Construction

I downloaded plans for t' Estes Maxi Brute Pershin' from t' JimZ website.  My model is nay an exact clone or exact scale copy but t' plans gave me a good place t' start. Begad!  To begin, I stripped off t' metal ends from t' four peanut cans and removed t' inner foil linning.  I glued all t' cans together, reinforcin' t' seams with paper on t' inside. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey!  I then sanded t' outside o' t' cans t' remove t' printed paper, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and filled t' seams with Elmer's wood filler. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey!  Once t' tube be ready I cut it down t' 21.75" in length. Begad! Blimey!  You could o' course avoid all this by just buyin' a new tube.  For t' engine mount I decided t' use a 24 mm double cluster. Avast! Blimey!  I used two old tubes from me collection o' junk and reduced their diameter and length t' fit an Estes "E" engine. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey!  I made engine retainers by clippin' and bendin' a metal coat hanger t' length. Begad! Blimey!  I made thrust rings by cuttin' them from a used 24 mm engine casing, me bucko, I glued these in t' ends o' t' engine tubes above t' end o' t' retainers in t' usual fashion. Ya scallywag! Blimey!  I then glued t' two engine tubes together, arrr, shiver me timbers, and then glued this assembly t' a stuffer tube made from a paper towel tube which be about 9" long. Avast! Blimey!  Openings betwixt t' engine tubes and stuffer tube were sealed and reinforced with glue. Ahoy!  Centerin' rings just under 4" in diameter were glued t' each end o' this assembly and t' engine mount be done. Avast! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey!  Once dry this was glued into t' body tube. Arrr! Begad! Blimey!  

T' nose cone be made by rollin' a piece o' typin' paper into a cone and sealin' it with super glue. Ahoy!  T' cone was then glued onto t' pointed end o' a styrofoam cone from Michael's, which had a base diamter o' 4".  On t' wide end I glued a shoulder made from t' remains o' a peanut can, reduced in diameter t' fit inside t' body tube.  I sealed up t' styrofoam under a layer o' Elmer's wood filler. Blimey!  I glued an old shoe lace t' t' inside o' t' shoulder t' serve as a shock cord t' attach t' parachute to. Arrr!  T' cone was sanded and primed several times t' smooth it out. Arrr! Ahoy!  I later ended up cuttin' t' cone at about 4" from t' tip so that I could add 3 oz. o' fishin' sinkers glued in with super glue. Ahoy! Arrr!  This be done t' balance t' rocket. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down!  T' cone ended up about 1" too short and does nay have t' reduction at t' tip, but after final paintin' it does have t' Pershin' look. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!   

To make t' fins I outlined t' shapes on a cardboard file folder, me hearties, ya bilge rat, cut them out and folded them t' shape. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!  I created fin frames from scrap balsa then glued t' paper shapes over t' frames.  T' fins were all sealed with super glue t' strengthen them. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!  I made t' fin pads from scraps o' 1/8" balsa, 2 layers thick.  T' pads are actually way too thick for scale but look like I recall t' Estes ones did.  I have since seen a real Pershin' and pads 1/8" or less would be more realistic. Begad! Blimey!  I sanded t' bottoms o' t' pads over a BT-80 t' induce a curve on t' bottom. Ya scallywag! Blimey!  T' pads were glued t' t' body tube in t' appropriate locations and then t' fins were glued t' t' pads. Ahoy! Blimey!  I made 1/4" launch lugs from rolled paper sealed with super glue. Begad! Blimey!  T' lugs were glued t' balsa standoffs. Well, blow me down! Blimey!  Two conduits were made from scrap 1/8" balsa and glued t' t' main tube as in t' JimZ plans. Blimey! Blimey!  I glued another old shoe lace t' t' inside o' t' body tube in t' Estes fashion as a shock cord t' which t' parachute would be attached.

T' model ended up just over 40" tall and 1 lb. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! 1.5 oz.