I have a long weekend from work for the Super Bowl and you all have inspired me to get some building done. I have already final sanded and painted a Semroc Lil Centauri, put a second coat of balsa filler on a vintage Estes Multiroc and made good progress on an Estes Conquest that has been started for a long time.

“Spray Them if You Got Them”

Its in the high 70s today in Colorado, sunny, and mostly no wind. An occasional light breeze comes up. I've been priming and painting like crazy since we are supposed to get freezing drizzle tomorrow, followed by snow on Tuesday. Then its probably back to building for awhile.

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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp

Darn it, Lee. That’s the thing that bugs me about being up here in the Pacific NorthWet even though I’ve been here for over 40 years. When the sun comes out in the winter, it gets colder! So sunny but barely 40 degrees F today. Cooler tomorrow. The the rain comes back and it will get warm enough to paint....but it’ll be raining.

I have three models waiting the first color coat right now (Sterling Silver, Big Bessie, and a clone of a Mini-Bertha).

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

Bernard,

Its funny, I envy that lush green launch site in all your launch pictures. But, it does take a lot of moisture for all that green.

We really do have pretty good painting conditions much of the year.

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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp

Walked outside yesterday morning and was greeted with the wind howling through the trees and the flags standing pretty consistently straight out. Figures. The temps were in the 50's at that point and it's not going to get better anytime soon. I did a little work on the Defender, sanding and attaching the fins, so it wasn't a complete waste of a day. That weather, though...…….

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Our intro to Spring lasted two days. Back to building only.

We had to drive to Denver (70 miles) and it was freezing drizzle and about 20°, making roads slick. Some nasty rollovers on the sides of the highway, and in the ditch-like medians.

We headed for home mid-afternoon, and I was spraying washer fluid maybe every mile, hoping it would last until home. It did. Nasty!

I resumed work tonight on an old Estes Phoenix. I replaced the lower fins with new basswood fins, since my original always seemed to pop off a fin. I cut them with a short tab that pokes thru the body tube with about 1/8” protruding inside. These tabs are getting epoxy fillets. (The Phoenix has a recessed motor tube similar to the Saturn V kit, and the aft centering ring is ahead of the fin tabs, making the reinforcement pretty easy to do).

If you build the Phoenix with tapered fins, it can be an extremely long session of sanding lots of bevels, since it has 8 fins. Based on the recommendation from John Boren a few years ago, maybe here on YORF, I bought a David Combi hand plane. But Ive not used it very much until now. Its a neat little tool, but I need a LOT more practice, I think, to master it. In retrospect, though, balsa may have been a lot easier than basswood. Holding onto a fairly small square fin, keeping it still, and trying to put a 1” bevel on each side of the leading edge, is tricky. I got them most of the way with the plane, and then used a Great Planes sanding bar to bring them to a fairly pointy shape.

Since the first of my fillets is drying, I'll take some pictures later. Like my first Phoenix, this one will fly exclusively on 24/40 reloads. I used several reloads one on my first, E11 Black Jack, E18 White Lightning, and E28 and F39 Blue Thunder. On my original, I used dual engine hooks. This time, I’m using the metal Rocketarium retainer, which fits the 24/40 like a glove.

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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp

Finished the Starlight with Rust O glitter paint. I like it for this rocket, hid the imperfections well. This paint feels like sandpaper once dry, I used 5 liberal coats of gloss clear to bury it so will maybe need that new C5-3 engine to get this one up to speed. Also painted an upscale Cherokee D I kit bashed out of the Vapor kit from Hobby Lobby, and starting work on an Interceptor E...

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Fleet : http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k...Rocket%20Fleet/

http://youtube.com/swillie

Best looking Astron Starlight I have ever seen.
Almost too nice to fly.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Agree with GH. That looks REALLY good. Gotta fly it, though...........

Wow! That glitter paint was apparently meant for that rocket. Very nice!

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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp