Maybe use something like chopsticks to get it down there. You can then smooth it out by rubbing it down with one of the sticks.

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Scott D. Hansen
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WOOSH NAR Section #558

I use something to burnish or roll over it if it's one that I can't easily reach. I still use the old Estes style mount on all of my clones and scratchbuilts. However, you might go the way of technology and convert to the Quest/Semroc/Fliskits/??? method and use kevlar on the motor mount. That will give your stubby fingers a reprieve.

Actually, I'm going to go a little more unorthodoxed route with my shock cord. It won't be attached to the rocket. I'm going to run Kevlar down through the body tube/motor tube and tie a loop around the nozzle end of the motor and tape in place. At the forward end of the kevlar, I'll attach a 1/4 inch thick elastic shock cord. The Kevlar will help act as a motor block, motor retainer and shock cord mount.

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Don
NAR 53455
"Carpe Diem"

I do that with all of mine anyhow, clone,scratch, or whatever. The tri-fold was never even a consideration for me. Not that it doesn't work, it's just I prefer the Kevlar. However, I try to keep the kevlar away from the very top of the motor. It's tough stuff, but everything has it's limits. I always try to run the Kevlar to the outside of the motor mount centering rings, cutting or sanding a small groove in the top ring, to allow the Kevlar to pass through. This keeps it along the edge of the main BT, instead of running right next to top of the motor tube(which most instructions have you do). This keeps it out of the direct line of fire and helps prolong the life of the Kevlar.

Weren't the chop sticks included and suggested under step 1 column A, and no substitutions.

Don't forget the rice paper for covering the fins for strength.

Some observations from constructing the kit.

First, the parts are top notch. Very high quality balsa, just like in the 1250 Interceptor kit. Laser cutting is outstanding, pieces fit together perfectly with only a rub or two of sandpaper to remove the laser cutting notches.

Body tubes and motor mount tubes are stronger (and heavier) than usual Estes tubes, hence my comment in the other thread about this kit suggesting a change at Estes.

Fin slots on the lower body tube are outstanding. Fins are perfectly aligned and fit perfectly against the motor mount, no sanding necessary. Unbelievably precisely designed parts.

Motor mount design is VERY clever, with stuffer tube extending to top of coupler between body tubes. I would be hesitant to consider friction fitting motors in this kit since the aft end of the motor mount sits inside the plastic tail cone. It would be very hard to get your fingers, or a pair of pliers, between the end of the motor and the tail cone to get the motor out. While it would be very simple to replace the 24mm tube with a 29 mm one, I'm not sure what you would do for positive motor retention unless you left the motor mount tube end aft of the tail cone, which would look funky.

I decided to build my motor mount as designed, but I adapted it very slightly for a kevlar shock cord. I drilled one small hole in the forward motor mount to allow me to pass a piece of kevlar through. I tied the kevlar around the motor mount/stuffer tube. Very simple replacement for the bungee style shock cord included.

Plastic nosecone and fin pods are beautiful. But the fin supports will definitely be needed. The fin pods are VERY heavy, being made of thick plastic. Unlike the Interceptor of old, the pods are all (thick) plastic and have a hole in the side for mounting to a tab on the end of the fin, so they will not snap off if torqued.

These pods are so big and heavy I have little doubt that landing at an angle on one would torque the wing enough to break it. The supports look like they will keep that from happening. I doubt laminating the wings with paper will solve that problem since they would do little to alleviate that kind of torque stress. Replacing the wings with heavier materials would solve the problem but would add too much tail weight. So the supports are a fairly light weight solution to the problem.

As for the supports themselves, they are a labor intensive part of the build. The instructions say to bevel the front edges and round the sides. But if you look at Roguepink's photos, or the kit cover, the supports are way more oval (requiring a lot more sanding) than the instructions suggest. I am concerned that if they are not made oval, the wing decals will look odd.

Not hard to make them oval, but labor intensive due to the high quality (hard) balsa supplied. There are 8 of these supports to be fashioned since they go on both wings and tail surfaces. I'm taking my time with them trying to make sure they look good.

I am less convinced of the structural need for supports on the tail surfaces but I am including them because that's the way the 1350 is "supposed" to look.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the quality of the kit. I just built a 1250 and I expect this will look just as nice. If the E9 is not enough for it to fly safely, a 24mm Aerotech reload will work fine. I have no desire to set any altitude records with this one.

Good report, Gus, I'm starting to feel a little better about doing this build myself.
What type of glue are you going to use for the pods to wing tips?

wick

So I looked at a 1350 at the LHS today, and the listed weight is 13.5 oz. Did I read that right? Add in the weight of an E9-4, and that gives a thrust-to-weight ratio of just about exactly 2:1. This will certainly be a dead calm weather only flyer on that motor. This is a nice looking kit, that no doubt is in my future, but I'd be mighty leery of that E9, and would probably want to use an E18. Sheesh, estes lists the max recommended liftoff weight of an E9 at 15 oz, that seems mighty optimistic...

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Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

When I was building the prototype, I used a plastic cement that was compatable with wood(balsa) and plastic.

This seemed to be the right stuff, if you research it, you can find such a glue, I cna't give you the exact name because I have such a large variety of glues besides more main one yellow carpenter's glue.

As with all Estes kits that suggest "tube type plastic cement" that should not be used, plaastic cement is for "welding" two plastic pieces together, not paper/balsa to plastic.

Like I mentioned above, theere are many glues out there that you can use with plastic and wood/balsa.

And, the mian build of the 1350 was done with yellow carpenter's glue with no problem.

As it has been mentioned, I also think that epoxy is overkill, and, that was added after I had submitted the instructions outline.

I am thinking bridle recovery for this one