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

• #580 by roma847 on 28 Aug, 2014 22:43
• Hello friends,
  
  last week, my PC has passed after 9 years faithful service, so I had to do something to get back to be able to act. But my son has built me a great new machine.
  
  Well, these little ROFI details are really tricky, but if you can't make it, you have to bite the teeth together and come up with something.
  
  Therefore, first here's a picture to illustrate the dimensions of the ROFIs to be scratch built.
  
  Left side you see a first attempt for the simple ROFI at the front with a ferrule, as I have already used for the MLP lampshades. The sleeve has an outer diameter of 1.6 mm, which could still accept. And therein is  inserted no tube, but a 0.5 mm brass wire, but what you probably already could hardly distinguish.
  
  
  
  And right beside it is a squeezed to about 1.5 mm plastic tubes (Ø 2.5 mm), which although again widens a little, but about the shape of the rear double-ROFIs results.
  Maybe the shape is more successful if you heated the tube prior to compression, but maybe there is also another solution.
  
  Now a little insight into the necessary preparations before I can start scratching, because for that I need the dimensions of the individual components without which otherwise nothing happens.
  
  I will start with the Double-ROFI on the back of the LOX-TSM, which you can see in this picture.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  I've now looked more closely at the monitor and identified the main dimensions (mm), and I have chosen the width of the service box from my TSM with 4.3 mm (Purple) as a reference. But unfortunately you can only difficulty recognizing themselves in the higher resolution.
  
  
  
  Red are the required dimensions and spacings of parts, and green is the most important mounting dimensions for the two feed pipes and the holder.
  
  But so be it, the image should also give just a glimpse of how hard it is, before you can get started at all, apart from the dimensions altogether.
  
  On my monitor I can see the numbers well, and therefore it can now actually go. And luckily the front ROFI will then be something easier to build ...
  
  
• #581 by Ronpur50 on 29 Aug, 2014 02:41
• Wow, Good Luck with those!  That will be a big challenge, but I have no doubt you can do it!
• #582 by RichO on 29 Aug, 2014 16:46
•   I knew that you would find an item around the house to build the ROFI's with! Nice job. Tom was right, we're getting to anal with the measurments. I hope that installing these under the ladders is not to hard to do for you, but it will just add to the outstanding detail! Keep up with the great show.
• #583 by roma847 on 29 Aug, 2014 17:59
• Thanks Ron for your nice words and your confidence, I will do my best and have already some ideas.
  
  Thanks Rich, you know me and my slogan, Nothing is impossible.
  
  BTW, Tom can speak well, he could build everything twice as big as me.
  
  
• #584 by roma847 on 30 Aug, 2014 22:29
• Hi friends,
  
  now I will continue with the rear Double-ROFI on the LOX-TSM, of which I have a very nice direct shot here, of which I have picked me further dimensions for the selection of suitable parts, so inter alia the diameters of the inner tubes and the casing.
  The ROFIs are identical on both TSMs, which you can convince yourself, by scroll once around in the panoramic shot.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  Here are some parts to be seen, which might also be considered for the ROFIs, such as ferrules, brass wire and U-profiles.
  
  
  
  For the casing of the double-ROFIs I then tried it out a few variants. In my estimation this should be about 1.5 mm high, 2.2 mm wide and 2 mm deep. The two inner tubes could be made from brass wires (Ø 0.5 mm).
  
  In the first attempt I have a strip of aluminum foil 7.0x2.0x0.1 mm gradually rolled in my bending tool.
  
  
  
  
  
  Here you still have to stick the sleeve together below. 
  
  
  
  Here, this sleeve is trial basis placed on the TSM, but it is still a bit too wide through the adhesive seam. 
  
  
  
  In the second attempt, I have an aluminum tube (Ø 2.0 mm) gently compressed to 1.5 mm, which looks relatively well in shape and the solution comes closer. Now you would have them only to separate a 2 mm long piece.
  
  
  
  Here is another attempt with a paper strip but a bit too wide and probably more likely to retire.
  
  
  
  And here are the aluminum tube with inserted brass wires (Ø 0.5 mm) for the two inner tubes, what my expectations quite close to that.
  
  
  
  And finally, another attempt with a ferrule (2.1 mm diameter), which was a 2 mm long piece separated and compressed to 1.5 mm. And this variant I will now probably take, because the sleeve is a little more thin-walled.
  
  
  
  That's it for today with the experiments, and tomorrow then follow the bent pipes and the bracket.
  
  
• #585 by roma847 on 01 Sep, 2014 22:53
• Hi Guys,
  
  and the construction of the rear LOX-ROFI I will now continue, the installation can be seen in this picture here very nice. This protrudes due to its double version substantially further outwards than the front ROFI and is directed slightly inwards, while the holder is perpendicular to the box.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  After careful consideration of these views, I have realized more and more, that I must perform the installation in two steps. 
  First I have to install the bracket to the base plate and the "double tube" with the inner tubes directly on the front edge of the box with the angled bracket sits a bit under the ladder. And in the second step, I can then install from the other side, the two bent pipes which run beneath the ladder and attached to the service box, as you can see here again.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  For the holder I initially wanted to use a U-beam, which can be seen in the following image, either a piece of Evergreen profile 1,0x1,5 mm or a self-built profile 1,5x1,5 mm with slightly higher sides because the ROFI must continue to protrude outward. In addition, the housing is located on a pattern of the base plate of paper.
  
  
  
  For the manufacture of the pipes I have now drawn their position in this template from the Paper Kit,
  
  
  
  then bent them from brass wire (0.5 mm),
  
  
  
  and tried temporarily together with the sleeve, but even without the base plate.
  
  
  
  
  
  And it seems also so far already times completely good to fit.
  
  
  
  And here I've tested with my pattern, the position of the holder that sits on the box next to a support bracket.
  
  
  
  The place is already times right, but the final shape and the seat I have to think again and test in conjunction with the sleeve.
  
  That's why I started to build the front half with the holder and drawn the base plate to 0.3 mm sheet on which the double pipe stands with the two inner tubes, initially everything again on a trial basis.
  
  
  
  If the holder will then be mounted, I can make the fitting on the box and see if or how well fit the part.
  
  
• #586 by RichO on 01 Sep, 2014 23:38
•   The master bender hard at work! This looks good, and of course more details. Great job!
• #587 by roma847 on 05 Sep, 2014 14:29
• Thanks Rich for the nice words.
  
  Hello together,
  
  today I have taken the holder up again in more detail, I will now scratchbuild from individual parts, because the Evergreen U-profile does not match yet so right.
  
  First of all I want to try building from paper, and this is the blank of the tiny holder, for which I have used the lower sketch.
  
  
  
  Here it is cut, and next to the double tube sleeve on the base plate. Below is an evergreen strip 1,0x0,3 mm, which I will use as a base in the final plastic holder. For the sides I suppose then also 0.3 mm sheet.
  
  
  
  Then I folded the holder and glued to the base plate with the sleeve, which is seen here from the front,
  
  
  
  
  
  and here from behind.
  
  
  
  As I said, that's all for now only provisionally, to see whether and how the size fits.
  
  And here I have put the ROFI to the TSM, and I must say, so similar could fit that already.
  
  
  
  
  
  Or what do you think?
  
  
• #588 by RichO on 06 Sep, 2014 16:02
• Hey Manfred,
  
    It's kinda hard to tell from the photo, but this looks to be slightly oversized. This could be from the angle of the photo, not sure tho. Mabe a photo with the brace with the piping attached. I do like the look of the found material and the spray knozzels together. very nice craftsmanship!
• #589 by roma847 on 06 Sep, 2014 16:52
• Hello Rich,
  
  yeah, you have good eagle eyes, but that's just the prototype of the rear ROFI.
  
  Meanwhile, I have the dimensions specified something else, thereby the sleeve becomes slightly shorter, and the final sheet construction will make the holder something of filigree. And for the pipes I'll use 0.4 mm copper wire instead of 0.5 mm brass wire. Then the ROFI will certainly better fit for the TSM design.
  
  
• #590 by roma847 on 11 Sep, 2014 15:14
• Hi folks,
  
  now I know a little bit more abaout the ROFI details.
  
  During detailed definition of the dimensions I unexpectedly found still new close-ups from a different perspective on which I could detect and measure the ROFI details more clearly. 
  
  It has struck me suddenly that the holders of the rear and front ROFIs distinguish. While the rear holder has a U-shaped construction, which I was not previously aware,
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  can be seen at the front holder that this only has a slanted stiffening up, and down is open. Without this knowledge I had built this holder U-shaped too.   
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  Here are now the new parts for the ROFIs, in the middle 0.5 mm brass wire (gray) and 0.4 mm copper wire.
  
  
  
  Above are the parts for the rear double-ROFIs and in front that for the front simple ROFIs. For the holders I take 0.2 mm sheet, and for the sleeves I use ferrules, Ø 2 mm (rear) and 1.5 mm (front).
  
  Now I just have to shorten the sleeves and flatten slightly the rear ROFIs, followed by the assembly, which I'm very excited. 
  
  
• #591 by roma847 on 15 Sep, 2014 15:38
• Hello together,
  
  let's go on with the next update. First, I have separated the sleeves (1.8 mm) with the Dremel cutting disc, which I've left a few tenths as a precaution supernatant. For cutting I have kept the ferrules on both sides with toothpicks and slowly brought up to the cutting disc. Although I am going again proceeded with extreme caution, the first sleeve piece is flown away shortly before cutting, never to return, what could possibly have been due to low speed. In the second experiment with a much higher speed it worked well even better.
  
  
  
  After I had filed down the supernatant to 1.8 mm, I have compressed the sleeve together with toothpick in the sliding gauge with a lot of feeling to 1.5 mm, which is apparently the best way to avoid kinking of the sleeve. Under the sleeve is already the base plate, the shape of which I modified according to the original.
  
  
  
  And the size and shape of the sleeve fit quite well to the base plate.
  
  
  
  For gluing the tiny side parts of the holder to the center bar I had to borrow again the headset magnifier of my nice secretary.
  
  
  
  And nevertheless I had some problems here, because these particles let keep hardly in tweezers or fix, so they can easily slip and had to be corrected several times. 
   
  
  
  Because I was not really happy with the result but I was thinking that it would be better if I did not clipping the the center bar to the final length, but leave a little longer and fix with tape, whereby the side parts should be positioned easier and especially more accurately. No sooner said than done!
  
  
  
  
  
  And that worked actually better,
  
  
  
  so I was able to adjust the base plate and then glue.
  
  
  
  
  
  In this form, the holder can also be handled much easier, as here at the fitting on the LOX-TSM. And also during painting the longer center bar is very practical as a holder.
  
  
  
  Then arrived just in time the ordered brass tube Ø of 0.5 mm for the inner ROFI tubes, whose optics I've tried the same times as compared to the brass wire (0.5 mm), as you can see here.
  
  
  
  Although this is only a tiny detail that will probably barely recognizable at the model later, but it corresponds to the real thing much better than the wire.
  
  
• #592 by Ronpur50 on 15 Sep, 2014 17:54
• Awesome!  I was just about to ask if you had a magnifier rig to see what you are working on, or was your eyesight still that good. Now I see your secretary wearing them! 
• #593 by roma847 on 15 Sep, 2014 21:48
• Thanks Ron, 
  yep, for such a tiny stuff my old eyes need this magnifier. 
  
  
• #594 by roma847 on 16 Sep, 2014 12:33
• Hello folks,
  
  and this madness could also be topped and would even remain in scale.
  
  As you can see in the picture, from the inner tubes are running still thin wires, I suspect ignition electrodes of the spark generator, or something like that.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  I have now made ​​my fun and estimated its diameter. If I take the diameter of the inner tube with 0.5 mm as reference, the wire diameter should be around 0.08 mm. And introduce yourself, I've actually found in the thinnest litz wire (0.6 mm) I have, a very thin copper wire of this diameter, hard to believe, but true !!!
  
  Such a small wire I threaded into the tube (0.5 mm) and the sleeve only slipped provisionally around, ignoring the concentricity of the tube in the sleeve. And this pic came out here.
  
  
  
  Although the autofocus of my digicam in this macro shot in artificial light so had its problems, one can perhaps see the little wire in the inner tube, I hope.
  
  
• #595 by RichO on 16 Sep, 2014 20:40
• YOU'RE MAD MANFRED!!
• #596 by roma847 on 16 Sep, 2014 23:16
• Maybe you're right, but are not all modeler a little bit mad?
  
  
• #597 by Ronpur50 on 17 Sep, 2014 02:20
• Quote from: roma847 on 16 Sep, 2014 23:16

  Maybe you're right, but are not all modeler a little bit mad?
  
  
  

  
  One look around my house, and I would have to say...yes!!!
• #598 by roma847 on 19 Sep, 2014 20:41
• Thanks Ron,
  
  well at least one agrees with me, because I'm fortunately not the only crazy guy here.
  
  
• #599 by roma847 on 19 Sep, 2014 21:39
• Hello together,
  
  so now I have to go to the sleeves and the small tubes, and later perhaps also to the little wires in these tubes, of which here already one (0.08 mm) is threaded in the right tube, actually, but probably hard to see, right? 
  
  
  
  Next, the sleeve was glued with CA on the base plate, which appears oversized from this near anything, so do not be fooled.
  
  
  
  And here's the fitting on the LOX-TSM.
  
  
  
  
  
  So far, so good. But before I now insert the mini-tubes, I started with the holder of the LH2-TSM. To fix the center bar this time I have taken a mini-magnet which is more practical than a tape-strip.
  
  
  
  And this works really great,
  
  
  
  and nothing can slip more!
  
  
  
  For sticking the sleeve also one needs firm support, so therefore in the vise, but be careful!
  
  
  
  
  
  And in this position, I now have glued the two tube-stubs (Ø 0.5 mm, 2.3 mm) with CA and of course put the magnifying glass.
  
  
  
  And so the ROFI looks initially at the LH2 TSM, here without the little wires, but so far pretty good.
  
  
  
  
  
  And already at this distance, you can see that one can hardly recognize something from the small tubes, and later of the little wires certainly even less ...
  
  
  
  But the heck with it! In close range you already can recognize and that's enough for a quiet conscience.