Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Semroc (Estes) Starship Excalibur Build, Part 2, Engine Mount Tube Prep TIP




Here's how the engine mount tube comes in the Semroc kit.
You can see it's a wedge "stab" cut made with the tip of a #11 blade.

You could punch the engine hook in but you'd probably teat the left side of the narrow punched slot.

Turn your #11 blade so the dull top is facing out, to the left.
Press the square dull top of the blade against the left side widening and squaring the end of the cut.

The inset picture shows what you are going for.




A little preview of things to come - 
I wasn't able to use the laser cut balsa pieces provided in the kit! The picture shows what was thrown away.
The kit wood was very light and spongy. This model will take some time to assemble. I don't want to break a fin on a hard landing.
I went to Michael's crafts with my 40% off coupon and picked out some better grade wood.
I'll have to go old school and cut everything out by hand - Horrors!

2 comments:

  1. Chris,
    Just a heads up: the old Estes design plan templates are oversized a bit. So if you use those to cut the fins you may have to print them at around 87% of actual. Found out when I was making a clone some months ago: the tube marking templates don't fit unless you downscale them a bit. BAR Geezer

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    1. Hi BAR,
      I appreciate the warning about template size. I've been down that road before! You finish the build and notice the online fins were too large.
      This is a Semroc kit from a few years back, it has laser cut fins. I used the kit fins to trace and cut the new ones. Carl at Semroc usually got everything right!

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