Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)

• #540 by Davp99 on 16 Jul, 2014 18:11
• Fantastic !!  You really have a Championship team....Cheers 
• #541 by roma847 on 16 Jul, 2014 23:12
• Hello Rich,
  
  thank you again for your congratulations, that's right, we are very proud of our World Cup win!
  Now we have compensated with the Italians, where we dine quite often. So far, they could always brag to have a star more than we Germans. Now we also have four stars and they are very quiet, but have our success recognized.
  
  Thanks Dave for your nice words,
  
  yep our team and our coach were very smart and finally successful, but also sometimes had the necessary portion of fortune, but fortune favors the brave.
  In this sense ...
  
  
• #542 by roma847 on 20 Jul, 2014 16:32
• Hello all together,
  
  yep, hard to believe but there is actually also a life after the awesome World Cup, and therefore it should now go on totally relaxed, especially since nobody can take away from us the 4th star.
  
  And so now to the final countdown with the TSM ladders on the service-flap boxes, at which I am afraid that their assembly probably could be a little tricky because of the different lengths of the support brackets.
  
  Here you can see both TSMs with on-hook ladders, and if you look closely, perhaps can be seen that the ladder on the right TSM is longer than the left, and this has its good reason. 
  
  
  
  How fortunate that I have again looked at the original photos exactly, because the four PE ladders for the boxes I had already cut, and indeed all of the same length, and I've been always emanated from this image here.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  As can be seen on the ladders extend on the rear of the TSMs approximately over the length of the boxes, since the pipes of the SSWS run underneath.
  But on the TSM front the ladders extend up to just above the SSME Blast Shield and are thus a bit longer, which I only now became really clear.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  Just as well that I have compared again and was able to correct. 
  
  Next, I've made two sketches with the positions of the base points of the support brackets for the front side (left) and back side (right),
  
  
  
  and thus created transparent templates for puncturing the holes for the base points.
  
  
  
  With the the template for the front side then I punched out the two outer base points and located it with pins.
  
  
  
  Then I've punched out the remaining four holes on the box.
  
  
  
  But now came the more complicated part of the exercise, the puncturing of the holes behind the box.  In order to avoid any possible shift of the template, I have first fastened it in the holes on the box with acupuncture needles (0.2 mm). Then I've gently punctured the holes behind the box.
  
  
  
  Then I trial basis plugged into the first support bracket, which can be seen here with the spacer,
  
  
  
   and here now freestanding.
  
  
  
  Well, that was actually a pretty tricky business, but all in all quite feasible.  Long enough I had fiddled at the solution, now I have to repeat the same act "only"  three more times ...
  
  
• #543 by RichO on 21 Jul, 2014 18:42
• Nice detail shots of the ladder construction. I like the acupuncture photo. I "feel" for you tho, having to build the long leg/short leg ladder supports. That can't be easy. Hang in there ladder man.
• #544 by roma847 on 21 Jul, 2014 20:56
• Thanks Rich for for your compassion, you as Fan Man can appreciate the best.
  
  These tiny ladder details put my patience to a hard test,  
  
  and therefore it's better to hang in then to give up ...
  
  
• #545 by roma847 on 23 Jul, 2014 15:16
• Hi folks,
  
  it still goes on with the ladders, on and on ...
  
  Today, I have now tried on the remaining 5 support brackets on the front, but I can tell you, my nerves are slowly bare.
  
  As has been found out quickly, the holes punctured with the 0.2 mm diameter acupuncture needles were too small for the insertion of the 0.2 mm support brackets, so funny as that may sound. But there is just not enough clearance for moving the longer and the shorter bracket leg into it.
  
  On the one hand, on the other hand I also had to find that the holes were not punctured deep enough so that the brackets could not be pushed far enough up on the spacer (1 mm), and have been partially bent.
  
  That's why I then used a steel wire (0.3 mm) and punctured the holes a little bit deeper into the balsa core, after which the insertion of the brackets was a little easier. But still you have to be extremely careful here that you do not bend those thin things.
  
  
  
  You need just for everything only a certain amount of practice, but as soon as I luckily give not up.   
  
  
  
  And in the end I still have placed the ladder in order to get an overall impression. And ever seen but not bad, right? 
  
  
  
  But, all this was only just dry firing,   the sticking of the supports and of the ladders with CA glue after painting then certainly becomes the highlight, before I shudder to think already now ...
  
  But since I have to go through, no matter what the cost ...
  
  
• #546 by RichO on 25 Jul, 2014 17:14
• MANFRED,
  
    The dry fiting of the TSM ladders is looking super. Now off to the paint dept. and all will be well.
  BTW: You should know that a modelers sanity is the first thing to go.
• #547 by Davp99 on 25 Jul, 2014 21:03
• Manfred, You are the " Man " 
• #548 by roma847 on 25 Jul, 2014 22:23
• Thanks Rich and Dave for your nice comments.
  
  That's right, now it's time to look at the paint shop to make sure if the guys are ready for the next major order and have enough color, I hope so.
  
  
• #549 by roma847 on 26 Jul, 2014 17:11
• Hello together,
  
  above each ladder on the boxes, there are still these additional 4 rungs here, making a total of 16. And these rungs I'll still need to install before mounting the ladders, as long as I can lay down the boxes on the balsa block. Because if they are then attached only once, nothing more is with touch or lay down.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  Also for these rungs I made myself a little template for puncturing the holes, because as from the cupped hand is nothing at 2 mm sprouts width and 2 mm spacing.
  
  
  
  And then I have bent the 16 rungs from 0.2 mm brass wire.
  
  
  
  Then came the tricky application of the template and puncturing the holes, but this time all in the smallest space. As you come quite nicely into trouble with the needles, as you can see.
  
  
  
  And here are the first four rungs are trial basis inserted.
  
  
  
  Dealing with these tiny rungs in the tweezers is somewhat arduous, and before you know it, a rung is sometimes disappeared never to be seen again, but with the necessary calm and patience that's still doable.
  
  As far as short for today, then all a great weekend!
  
  
• #550 by RichO on 27 Jul, 2014 17:00
• The ladder rungs are lookin' great! Have a nice weekend.
• #551 by roma847 on 27 Jul, 2014 21:50
• Thanks Rich,
  
  yep, you're right, only small but nice details.
  
  Have a good start tomorrow.
  
  
• #552 by roma847 on 30 Jul, 2014 22:33
• Hi there,
  
  now also the back of the LOX TSM got adapted the four upper rungs.
  
  
  
  That's it for today.
  
  I'm today namely stumbled upon picture material from the first shuttle years (1981-85), which I did not know, and had naturally to spot and then back up what even so takes time.
  
  
• #553 by roma847 on 01 Aug, 2014 14:25
• Hello friends,
  
  on the merry acupuncture! Caution, today it's really going under the skin! There are missing still a lot of holes for the support brackets and rungs to the TSMs, and since only help acupuncture needles and a steady hand!
  
  Since these fine needles (Ø 0.15 mm) can bend it very easily when puncturing the holes, it is advisable to puncture first with a slightly thicker needle (Ø 0.25 mm) in a solid holder, and then the applied transparent template with the acupuncture needles to fix hole for hole. With the stiffer needle in the holder succeeds much better, especially the holes behind the box perpendicular puncture down and not obliquely to put what is important for uniform spacing of the rungs-foot points.
  
  
  
  On the front of the LH2 TSM I had started this ordeal, and therefore it was now with the acupuncture fresh and lively on the back on a total of 12 needles for the 6 support brackets of the ladder.
  
  
  
  And here's the same procedure on the front of the LOX TSM, but the differences presumably probably will not notice,
  
  
  
  and here on the back.
  
  
  
  It is important to sufficiently deep redo the holes, in order to later facilitate the insertion of the support brackets, here on the front of the LOX TSM,
  
  
  
  and here on the back.
  
  
  
  I know that these images are quite confusing and your patience have put to a severe test.
  
  But that's still not enough, now there are the holes for the missing rungs on the LH2 TSM, both on the front,
  
  
  
  and on the back.
  
  
  
  So, folks, I hope that it doesn't tweak somewhere under your skin, but it's now the end of the acupuncture spook, and if I have not miscounted, that was a total of 52 holes.
  
  Okay, I would have you also can save all and should present only the fully assembled ladders, but then you would have escaped some of my stress and strains.
  
  BTW,  I now have during posting itself must be careful to not confound the images because of the many needles ... 
  
  
• #554 by RichO on 01 Aug, 2014 17:56
• 
  OH MANFRED!  The things we do for our craft!!  A lot of holes, a lot of needles, fronts,backs,..it makes my brain hurt sometimes. You are doing an amazing job with this build my friend, just keep building and sharing the photos. We want to see it all!
  
• #555 by roma847 on 01 Aug, 2014 23:19
• Thanks Rich for your kind words.
  Yep, this is really a nice but crazy stuff with which we spend our free time.
  
  
• #556 by Bubbinski on 02 Aug, 2014 02:48
• Wow that is finely detailed work!  Keep at it!
  
  
• #557 by roma847 on 02 Aug, 2014 16:37
• Thanks for your nice words, I'll try to keep this level.
  
  
• #558 by roma847 on 02 Aug, 2014 17:28
• Hi there,
  
  after all the holes for the support brackets of the ladders and rungs were punctured, today I wanted to glue the rungs final. First, I have bent the remaining rungs of the LH2 TSM,
  
  
  
  and subsequently inserted. As the spacer, this time I have used a profile 0,75x0,75 mm, because these rungs sit slightly lower than the ladders.
  
  
  
  After all the rungs were fixed at the same height, I have removed the spacer,
  
  
  
  and the rungs dabbed at the base points with CA droplets and glued it.
  
  
  
  So everything was now ready for the lacquering of the rungs.
  
  
  
  Then I picked out my finest brush and carefully painted the rungs with freshly diluted paint. This went relatively well, although I had to aim at the feet of the rungs very closely with the brush tip to paint not the surrounding area. For this job I needed again the headset magnifier and a sensitive and quiet hand.
  
  
  
  But with the result as far as I can be quite happy, I think so.
  
  
  
  And thus a small step is done again and I can now move on to painting the ladders, what I will do, however, with airbrush, because the brushing of perceived 1000 sprouts I will not expect me really. 
  
  In this sense you all a great weekend, see you soon.
  
  
• #559 by RichO on 04 Aug, 2014 17:38
• Anxious to see how the Paint Dept. dose with the ladders. Not to worry tho, they will turn out great. I was thinking that you have been building these TSM's for pages now, and maybe almost finished? No matter tho, they are turnning out beautifull.