I know most builders want to dig right in and assemble the model - then think about filling the body tube seams. With all the wraps and tunnels on the tubes, filling the spirals is difficult. You'll find it is easier and you'll get a better finish if you take care of the spirals and prep some parts before gluing them on the model.
The exposed body tubes will still get a fairly heavy coat of Duplicolor Filler/Primer and sanding a little later on - before the wraps and tunnels are put on the model.
TIP: Bamboo skewers are handy to have for tasks like this.
Set a ring of glue around the very end of the stick. Place in the tube (don't touch the sides) and roll the glue at the 3 1/4" mark. This will take a few applications to get a bead of glue all the way around the inside.
Use the yellow tube to set the engine block as shown in the direction.
TIP: Slide the ring tube in place (no glue yet) down to the 1" pencil line. Apply fillets on both sides of the retainer ring. Applying the glue afterward lets you position the ring without the risk it might freeze up in the wrong place. Those glue fillets on either side will be very strong.
TIP: On all laser cut card stock - Wipe off the edges with a paper towel to remove the burnt ash. Your final build will be much cleaner. That black ash can get everywhere.
The fit of the centering rings is tight on the BT-50 engine mount tube. Do a few turns (sand once and check the fit) with 220 grit to open the center hole a bit.
TIP: When gluing the centering rings, I checked their alignment using my 2" Machine Square. This insures the rings are at a 90 degree angle to the engine mount tube.
Assembly time so far:
:40 minutes previous
1:00 hour this post
1:40 total
Chris, Thanks again for posting another great build!
ReplyDeleteFor the engine mount, instead of the engine hooks, I have been using the plastic engine retainers (for the new Saturn V, I used Estes 24mm retainers, part #9751).
For anyone trying that with this kit, though, you need to set the back retaining ring more forward on the engine tube to give you some room to place the plastic retainer. If you use the measurement in the instructions for the ring placement (1/4") it will be too short. I placed the ring at about 3/4" and it worked well.
Weirdly, the retainer ring did not fit well on the tube - it was slightly too small, so I used a spent engine casing in in the tube to keep the retainer ring centered while the epoxy set. If anyone uses this technique, I do recommend gluing the retainer ring on before they install the engine mount assembly because it ends up being pretty far up in the body tube when you are done.
Hi Eric,
DeleteI have used the Estes retainers before. These Saturn Vs are being built for Estes so I kept to the instructions.
Estes will be using their new 18mm retainers on upcoming new kits.