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.

Estes Sandpiper, Kit #1389, Part 5, Filling The Balsa & 3D Nose Cone

After brushing on CWF and sanding smooth, 

thin strips of masking tape were set on all the edges that were to get glue.

The fins and "wings" were taped down to scrap cardboard for a filler/primer spray.

After drying, the filler/primer was sanded to surface filling any remaining grain line.

Here's the tail cone - 

The tube seams and tube/tail cone joint got a line of CWF and sanding.

Filler/primer spray followed.

Here's the tail cone and low end of the body tube.

That black line at the joint isn't a gap, it's the printed cut line of the shroud border.

The plastic ridges on the 3d nose cone were initially sanded with 320, then 400 grit. This removed most of the print ridges. 

This shows the nose cone after the filler/primer was sanded. There are still some shallow ridges. It'll take another shot of filler/primer and more sanding to get it smooth.   

I have a GOOOOOOD Dog!

One thing I did think about before getting a dog was kit production. I knew I'd have to be extra careful not to drop small parts on the floor. 

I never give Dakota paper towel or toilet paper tubes to chew on. I wouldn't want to "train" her it's okay to gnaw on a body tube.

I just finished some big vendor orders. There were plenty of bagged kits on the living room floor. Dakota didn't go near them.

A few days back I was checking emails on my desktop computer. Dakota walked up and nudged my leg. In her mouth was a short length of body tube. She dropped it on the floor - no bends, no teeth marks!

I have a GOOOOOOD Dog!

Estes Sandpiper, Kit #1389, Part 4, Cutting Out The Fins

These kids have it too easy! 

In 1970, we had to hand cut 36 pieces of balsa to assemble an Orbital Transport!

If you ever have to cut balsa from a cardstock template, be sure your (sharp) blade is at a 90 degree angle to the balsa sheet. The illustration is from the yellow pages in the 1971 Estes catalog.

 

Here's the four smaller fins being gang sanded using 220 grit on a block.

After gang sanding - 

Check the corners being sure everything is even and square.

The root edges of the wings were glued together on a sheet of glass.

Weights were set on the top while the glue dried.

Estes Sandpiper, Kit #1389, Part 3, Tail Cone

Payloadbay.com is down right now, that's usually my source for cardstock reducers and tail cones.

I did my best to size the kit pattern sheet (CLICK HERE) but there was no 1" reference in the image.

Crossing my fingers, I test fitted the shroud dry and marked the overlap line. In the picture, I'm burnishing down the glue tab. 

I'm using a heavy wall BT-50 and a standard BT-20 engine mount tube.

This will require some fitting, the heavy wall BT-50 has a slightly larger diameter over a standard BT-50.

The engine mount was glued in place with the lower centering ring extended out the back, about 1/16". This picture shows the assembly upside down.

To fit the imperfect shroud, I had to use some paper wraps. Two 20 lb. copy paper strips gave a good friction fit.

Light glue was applied and the shroud slipped in place.

Before the glue sets up, you can do some "molding" of the still wet shroud edges. I'm using the smooth barrel of a Sharpie pen to press the shroud edge against the body tubes.