Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 4, Finding Parts

One of the lugs was missing from the opened kit. 

On the left is the original, yellowed with age lug. The longer lug is for the Tomahawk.

On the right is the same length lug, cut in half for the Exocet.

One screw eye and one nose weight washer were in the bag.

I went to my hardware bins to find the smallest screw eye and washer. I always save leftover screws, bolts and washers from previous projects.

The two washers are for the Exocet.

Here's the different length lugs after filling and sanding the CWF.

The older, longer lug had tighter seams than the new lug on the right.

Estes Aries SST, #1927, Build, Part 13, Moving The Launch Lug

I got the launch lug placement wrong! 

I'm usually on top of these things, but for whatever reason the launch lug was glued on the top when it should have gone on the underside. 

    

I didn't glue fillet the lug, so the removal was fairly easy.

The glue that was left was sanded off using 400 grit.

Mask off the area just around the glue sanded area.

Notice the edges of the masking tape are raised so the sprayed paint will feather in instead of having a sharp edge.

Carefully spray just the open area -

After the paint dries, light sanding follows. Another coat may follow if the surface isn't smooth.

Estes Aries SST, #1927, Build, Part 11, Gluing On Launch Lug & Rudders

I no longer waste time with glue fillets on the sides of launch lugs. That glue line was straightened and the width narrowed by pinching your thumb and index finger together. 

Run your finger "V" down the lug making a straight, narrow glue line. 

Carefully place the lug with the glue on the pencil line, 1 3/4" from the rear of the main body tube.

Here's the rudders glued onto the wing tips.

Assembly is finished, ready for white undercoats.

Estes Sandpiper, Kit #1389, Part 9, Fillets Down The Long Launch Lug

Sometimes I don't bother with launch lug fillets, it's a pain dealing with the air bubbles when the glue dries.

To the left is the first glue fillet still wet, just smoothed with a finger. Let the glue totally dry.

Here's the same fillet, dried with air pockets. Another glue fillet will fill some of the open holes.

It'll take three or four fillets to fill and smooth the glue line.

After three fillets the inside fill is looks smooth. 

You can lightly sand the fillet to further smooth before paint.

This launch lug/tunnel reminds me of the old Estes Wac Corporal kit. The long lug on the Wac Corporal is concealed with balsa strip sides.

Estes Sandpiper, Kit #1389, Part 8, Gluing The Lug Shroud

The sides of the lug shroud spread out when the glue on the bottom dried. The sides needed to attach to the launch lug.

A line of glue was spread down the edge of a razor blade.

This was transferred and spread down the inside edge of the shroud.

A dowel was pressed against the side to form the shroud flat against the lug.

Hold the dowl in place until the glue starts to set up. Repeat on the other side.

Here's the finished shroud, straight and tight.

Estes Sandpiper, Kit #1389, Part 7, Gluing The Lug Shroud

The launch lug shroud is glued on, centered between the two wing fins.

The bottom end is even with the motor mount tube.

The fins are glued on, centered and perpendicular to the wings.

The glue on the shroud bottom shrank a bit and turned the sides out.

It'll take some patient pressure to get the sides adhered to the launch lug.

Estes Sandpiper, Kit #1389, Part 6, The Long Launch Lug

The launch lug is 9 1/2" long.

I slid it over a straightened coat hanger for support when I sanded down the CWF filler.

In the instructions is a full size drawing for the angle cut of the top of the lug.

The low end of the launch lug hangs over the tail cone. To connect the sides, a folded "shroud" glues to the tail cone and the sides of the launch lug.

Pre-fold the lines before cutting out the shroud. I'm using the tip of a non-serrated butter knife to emboss a fold line.

After embossing the fold lines, cut out the shroud.

Coax the lines gradually working up to sharp folds.

New Way Lunar Jumper Build, Part 9, Launch Lug & White Undercoats

After all these years, I'm not doing glue fillets on either side of the launch lug. Too many bubbles and too much time sanding the fillet smooth. 

I know, a smooth glue fillet is less drag. But, I'm a sport flier, not that concerned with a few extra feet of altitude.

I apply a fine line of glue and even it straight with my fingers. Pinch your thumb and index finger into a "V" and run it down the glue line making a narrow, straight line.

A balsa spacer is supplied to set the the lug height.

The upper ring tube is sprayed off the model. 

It's difficult to get paint inside the assembly if the ring is glued on now.

Here the ring is set on a painting wand to a wrap of tape, sticky side out.

Hold the tube areas under a bright, reflective light to se the glue fillet lines that might need sanding.

After fine sanding with 400 grit, 

The glue fillet high spots have been taken down. Most all of the rocket body has been lightly sanded, just dulling the gloss white.

Estes Semi-Scale Saturn V, Kit #K-39, Part 31, Loose Ends & Edges

The original kit screw was small and tarnished with age.

I switched out a new, larger one.

The instructions have you glue the long launch lug 1/4" to the right of the lower white/black mask below. 

There is a problem - 

At 1/4" spacing, it puts the lug over the side of the fin fairing.

Look close at the left side picture, you'll see two pencil lines. I glued the lug at the 3/16" spacing. 

I scraped paint away down the lug glue line. I didn't apply a glue fillet down the sides of the lug.

Here you can see the lug clearance. If it were set at 1/4" the launch rod would be rubbing against the conical fairing.

You also must clear the feed line and ullage motor tunnels above.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 27, The Recovery Probe

When building my first Enterprise in the 1970s, I remember being disappointed by the recovery probe. It adds length for stability and area for packing the 18" parachute. It is a flight necessity but unsightly. 

I'm not going to fill the tube seams (it's 30" long!) but will fill the nose cone and plywood standoffs.

To make it less noticeable on the launcher, the recovery probe will be painted flat black.

The body tube marking guide matches up when wrapped around the tube.

A simple engine hook holds the probe to the Enterprise.

The upper probe tube is slotted to hold the upper bend of the hook.

The plywood hold-down piece had some chipping on both ends. These were glued down and sanded smooth.

The launch lug spirals and plywood grain was filled with CWF.

The plywood standoffs are glued onto the tube using pencil marks made earlier.

The launch lug was about 1/16" longer than its standoff. It was trimmed to fit.

Here's the completed low end.

The lug and hold down dowel were glued onto the standoffs.

Centuri Skylab Build, #KB-4, Part 25, New Turbine Exhaust Tube

After lots of handling during the build, the exhaust tube broke loose.

There wasn't much glue holding it against the motor mount tube.

(The picture on the left shows the first black tube.) 

I cut a new one and filled the seam with CWF. It was sprayed black off the model.

For a better, wider glue bond against the inside motor tube - 

The side of the lug was pushed in to flatten and widen the gluing surface. It took a little coaxing with a fingernail to put a curve in the flattened side.

The lug was sprayed black off the model. The inside end was masked off for better glue adhesion.

Wood glue was used to set the lug against the tube on the inside.

I wadded up a paper towel to put pressure on the lug and position it at the right angle.

After the inside glue dried,

CA glue was applied with a toothpick leaving a hard, clear fillet.

TIP: Cut off just the very tip off the toothpick and round the new end with sandpaper. The wider, round tip will hold more glue for the transfer onto the model.

This second try had a cleaner color separation with it being painted black before gluing into the rear centering ring hole.

Estes Constellation Build Part 11, Odds & Ends

This lug standoff probably isn't needed, the payload section isn't wider than the low end tube.
This style of standoff goes back to when Estes sold it's "C Rail". The dowel standoff fits the C Rail launch rod.

TIP: A BT-50 tube reinforcement coupler was made out of a split piece of body tube. This was glued in place in the tail end, pushed in place with the engine mount.

I'm tired of BT-20 and BT-50 models crimping and buckling right above the fins. That's a weak point when the model touches down.

This coupler should strengthen that weak area that's prone to bending.
After the strengthening coupler was pushed into place the engine mount was quickly removed.

Another line of glue was applied with a dowel end and the mount slid into place. The rear centering ring is even with the back end of the main air frame tube.

To be sure the ring is flush, the last 1/2" was pressed in place with the flat side of my sanding block.

The rear ring was "sealed" with some medium thickness CA applied with a Q-tip.

This hardens the outside surface and can be smooth sanded with 400 grit.

Estes Star Stryker Build, #3206, Part 2, Parts Prep

 

Mentioned earlier, this build was already started.

The only thing done was the body tube seams and balsa got some CWF fill and sanding.

The pieces were stored in a small zip bag.

On the left side is the launch lug standoff.

There was a little bit of CWF inside the end of the launch lug.

To clear it, a sharpened dowel was turned in the end of the lug. Turn in the same direction as the tube spirals.

The lug ended up about 1/32" longer than the top surface of the standoff.

This was trimmed back using a single edge razor blade.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Arreauxbee-Hi, Part 8, Launch Lug Prep

The kit includes both rail guides and launch lugs. The square launch lugs are for a 1/4" diameter rod.

     

These are molded in black plastic. I wish they were molded in white. They will require a white undercoat for color coats later on.

There was some flashing that needed filing. 

I used a sanding block with 400 grit to square up the sides. 

This isn't a required step, I just wanted flat sides.

The lugs were set down on cardboard for white under coats.

The lugs will end up orange to better match the color on the main body tube.

Enerjet by Aerotech, Astrobee D Build, Part 12, Antennas & Launch Lugs

There are mold marks that should be filled.

Sand down the high spots, the low circular dips remain.

I mark the depressions with pencil

The flat back side needed a small bead of CA filler. 

The round depressions easily hold a small drop of CA glue. These CA bead fills take a while to dry. 

Here's what left of the pencil mark and dried CA after sanding with a block. The dimple is filled and the pencil won't be seen under the silver paint to come.

The square 1/4" launch lugs are molded in black plastic. 

I wish these were molded in white, they'd be easier to paint. 

The sides aren't perfectly flat, as some light sanding shows on the left. Sand flat with 400 grit on a block.