Estes Mercury Redstone #1921 Build, Part 7, Fins F

The fin plates will need a sharp knife to remove them from the laser cut sheet. Don't try to punch them out.

Sand the edges smooth removing the black soot.

To help prevent de-lamination, run some medium CA down the edges. Don't get any CA glue on the flat surfaces, just on the edge.

After it dries, smooth it out with some 400 grit.
For better glue adhesion, remove just the shine off the flat surfaces with 400 grit.

That dashed line down the center is a great idea. Not only does it help with alignment but it also makes "glue rivets".





Here's all the wood and card stock pieces - shaped, primed, sanded and ready to be glued together.







I slightly rounded the pull out plug card stock back around a glue stick case. Be careful, the piece will want to fold on the cut dashed line.
The shaped wood plug is also slightly rounded on it's bottom side.

Estes Mercury Redstone #1921 Build, Part 6, Fins E

The same sanding method was used on the four main laminated fins.
On the left, just the leading edge thickness is sanded first. I haven't sanded down to the masking tape yet, just concentrating on the leading edge.
The inset picture shows it sanded down to the tape edge. The full length of the taper is flat.






The tapered wedge shape came out sharp.
The remaining black on the leading edge was removed with 400 grit.

The instructions show the 1mm thick leading edge to be slightly rounded.

When sanding down CWF filler, use a block with 400 grit.
If you sand correctly, the filler will sharpen the taper edge even more.

If you aren't happy with the results, you may have rushed the fin shaping or didn't use a good sanding block. 
Get the right tools and take your time!
Nobody gets it right on the first, second or even third try. 
TIP: Practice on scrap balsa, not on the laser cut fins supplied with the kit.

Estes July Sale

I gave in! I'm weak!
Estes has extended their July 4th Sale, it's now "Christmas in July!"
CLICK HERE

I went through the sale pages and almost added two Cosmic Explorers - until I went and checked the build pile, I already had three of those!

Here's what I picked up - 
001351 - Cosmic Interceptor - Qty. 2 -  Subtotal $33.98
003024 - Phoenix Bird          - Qty. 2 -  Subtotal $12.38
003225 - Solar Warrior          - Qty. 2 -  Subtotal $12.98

TOTAL              $59.35

Reward Points - $6.00

Grand TOTAL  $53.34

An amazing deal, considering the six kits had a retail price of $189.94. (I know, I never pay retail either.) Throw in the few reward points, add free shipping and it was a no-brainer. It's a good thing I'm single.

Old Estes Building

On TRF, Steven asked:
I always wondered what happened to the building you saw in many of the catalogs. 
For those TRF posts, CLICK HERE

From the 1971 Estes catalog:

"The Estes plant now encompasses over forty buildings and is located on a 400 acre site."

Bernard Cawley posted this more recent screen capture from Google Earth:

It looks the same except the flagpole has been moved a little to the right or East.

I visited the Estes plant in 1972 with my Mother and Sister.
My Mom was delivering some of her pen and ink drawings to some high end galleries. We had planned a stop at Zion National Park, the Four Corners, the Royal Gorge and Estes.

If you were standing directly in front and looking at the building you would be facing North. The main building is that close to Highway 50. In person, it doesn't seem as large as the catalog pictures.
You can see the display rocket in the clump of bushes on the right. The light gray building directly behind that was a just completed warehouse. I don't remember it facing that direction. It also had some graphics on it. I heard a warehouse had burnt down, maybe the building in the picture was the replacement.

If I remember correctly you entered the tour waiting area from a door on either side, under the E S T E S name. The front building is two story, I was told Mr. Estes office was upstairs.
After the tour a Big Bertha was launched with a B6-4 at Cape Estes. Cape Estes and the store were located in the back right side of the "T" shaped main building.
On the side of the building there was a parking space reading: "This Space Reserved For Vern Estes".
In the back and to the North were the engine making machines, each one in a smaller block house. I remember being impressed by the lightning rods. If lightning was detected in the area, all engine manufacturing is shut down. These buildings were off in the distance, not close to the main buildings.

After taking the tour my Mom asked if Dane Boles was in. I had written a few letters and he had always responded. I was a little embarrassed not wanting to bother him, but my Mom knows how to schmooze.
He came out and we talked California rocketry regulations for a few minutes. My Mother added: "Well, we came all this way to visit Estes!" (Not true, but I kept silent.) Mr. Boles said: "Really, all that way? I'll be right back."
He came back a few minutes later with a new three pack Combo Kit of the new Mini Brutes, a boxed Citation Red Max and a Design Manual from the previous years NARAM. I had already spent some money at the Estes store and left that day with quite a rocketry haul!
I ran into Dane at NARAMs in 1975 and 1976.

After leaving the Estes we checked out the bustling city of Penrose. We drove up the road just to the right side of the main building. I was curious to see the Penrose Post Office that was built to handle the mail orders to Estes! If I had known better I would have kept an eye our for the farm house where Vern and family first lived. As I understand it was on the left side back by the engine making buildings.

Last year I called modelaerospace.com and asked about some older Quest products. I asked who I was talking with. (Always ask, you never know who picks up the phone.) It was Dane Boles! I wasn't aware this was his vendor store.
All these years later, I finally had the chance to thank him for taking the time and making that 1972 vacation memorable.

Estes Mercury Redstone #1921 Build, Part 5, Fins D

I couldn't see the pencil line at the 1/4" taper width so I set down some masking tape.
I don't always do this. It can help you to not sand over the high point.

The fin rudder squares will be shaped first.
Sand the top knife edge thickness (1mm) first. Just concentrate on the top edge width for now.

You won't get good results by running the fins over a sheet of sandpaper taped to your workbench. Use a sanding block with 220 grit for initial shaping.
Go slow. Sand a few passes and check, sand a few passes on the other side and check.
From the side, right now the taper almost looks rounded.

After the blackened leading edge is the right thickness, then work down to the masking tape at the 1/4" width. Still keep an eye on the black inked leading edge thickness.
Try to flatten the area between the sharp tip and the 1/4" width at the top of the masking tape reference.


Here's the shaped rudder piece.
The inset picture shows two pieces with the ink still on the leading edge.
The two on the right had the ink lightly sanded off with 400 grit.

Estes Mercury Redstone #1921 Build, Part 4, Fins C

I've explained a few times before how to sand sharp angles on scale fins.
On the Mercury Redstone, the leading edges are sanded to a wedge shape. To better see the "knife edge" thickness I like to blacken the leading edge. This gives a high contrast to the light beige balsa.

A permanent marker is used. But - you don't want the black ink to soak into the balsa. It would bleed through the paint coats.
Seal the edge to be marked with medium CA super glue. I buy mine at the Dollar Tree store.
Squeeze out a drop and pick some up on a Q-tip

Run the wet swab down the leading edge.
This seals the wood and will keep the ink from permeating too deep. It also strengthens the very thin sanded edge.

NEVER put CA glue down or near the root edge. Your white or yellow glue won't soak in.

Here's the top of two square fin rudders.
TIP: Think ahead! Which leading edge would you want at the top of a thin wedge shape?
Obviously the one on the right.

If the leading edge is too grainy, flip it over and run a CA coat on the closed grain side.

Here the CA'd leading edges get a quick pass with a permanent marker. A QUICK pass. You don't want too much ink to soak in.
The CA glue should keep the black ink on just the surface.

Don't worry, all the black ink will be sanded off in the end.

Transporting Bigger Rockets

While I deal with smaller, low power models, occasionally I have to transport something BIG.

I bought one of these neck rings if I ever needed to take a nap in my car.
I've found a second use for it.
A few years ago I had to take an Apogee Saturn V to the UPS Store to weigh in for estimated shipping charges. My home scale was too small.


The ring was placed around the body to lessen the chance of it rolling and protect the white body from the seat belts in the backseat of my car. It fit the 5 1/2" diameter body very well.
This ring has also been used for 4" diameter models.
Two rings (one at the front and one at the rear) would probably work best.

TIP: Before you buy a neck ring for rockets (or sleep), get one with stiff filler material. Some of them are so flimsy they offer no support at all.