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Sport Rocketry / Construction / Fins
Papering Fins - Old MRN (2010-08-19)
I'll be using paper on the fins of the Big Girtha model. I remember seeing the tip years ago. Here's one of the first references I found about papering fins. This goes back to 1969, from Volume 9, ... [Read More]
Jeff Smith's Root Edge Squaring Tip (2012-02-24)Jeff (Jeffyjeep) Smith is a true craftsman. Many of his finished rockets have been sold to collectors on Ebay. Here's a tip from a Estes Scamp build he did on TRF. "While holding the basswood fin ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Flame Fins Part A (2012-03-24)I don't try to cut all the sharp edges of the flame fin pattern. I use a straightedge and cut straight lines just at the points of the outside edges. I don't usually use a pen to trace around a fin ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Flame Fins Part 2 (2012-03-26)The sharp angle bend over the edge of the block was used to sand the tight inside corners. These don't have to be as sharp as the fin pattern shows. All six fins don't have to have the same profile. ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Flame Fins Part 3 (2012-03-26)The fins got a coat of thinned CWF and were sanded with 400 grit on a block. The angled and round side of the block were used to sand the concave lines of the leading and trailing edges. A second ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Flame Fins Part 4 (2012-03-26)Here's an image of a Shuttle launch. Notice the color changes in the flame. It goes from a very bright white, to yellow (maybe a slight orange also) to grey smoke. I've made a few sets of Zooch ... [Read More]
Dr. Zooch Flame Fins Part 5 (2012-03-26)Three flame fins glue on each SRB fin tube assembly. They are spaced at 90 degrees to each other. It's almost like a four finned rocket with one fin missing. The open area of the tube faces the ... [Read More]
Cutting Fins TIP (2012-10-03)I'm back from the long Japan cruise. There was no internet while we were in the Japanese ports. Back to rocket stuff - I know, most experienced builders know this - but for the novices: Most kits ... [Read More]
Weight Of Filled Fins? (2014-09-26)Here we go with another highly scientific test. I read a comment about how much weight CWF filler adds to fins. I was curious. The first picture shows a Estes Patriot fin. The leading edge is ... [Read More]
First Through-The-Wall Fins? (2016-09-12)The old Estes Semi Scale Saturn V (K-39) was brought up on YORF. I hadn't looked at the instructions for years. To see them, CLICK HERE Steps 6 and 11 might show the first ever use of through the ... [Read More]
Cracked Root Edge Joints? TIP (2016-11-28)I've made a resolution not to buy any more rockets where wood fins are glued to plastic. Everybody has had fins break off on a hard landing. Fins glued to plastic seem to be more prone to this. Wood ... [Read More]
Clear Plastic - TIP (2017-01-01)Sometimes I cut out and save pieces of clear plastic off vacu-formed packaging. On a rare occasion you might need a piece of clear plastic for a window like on the Mercury Redstone Capsule. The ... [Read More]
Fixing A Corner Chip - TIP (2017-01-04)Did you ever get a small break at the corner of a fin? You could use wood filler but this method will stick better. In preparation, have a small amount of balsa sawdust gathered in a pile. ... [Read More]
Better Root Edge Glue Lines TIP (2017-02-18)This method was explained in an article the Estes guys wrote on rocket building for Sport Rocketry. Here's how a glue line looks after applying right out of the bottle. If this were to be pressed ... [Read More]
Knife Blade Thickness? TIP (2017-02-23)Kit instructions sometimes tell you to simply use a straight edge when cutting out fins or card stock. Simply setting a the strait edge along the cut line doesn't account for the thickness of ... [Read More]
Corner Chip Fill - TIP (2017-05-26)Well, we've all been there - the balsa grain runs in such a way that the trailing edge tip can break off. If the tip break is small you can fill it. Sand off some balsa dust from some scrap ... [Read More]
Fin Tracings TIP (2020-01-20)From Stanton Ewert on the Estes Model Rocket Facebook page: "*Tip of the day: Our Good buddy, James Helman in TX. taught us to keep all the face-cards from our Estes kits. It just dawned on ... [Read More]
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