Just building another S-1B and decided to avoid the quick and dirty balsa fin solution. I have avoidede building the fins on previous construction simply becasue of the time aspect. It seemed easier to me to sand and seal the fins and let the model fly. Besides, surely gluing the balas into the carstoc would create all manner of little dimples and depressions on the sheet. This current one is for a friend that really wanted a nice, scale looking model, so I screwed my courage to the sticking post and undertook the balsa and cardstock set.

I am amazed. With the LC fin ribs and the accurate printing on the skins the fabrication of the finset took about as long as sanding and sealing the balas set. The major benefit of the change is that the fin thickness and taper is pretty much spot on. She doesn't look like she is standing on tip-toes any more with skinny little fins! Once filleted and sealed I think that is going to be a real J-LO fin can. Kudos to the original design and gratitude to Carl for producing an exceptional kit. I promise that I will not be tossing the cardstock sets in the spare bin any longer.

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__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

That was my exact reaction after building the set on the original Estes kit many years ago. Too bad cardstock shrouds are not as kind...


Bill

I agree! The only thing I don't like about this setup is that they are a little bit fragile if the rocket comes down (under chutes, of course) on a fin or two.
To try to gain a little more strength in the balsa skeleton, I substituted some carbon fiber ribs that I painstakingly cut. I still used the cardstock, but I hardened the paper after all was assembled with thin CA.
Much stronger, looks as intended originally, and survives most landings quite well, as long as the landing is not on a 'hard' surface.
For a hangar queen, none of that is necessary; the fins can be built stock and look great, as you have discovered!
Allen

The fragility was usually my rationale for the solid balsa fins - but I felt a little like a bait and switch: "Yes, there are the paper and balsa fins, but the sold sheet is far stronger coming down under a single parachute." Of course practically none of the S-1B builds I have done ever fly; not sure if it my sklls or someone not wanting to risk the model.

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__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

In my experience, the shrouds that the fins are glued to tear up even when the fins don't. You might as well use the cardstock fins and hope that one will tear up instead of screwing up the shroud.

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I love sanding.

Nice looking build! I've built (4) 1b's and I've never done the all-balsa fins, but if I do I may go with basswood and double the thickness to better match the scale.

I simply HATE doing the bottom tank fairing. I wish the kit came with about 5 extra ones!

Here's a photo of the last 1B I built.

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__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

Jiffyjeep, great looking model. What do you have up the skirt on that lady?

__________________
Rocketeer 1968-1975
BAR 2008-
NAR# 91623, SAM# 0425

The only other piece I wish I could find would be the camera targets. I too made the same mistake with regard to the BPC markings To paraphrase - "Quoth the Sandman, nevermore"

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__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

I wish somebody made a plastic one like on the old Estes 1/100th Saturn 1b.

BTW that is just too pretty...way too pretty.

I'll mail you some targets!

__________________
"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate runners when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

http://sandmandecals.com/

I approached a local plastics shop about replicating the injection moulded part with a vacu-formed version. Cost was a little too high at the time but he felt that he good maintain really good fidelity almost to the very tip of the point on the shroud. Moreover he was pretty confident that he could replicate from the tip of the tank shroud to the base of the fin-can. It is about the only part that seems to escape cottage manufacture. Between with the capsule and the vac wrap available and you guys for decals, what is left?

There are two other changes that I routinely make on the 1/70th 1B: I replace the eight target boards on the interstage with either cardstock or plastic card - basically 1/4" squares. On more recent builds I have been adding the fly-away umbilicals on the S-IVB and Instrument Unit with either gold decal sheet or drilled plastic card (if I get really crfeative) They sit on the side of the ariframe with the tunnels.

If you have not been there, this is a really good site for Saturn details.

http://apollomaniacs.web.infoseek.c...ollo/indexe.htm

__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."