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

• #980 by roma847 on 04 Jul, 2016 05:53
• Hello together,
  
  since the prototype anyway already is under the weather and does not come into consideration for the final assembly, I have experimented with him anyway and tried the subsequent bending of the transition to the ring line, in the hope that he would survive it. The bending is therefore not easy, because it has to start behind the flat bow directly what makes the clamping somewhat difficult.  But two pins have been given sufficient support.
  
  
  
  And then I have gently fired up this bending point and slowly bent down the rod at the onset of softening what went but easier than I thought. 
  
  
  
  And since has withstood the adhesive point,
  
  
  
  And since the adhesive point has withstood, I could also take measurements up at the ring line to remove the rest.
  
  
  
  
  
  And here is the result.
  
  
  
  
  
  So only was missing the test on site.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This looks already quite usable for the moment, but the vertical part does not align against the shaft wall, but protrudes a bit too far at the top. The reason is that the flattened part of the bow is still a bit too long, what I had already suspected,
  
  
  
  which is why a little fine-tuning is necessary there. 
  
  
• #981 by leeg on 04 Jul, 2016 11:59
• Finally got back into the forum, had issues with password and had to get with Chris for password reset.  Said something about when you request a forgotten password it goes into the SPAM folder.
  To answer your question, Manfred, yes I have pictures of my progress of the launch platform. Any specific views you want to see, don't want to clutter up this Forum with my pictures.  If you have a specific email, i can send them.
  
  Greg
• #982 by roma847 on 04 Jul, 2016 15:00
• Hello Greg,
  
  why you don't want to show your pictures in an own thread? Here in NSF Forum is the ideal place, where everybody can also watch them.
  Come on and let us all participate.
  
  
• #983 by leeg on 05 Jul, 2016 13:40
• Just a couple of pictures to let you know the progress.  Bought the Airfix 1/144 shuttle because it had more detail within it and the parts fit together better. Used Warbirds decal set to get the tile detail.
  
  Greg

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• #984 by Davp99 on 05 Jul, 2016 15:39
• Leeg, I agree with Manfred, start your own Thread with your Build, are you modeling it after a Certain Launch ?
  
  I am sure Many would Like to Watch your Progress...I for one...Dave
• #985 by roma847 on 05 Jul, 2016 15:57
• Hello Greg,
  I fully agree with Dave, come up with your own thread therewith we all can enjoy your progress.
  
  Pluck up your courage!
  
  
• #986 by Ronpur50 on 05 Jul, 2016 17:48
• Yes, more threads with awesome launch pad builds please!
• #987 by leeg on 06 Jul, 2016 22:10
• Added Forum topic , Shuttle launch pad build using notes from build "...39A with challenger STS6" to the same forum this build is in.  Thanks for your input and comments.  A timeline of the progress to follow.
  
  Greg
• #988 by roma847 on 06 Jul, 2016 22:23
• Hi Greg,
  there we go, we are all very curious, much success and a lot of fun!
  
  
• #989 by roma847 on 09 Jul, 2016 13:59
• Hello everybody,
  
  quickly back into the pipe pleasure with the modified Balsa template whose upper flat bow is still somewhat narrower.
  
  Important for the next 45° bending is at first the fixation of this slant and the separate extension of the abutment face, as these short pieces otherwise don't stay straight, but would rather become rounded.   
  
  
  
  To avoid this also during the following bending, even this small flat bow must be specially fastened previously. 
  
  
  
  And after bending I have preventively heated one more time in the clamped state.
  
  
  
  After that all sides should fit closely on the template. 
  
  
  
  
  After that follows the last one, but at once the most difficult bending of the transition to the ring line around a relatively tight radius, because an exact positioning of the rounding template is important, but this is more or less a matter of feeling. 
  
  
  
  And this is the result.
  
  
  
  Now the test must show whether or how well the outlet fits. And that now looks total already better than before. The upper bow is flatter and lies slightly lower than that of the forward 18''/12'' outlet,
  
  
  
  and the support still has some space to get closer. 
  
  
  
  Meanwhile, the front outlet has been slipped down a bit, because the Pattex power subsides, be that as it may! 
  
  
  
  So much for today.
  
  
• #990 by Davp99 on 09 Jul, 2016 18:04
• Just a quick note to say Sorry about Germany getting beat by France..that's Sports 
• #991 by roma847 on 09 Jul, 2016 20:51
• Hey Dave and fellow sufferers,
  
  thanks for your compassion.
  
  Well, all fingers crossed unfortunately have not helped, first we had no luck, and then still came also bad luck.
  
  No matter, that can't be helped, therefore wipe down the mouth and with renewed vigor up to the World Cup 2018 in Russia, then we will show everyone who is the world champion.
• #992 by roma847 on 10 Jul, 2016 23:04
• Hello everyone,
  
  today for a change I have bent the missing second 24'' ring line (Ø 4,0 mm). While the thin 12'' outlets (Ø 2,0 mm) soften relatively quickly, this thicker rod must be reheated a little longer before one can bend it easily.
  
  
  
  Otherwise it was the same procedure again, as you can see, whereas the roundings this time even have become better than at the first ring line, this makes the exercise.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  And this is the next test, this time again with the Rainbirds, to round out the picture,
  
  
  
  and here without the annoying placeholders.
  
  
  
  
  
  And so the upper deck is slowly filled by the SSWS, what looks  .
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  And finally still a total view from the front.
  
  
  
  That's it for today.
  
  
• #993 by saturnapollo on 10 Jul, 2016 23:08
• Sorry, but I've run out of superlatives for this build !!!
  
  Keith
• #994 by roma847 on 10 Jul, 2016 23:27
• Thanks Keith for watching, I am pleased if you like it.
  
  Stay tuned!
  
  
• #995 by roma847 on 15 Jul, 2016 11:11
• Hello everyone,
  
  Today I want to come back to the 18'' outlets, which indeed still have no outlet openings. And also lacking even the little supports with which they are attached to the SRB supports.
  
  That are these small metal sheets here,
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  and then these here below the SRB-supports immediately above the outlet openings.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  While the supports in the first image are simple square Styrene plates (2.5 mm x 2.5 mm x 0.3 mm), the lower supports have a trapezoidal shape because they sit on  the slant of the SRB supports and on the flattened outlet openings. And this results in two little problems, one being the difficulty of determining their dimensions, and closely connected their mounting on the outlet openings below the support slants. 
  
  For the dimensions this image was relatively well suited. It can be seen that the outlet opening and the trapezoidal sheet ranges up to about the middle of the SRB support.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  Accordingly the size of the support is about 3.7 / 2.5 mm x 3.7 mm x 0.3 mm.
  
  For the adaptation and assembly of these supports at the outlets, I have modified  my previous mounting template for the tapered 18''/12'' outlets to the following Balsa jig which has the shape of the SRB supports. 
  
  The support is made of 8 mm Balsa and thus corresponds to the thickness of the SRB support. In the base plate beneath sits the 24'' ring line for an exact alignment of the 18'' outlet. As spacers I have used 2.5 mm H-beams (Evergreen).
  
  
  
  
  
  Now I have fixed the location of the outlet from both sides and from above, so that it can no longer slip.
  
  
  
  And in the gap between the support and the outlet end can now be adapted the trapezoidal support plate and also glued later.
  
  
  
  
  
  But previously the outlet opening must be hollowed and flattened out.   
  
  
• #996 by roma847 on 15 Jul, 2016 11:50
• Therefore at first I have tried to pre-drill the outlet end as centrally as possible with smaller diameters (up to 2.4 mm), but this is not so simple and is slightly shifted again.
  
  
  
  
  
  After the final drilling with Ø 2.8 mm, the wall is rather thin and unfortunately unequally thick,
  
  
  
  which is unfavorable for the subsequent warm-flattening of the opening (on the left). 
  
  
  
  Another possibility (right) would be to use a drilled Styrene pipe (3.2 mm), of which the wall would be indeed more uniformly, but slightly thicker, which would be acceptable. The form itself certainly looks cleaner.
  
  
  
  Of which now however still had to be cut off a short end piece and to be glued at the shortened outlet end, as well as additionally refinished, which would be an additional fiddling again. 
  
  Meanwhile, I've bought a drill with Ø 2.5 mm which hopefully is better suited, let's see ...
  
  Finally, I have marked nor the positions of the upper support metal sheets.
  
  
  
  Well then until soon.
  
  
• #997 by roma847 on 16 Jul, 2016 07:36
• Hello everybody,
  
  now missing only the outlet openings that I wanted to try again.
  
  The difficulty is, as I said, the central drilling, which you cannot do it immediately with the final diameter, which is why this time I drilled a dummy (3.2 mm) in smaller gradations. 
  After center punching as central as possible I first started with Ø 1,3 mm, specifically about 6 mm deep, that means gradually in and out, so there is no chip congestion.
  
  
  
  And that looks already pretty centrical.
  
  
  
  Thereafter followed Ø 2,0 mm,
  
  
  
  Ø 2,3 mm,
  
  
  
  Ø 2,5 mm,
  
  
  
  and finally still a slight countersinking with Ø 2.7 mm for reduction the visible wall thickness, just because of the optics.
  
  
  
  And then I have briefly heated carefully and gradually slowly flattened the front end (about 3 mm) with a core (0.75 mm x 2.5 mm) down to 1.7 mm height, but not this  way ...
  
  
  
  And that can be quite impressive, right?
  
  
  
  And therefore I can probably now also venture to the final outlets, hopefully it'll work also as well then. 
  
  
• #998 by roma847 on 16 Jul, 2016 13:27
• Hello everyone,
  
  I have made a final test on a real component and thereto used my first 18'' outlet prototype, which still was lying around and anyway is good for nothing. He still had Ø 3,0 mm and was due to the bendings no longer circular at the end , but came just right as a dummy.
  
  Its end I have drilled out to Ø 2,5 mm,
  
  
  
  and then flattened, as usual.
  
  
  
  As can be seen, one can scratch the outlet opening also directly at the bent outlet.
  
  
  
  And therefore I can now also get down to business with the four final outlets (Ø 3,2 mm).
  
  
• #999 by roma847 on 19 Jul, 2016 15:48
• Hello everybody,
  and this I have implemented now, in hopes that it will fit somehow.
  
  First, I have drilled out the final four 18'' outlets, as already described.
  
  
  
  
  
  So far so good, and now came the cautious forming of the outlet openings with the help of the Proxxon Gun, for what I have inserted a core.
  
  
  
  Nevertheless, one must be extremely careful during heating, so that the thin-walled opening is not shrinking suddenly.
  
  
  
  And how the subsequent fitting shows, the position of the opening under the balsa support looks quite passable. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  And now to the lower support plates, which can be seen in this panorama of the STS-134 on the MLP 2.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  First, I have tested my estimated size with a paper dummy, which was still a bit too small.
  
  
  
  With the adjusted support plate of 0.3 mm Stytene it looks much better already.
  
  
  
  
  
  So both plates can be glued now on the outlets in place.