Estes Scorpion build thread

Take us through your build strategies and ideas.
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bernomatic
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#1 Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

I have the posts from the Scorpion build thread on the old Cantina, where it was never finished.I'll transfer then over and add the last build comments I never posted soon, It's item 567 on my to do list.

Here are some photos of the finished rocket to tide you over .
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#2 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

originally posted Jan 14, 2016 by bernomatic on the old Cantina
This is one of those ones that make you think back to the hey days of model rocketry. I hope Estes is planning on continuing in this vein (small exotic birds) on one hand, but then think about the stuff I have in the works and say, eh, maybe they can quit while ahead. With the recent addition of the Puma to this and the Lynx, I doubt it. However, when my stuff comes out and if Estes continues, all Model Rocketeers will benefit.


In the meanwhile:
I opened the package purchased in a Local Hobby Store to find all the parts there. There was very minor damage to the rim of one of the BT-5s that are cut to create the air scoops, but passing a BT-5 coupler through the tube fixed it and if absolutely necessary the area can be oriented such that it is a part of the scrap for the tube. Of much more import was the 1/16" laser cut fin stock. This had suffered a major break up. While The sheet was broken up and pieces had fallen out (all of no dig deal), the two main fin pieces had been cracked and broken. After some glue and a night clamped between two wax covered boards, we are set to continue.
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Last edited by bernomatic on Sun, 03 Sep 17, 16:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Photobucket image replace
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#3 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

bernomatic said Jan 14, 2016
FIDDLY SMALL PARTS, Just what we all like to see.

Image

The engine vanes are about 13mm long by about 2mm wide. While not called for till step two in the instructions, I decided to play with them now to get them ready, because of course I was going to change the build procedure a little bit. So, gathering up all the vanes, I put a dab of glue from a toothpick on one side of each vane and tack glued them all together to make it easier to sand them to the same length and shape.

Image

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#4 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

bernomatic said Jan 14, 2016
Next I glued a spare paper centering ring to the engine vane location template and cut it out.

Image


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I then drew two lines along the tube for the location of the engine hook and marked the centering ring location at 5cm from one end. I ran a ring of white glue around at this point leaving a gap for the area of the engine hook and slide the motor mount centering ring in place. I set the assembly aside to dry overnight and came up out of the bunker to grab a PBR and do some typing

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll8/ ... 81lcmm.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll8/ ... gmbex5.jpg

[Last edited Jan 16, 2016]
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#5 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

Trident said Jan 15, 2016
Wow, those engine vanes are tiny. A dot of glue to hold all of them together sounds like a good idea. A T-pin would split each of those suckers in half!
Lee
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#6 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

bernomatic said Jan 16, 2016
Trident said: Wow, those engine vanes are tiny. A dot of glue to hold all of them together sounds like a good idea. A T-pin would split each of those suckers in half!

One change in that plan, I think I used rubber cement before and it worked. Even the dot of glue made little divots in some of the pieces.

I cut the engine vane pieces apart and glued the aft centering ring in place. I then used a razor saw to cut the channel for the engine hook out of the centering ring. Sliding the template/ring into place, I glued it to the centering ring and cut the channel out of it. I finished building the normal motor mount stuff and finished with placing the engine vanes.

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Not perfect on the spacing, but still looks pretty good for fiddly parts.

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I then filleted all the vanes using a toothpick, let the fillets dry and cleaned it up with a bit of an emery board from the starter tool kit cut to size.

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One nice thing about the emery boards is that you can easily cut them to the size needed with a hobby knife or pair of scissors. In this case even my needle files where either too big or just not shaped to easily get in between the vanes.
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#7 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

bernomatic said Jan 20, 2016
While cutting out the first air scoop, I was wondering the whole time if there was a better way than just using the paper wrap. Then in the midst of cutting through some masking tape on that first air scoop, it hit me. I could use a strip of masking tape to help and not worry about the paper guide coming loose. Once I cut through the template (and the layer of masking tape) I could remove the wrap around guide. So I ran a stripe of 3/4" masking tape lengthwise along the tube that was to be cut for the second air scoop, then I wrapped the template around the tube making sure all the lines fell within the area of the masking tape, cut through the template with a hobby knife into the masking tape which then gave me a stable guide to finish the cutting.

It worked like a charm. I would make sure and use a contrasting tape (painters blue or green) next time to make it even more pain free. Also, by inserting the smaller tube from the Starter tool kit into the tube before cutting, you will have a solid surface to cut against. Inserting a spent mini engine casing or two would also work.

Image


[Last edited Apr 17, 2016]
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#8 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

I need to get a better picture of that last step, and when I work on the Lynx, I will upload one here.
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#9 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by Trident »

Bernie,

Tell me what brand that green paint is, if you would. That is bright!
Lee

Bulds: Estes Saturn V, Super Sky Hook, Farside-X
Awaiting Paint/Detailing: Estes Saturn 1B
Completed!: Der Saturn Max, Bandit XL
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#10 Re: Estes Scorpion build thread

Post by bernomatic »

That is Createx Airbrush Colors fluorescent green. I'm just starting to try them instead of all the butyrate dope I bought a couple of years ago which was to replace all the rattle cans.

I got tired of coping with the changes in rattle can formulas and their expense (not to mention the problems with the Rusto cans. Going to the dope wasn't bad, but it took so much thinner to airbrush it and clean up (not to mention the affect the thinner had on the airbrush parts) that I decided to try something else, no matter what GH says about the benefits of toxic paints.

This stuff is water-based and made by the company that produces Wicked Colors, (produced, I think they may have stopped the line). These are less expensive than the Wicked Colors. They do require a bit extra work, as they must be heat cured (I use the wife's hair dryer when she's at school.). I have also run into troubles with them of not adhering and peeling off, but that was before I read the directions of course. There is a wide selection of colors and hues (transparent, opaque, fluorescent, pearlized, iridescent and maybe more.

I'm still experimenting with them. Hoping to see how durable they are and if they can stand up to landing abuses. On the Scorpion, I did use some Rusto Gloss Coat to cover it. There is a Airbrush Colors Gloss Coat, but I was feeling experimental. I didn't experience any troubles with reactions between the two, but of course the base color coats had been dried and heat cured, so not much should affect them.

We'll see, in another year I'll probably end up spending another $50-100 on a new color system. :roll:
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