Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > Work Bench > Projects
User Name
Password
Auctions Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts Search Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-07-2018, 11:32 AM
BARGeezer BARGeezer is offline
Avid Builder
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 610
Default Three Saturn 1Bs

Not a build thread per se, since I get so involved with the builds that I forget to take pictures along the way, but I wanted to share this with my fellow forum members. I have three Saturn 1Bs on my workbench: An Estes 1/100 clone, a Fliskits, and a Dr. Zooch. Some observations:


1. Estes 1/100 clone: The original kit has all specialty sized tubes. When a vintage kit comes up for bid on eBay it frequently goes for well over $100. I wanted to see if I could clone a facsimile using readily available tube sizes. This is what I used:

Original: Substitute:

BT-82 --- BT-80
BT-58 --- same
BT-54--- ST-11
BT-83--- ST-27
JT-82--- JT-80
BT-67 --- ST-20
BT-18 --- BT-19

Ordered the parts from erockets, and dry fitted them when they arrived. The original plastic fairing shroud was replaced with a cardstock one downsized from the 1/70 plans. The plastic Apollo capsule and LES tower were out of stock at Estes, so I replaced it with a polyurethane resin one piece capsule from moldin Oldies at Sirius. It's heavier and more durable than the original. An added benefit is that it will require less nose ballast due to it's heavier weight.

Wouldn't you know but after I fitted the parts and was congratulating myself for my ingenuity, I found a nine year old thread where the OP did mostly the same thing:

http://oldrocketforum.com/showthrea...65&page=1&pp=10


From this thread I found out about the vacu-form styrene wraps that Paul Graf (grafgulch) makes for this model. Ordered a set, pictured below. Highly recommended.

2. Fliskits Saturn 1B: Ever since my return as a BAR about 3 or 4 years ago I have been wanting one of these, but it was always not available. Finally, when Jim Flis announced a limited run prior to his final closing, I jumped on it and ordered one. Looks like constructing the launch tower from the thin plastic rods will be very challenging. I have the cardstock tower (the "easy" option) as a backup.


3. Dr. Zooch Sat 1B: Every time I do a Zooch kit I learn something new! In this case the eight fuel tubes were made of pre-printed cardstock wrapped around a dowel and glued at the seam. No painting or masking. The launch tower on this will also be a challenge, but again, I have the cardstock one for backup in case I mess up.


Will be updating this thread as the builds progress. Wish me luck. Cheers.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_20181107_015441.jpg
Views: 179
Size:  675.0 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_20181107_063316.jpg
Views: 76
Size:  387.5 KB  
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-07-2018, 12:30 PM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default

You will be more proud of your clone than any kit, even if it isn't "perfect". BTW, the kits aren't all that accurate either so yours will be just fine. If it looks good to your eyeball, it's good enough. If you decide a tube looks a little too "off", you can resize it by slitting and removing a strip to make it slightly smaller, or by wrapping with paper or cardstock to increase it. Looking forward to your build.
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-07-2018, 02:37 PM
GlenP's Avatar
GlenP GlenP is offline
Craftsman
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: NAR BEMRC #627
Posts: 132
Default

PM me your email if you would like some printable cardstock templates for the Zooch 1B fins and tank transition fillets so you don't have to paint them. PDF is too large to post in the forum.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-18-2018, 03:11 PM
BARGeezer BARGeezer is offline
Avid Builder
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 610
Default Updates

1. Estes 1/100 clone:
Attached the styrene wraps to the body.
Primed and basecoated the upper body prior to final assembly.

2. Dr. Zooch:
Cut, tapered, and painted the fins with CWF. Sanding to follow.
Assembled the bell nozzles, cut the antennas and fairing pieces.
Primed and basecoated the upper body section.
Finished assembling the tower. Woo hoo!

3. Fliskits:
Painted the fuel tubes before gluing to the motor mount.
Cut and tapered the fins. Glued the paper skins on. Assembled flight fins.
Glued the paper fairing to the fuel tubes and aft section.
Primed and basecoated the upper body section.
Finished one side of the tower, three more to go.


A note on the towers: Dr. Zooch kits are "ant-scale", not necessarily true scale, meaning they give the appearance of the real rocket. Thus the Zooch tower is larger in diameter than the much bigger Estes model. The four support struts are also much shorter than scale.
My first attempt at the Fliskits tower was a failure. The rods were so thin that I couldn't even pick them up with my tweezers. Gave up and assembled the easy option paper tower. After cooling off for a couple of days I tried again, but with thin music wire instead of the plastic. One side completed, we'll see how it goes.


GlenP, thanks for the pdfs but I was unable to open 2 of the 4 attachments. Adobe Reader gives an error message about email attachments might be encoded improperly. No worries, I'll be building the Zooch kit stock and commenting about the pros and cons at the end.
See you in a few days!
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_20181118_020427.jpg
Views: 93
Size:  622.0 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_20181118_053856.jpg
Views: 81
Size:  708.4 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_20181118_101612.jpg
Views: 70
Size:  585.8 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_20181118_020325.jpg
Views: 77
Size:  637.4 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_20181118_054147.jpg
Views: 109
Size:  431.4 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_20181113_192630.jpg
Views: 85
Size:  415.3 KB  
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-18-2018, 08:36 PM
Jerry Irvine's Avatar
Jerry Irvine Jerry Irvine is offline
Freeform rocketry advocate.
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Claremont, CA "The intellectual capitol of the world."-WSJ
Posts: 3,780
Default

That's a really small model. Look up my thread on Saturn 1b's available from the last run of Semroc.

The smallest motor I have made was in a 1/8" launch lug and that was BP. The smallest APCP composite was 13mm for FAI that was not adopted.

Jerry
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-07-2018, 04:08 PM
njrick's Avatar
njrick njrick is offline
Saturn 1b nut
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NJ
Posts: 118
Default

the Zooch Saturn 1b is my favorite model kit, plastic or rocket. Really fun to build. I built the Flis kits 1b...the tower is incredibly small and detailed. magnifying glass and tweezers are your friend! Both are fun kits!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-07-2018, 04:26 PM
BARGeezer BARGeezer is offline
Avid Builder
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 610
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by njrick
the Zooch Saturn 1b is my favorite model kit, plastic or rocket. Really fun to build. I built the Flis kits 1b...the tower is incredibly small and detailed. magnifying glass and tweezers are your friend! Both are fun kits!

If you were able to build the tower with the plastic hairs, er, rods supplied then you are a far better man than I! I'm using brass rods now instead of music wire. Much easier to cut. Updates coming soon.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-07-2018, 10:44 PM
njrick's Avatar
njrick njrick is offline
Saturn 1b nut
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NJ
Posts: 118
Default

bar geezer...I substituted 0.020 rod for the tower....its a little thicker and a little easier to work with. I did a build thread over on the other Forum in the Scale section
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-07-2018, 10:46 PM
njrick's Avatar
njrick njrick is offline
Saturn 1b nut
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NJ
Posts: 118
Default

whoops..I thought you were referring to the Flis 1b..I did threads on both the Zooch 1b and the Flis 1b...love em both!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-07-2018, 11:35 PM
BARGeezer BARGeezer is offline
Avid Builder
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 610
Default

Actually I'm doing both. The Zooch tower is completed using the supplied dowel and wire. Currently working on the Fliskits tower with .032 brass rod for the vertical struts and .020 brass for the trusses. The plastic was just too difficult. I did learn one thing from building the Fliskits tower, which I incorporated into the Zooch tower: spoofing the tower motor nozzles using a sharpened dowel and cutting off the tip. Hopefully updates in a couple of days.
BTW I checked out your Zooch 1B build over at TRF. Amazing work!
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:30 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe © 1998-2024