gluing the coupler into the tube, look close at the picture. With the black coupler slid in, 1/2 of the the centering ring (thickness) is sticking out of the tube end. This makes a gluing "step" and a little more gluing surface for the angled coupler. Before gluing the shroud, run the edges ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 8 Shroud GluingDry slide the short shroud up to the BT-60. Turn the shroud around the end of the tube until you find the best fit. Mark the seam location at the best location. Slide the shroud away from the BT-60. Apply a narrow glue bead to the exposed "step" of the centering ring. It won't take much glue, you ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 9 Shroud GluingSlide the larger shroud down the BT-20, then place the centering ring. I sanded a little of the centering ring where the underlying gluing tab would make contact. In the picture you can see where the brown laser cut was sanded off and the white area is exposed. This will make a better fit where ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 10 Semroc 16 BoosterHere's a post about the 260 build from TRF: Originally Posted by El Cheapo "That's cool. Looks like it'll be nice and clean with no excess junk. I like that. I assume the clear fins will mount above the nozzle. Why not make the nozzle into a booster. Semroc makes that little 13mm deal that is ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 11 Nose Cone ShapingThe nose cone is made from a TA-550 balsa adapter. The upper shoulder is sanded away and rounded. First the shoulder is reduced by matching the angle of the sanding block to the side angle of the balsa adapter. While you could cut out and use the template, I did most of the shaping by eye. I ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 12 Nose Cone ShapingI extended the sides on the nose cone drawing to show where the balsa adapter is right now with the upper shoulder removed. The top will have to be shortened. The new length was drawn on with pencil. Here's the top with the excess sanded off. The squared off top was rounded over with 220 grit ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 13 Cutting Clear FinsCutting out the fins took practice and some wasted clear fin material. This clear fin stock from Hobby Lobby is thicker and harder that the old Estes stock. To start, the instructions were taped to my cutting board. The clear fin stock was taped over the fin drawing. On the first attempt, I scored ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 14 Clear Fin CuttingAfter the one side is scored over the fin drawing, the plastic is removed from the template and flipped over. The other side is scored. Cut right over the first line, you can see it right through the plastic. Be sure to extend your cut lines beyond the fin shape to the ends of the plastic piece. ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 15 Clear Fin Glue TestI cut a 4" section of the clear fluorescent light protection tube for fin gluing practice. I wanted to find the best way to adhere the thin fin material. Going back to the ole Estes Gemini Titan instructions, you would use clear dope to glue the fins. I applied a line of dope to the root edge of a ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 16 Clear Fin Wrap FitThe clear tube won't quite fit over the BT-60 so it'll have to be split lengthwise and taped shut for flight. The old Estes Gemini Titan instructions talk about splitting the clear fin tube if it gets too tight. Be careful when scoring the tube. It's easy to slip off the edge with the knife. The ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 17 Prime and PaintEven though I did a "butt-joint" of the seam edges, (not an overlapping tab) there was still a little fill to do. Here I'm dragging a drop of CWF down the seam with my knife tip. After this was sanded, any remaining gap will be filled with sanded primer. The picture on the left shows how I ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 18 Decal PlanThe instructions say to cut the decals from the Estes #D5 decal sheet. That decal sheet isn't at hand! I'd have to draw it up and print decals at home. The rocket drawing on page two of the instructions was enlarged until the body tube width (on the screen) was 1.637" or the width of a BT-60 tube. ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 19 Black TrimLong strips of the Black Chalkboard Contact Paper were cut .45" wide. All the black stripes on the model will be this width except for the .25" black nozzle stripe. You can see what the roll looks like HERE The first strip layed down was on the BT-50, right above the adapter. One great thing about ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 20 Black TrimThese two separated vertical strips will have the USAF decal between them. I taped down another strip to the side for alignment. All the strips running vertically down the BT-60 tube are long - for now. Another scrap piece was wrapped around the top and bottom of the long vertical strips for ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 21 DecalsI'm getting better at printing half sheets of decal paper. I've made it a point of always printing out more than needed, in case I screw one up. In this case, four USAF and four U S AIR FORCE were printed. I actually need two of each, one on either side of the model. Expand the picture and you'll ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build Part 22 Clear Fin CanI made up the clear fin can on a scrap piece of BT-60, off the model. I didn't want to take any chances of the clear dope marring up the model's finish. The scrap BT-60 was marked for four fins, the pencil lines extended up the body tube. The fluorescent light tube was scored in a straight line ...[Read More]
260 Space Booster Build FINISHED!On the left is the lower end with the clear fin can attached. The nose cone got a simple coat of red paint.[Read More]
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