Estes Asteroid Hunter #3224, Build , Part 2, Engine Mount

I was disappointed to find out the engine hook was not made of spring steel.

I usually bend them to see if it will spring back. This one didn't and was tossed.

I will use a spring steel replacement engine hook purchased from BMS.

Why replace a engine hook that bends? 

When sliding in an engine, a pot metal engine hook can bend out - and stay bent out. The next launch it bends even more to the point where it may not retain the engine at ejection.

Engine mount construction is pretty standard. 

I wanted to use a Kevlar line in place of the tri-fold mount.

This requires a notch to be cut into the upper centering ring, shown at the right.

There isn't much space between the BT-20 engine mount tube and the inside wall of the BT-50. A doubled knot could bulge the outside tube. A bump wouldn't be seen on the outside of this design. I wanted to show another way to tie the Kevlar without that bulky knot.

The Kevlar is wound around itself three or four times and pulled tight.

The notch in the upper ring is slipped over the Kevlar line. With the Kevlar line slid below the ring, apply a glue bead fillet at the joint. 

The Kevlar end is pulled and the loop slid into the glue fillet.

The loose tail is pressed into the glue. Sometimes it's easier to use less glue to hold down the Kevlar end.

On the right you can see the twisted Kevlar wrap set into the glue. After the first line of glue has dried, another fillet is applied and the excess wiped off.