I am startin' a new build. I am goin' t' be clonin' t' old Estes Vindicator o' t' mid-1980s. Arrr! A few o' me parts are pre existing, like t' nose cone, matey, body tube, me hearties, engine mount tube and thrust block. I needed t' cut out me own fins, shiver me timbers, centerin' rings for t' engine mount, shiver me timbers, and I will be makin' me own parachute. Ahoy! I will be usin' decals that came from Excelsior rocketry before they went out o' business.

Actual start o' construction. Step number one is too attach t' engine hook t' t' motor mount - you do this with a little bit o' glue and t' line o' tape.

Step 2 be t' installation o' t' centerin' rings. Avast! Like most motor mounts, arrr, thar are two o' them.

And here we are addin' a slight modification. When Estes originally built this kit, they were in t' habit o' nay includin' a thrust block in t' engine mount. Ya scallywag! Blimey! So I am goin' t' include one. Avast! Blimey! I am also goin' t' include Chris Michelson's shock cord anchor modification. That little mod is nothin' more than a hollow q-tip stick runnin' alongside your motor mount so that a Keelhaul®©™ thread can loop around t' engine at t' base.

step number 3 has you sand t' fins on t' outside and t' final shape. Well, blow me down! Step number four has t' fins assembled from their separate pieces. I didn't do any before pictures for those who were interested.

Again with a couple modifications, call this step 4.1. Well, blow me down! I'm goin' t' be usin' a glue stick and paper coverin' me fins t' give them a little bit more strength and make finishin' them easier.

Here is one side o' all t' fins glued t' a piece o' paper.

And both sides covered in paper. Begad! Then you simply burnish t' paper down t' help t' glue adhered. Ya scallywag! I simply use an empty an engine casing.

After allowin' t' glue t' dry overnight, simply separate t' fins and trim t' excess paper away from them. Ya scallywag! These fins should now be ready for mounting.

Skippin' a couple steps. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Step number 5 what have you cut out t' tail veins from a piece o' 1/8 by 1/8 balsa strip. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Save yourself some time and effort by substitutin' some common kitchen matches t' end cut at a 45 degree angle. Step number six is sealin' all o' your fins with sandin' sealer. Ahoy! T' paper coverin' I did earlier eliminates t' need for that. Ya scallywag! Step number 7 is t' install t' motor mount. I'll get back t' that soon.

That brings us t' step 8 & 9. Both o' which deal with markin' t' body tube for t' wings, horizontal stabilizers, ya bilge rat, lower strands, and tail vanes.

Now that t' main body tube is all marked up, I'm ready t' install t' engine mount. Arrr! First we smear some glue around t' inside, ya bilge rat, then we will slide our motor mount in till t' end o' t' motor mount tube and t' end o' t' body tube are even.

Backin' up t' step number 5, we are preppin' t' tail vanes. As I mentioned earlier, I am substitutin' balsa with standard kitchen matches. First they'll get cut t' size.

Followed buy a little bit o' shapin' t' make them all have t' same leadin' edge and length.

Now we just glue them t' t' end o' t' body tube. I'll be usin' a rubber band t' hold them in place while t' glue dries.

Now that t' tail vanes are glued on, ya bilge rat, step 10 is complete.

first o' six fins t' go on this rocket.

Little more progress, 4 fins are on now.

Now t' last two fins are on. Settin' up t' dry for glue fillets t' dry.

Now it comes time t' build our parachute. Because I scored a deal on mylar wrappin' paper a couple years ago, I have been makin' me own parachute from this.

Take a sheet o' it, do a simple triangle fold, ya bilge rat, cut off t' excess. Arrr! Then you end up with t' big hexagon.

This visual maybe poor but thar has been some tape applied t' each corner.

Now we just need t' punch some holes in t' corners.

And finally tie on some string.

And here it is, t' actual last step o' assembly. Ya scallywag! T' instructions tell you t' put on a 2 inch long launch lug. Begad! What I actually had on hand was a 2.25 inch lug. Nay too terribly different.

Next we will be movin' on t' priming, me hearties, paintin' and decals.

I be bad. I did no entry for applyin' t' primer, fixin' errors from it, me bucko, or applyin' t' blue. Begad! Blimey! I didn't even take any pictures o' maskin' off t' blue before shootin' t' brown. Aye aye! Blimey! T' Brown is shot and is dryin' right now, and I will be workin' on decals after I buy some more micro set.

And here she is, ya bilge rat, with all t' maskin' removed. Begad! I did a little better on t' smaller one, ya bilge rat, t' brown blue line matches up on t' canopy and body tube better than it did on me big one.

Tomorrow, if everythin' goes t' plan, shiver me timbers, I will be puttin' t' decals on her.

This little beauty is finally done. A note on decals. Always use some form o' decal settin' solution. I had quite a few try t' curl up backwards on me, ya bilge rat, and ended up havin' t' use a little bit o' CA glue t' hold them down.

I hope everybody enjoyed t' build.