The tolerance for 3/32" balsa is +/- .010". If the guide is cut for the .103" "thick" balsa, the slots are too wide for the .083" balsa.

OR select a tighter range just for this kit.

Thought about that after I shipped them!

__________________
Carl McLawhorn
NAR#4717 L2
semroc.com

Thanks for the info Carl. And I agree with Made in the USA.




Maybe what we need is a heavier washer wieght that is dishes out that will still work with an eye screw. I have developed a way of hollowing out the BNC to install clay without messing up the coulper part of the cone, but it is not for beginner rocketeer's .

Thanks, JP

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Or you could make them out of plastic or basswood and include them in that deluxe kit (the fin fixture/jig/guide things).


I think that Semroc has it right, MADE in the USA and balsa nose cones.
The balsa cones set up nicer, are very "fixable", I just think they are "better" overall.
I deal with Russia, China, and India on certain parts for my work. If I could get away with not doing it, I would. But not many places that can stamp out a AK-74 parts set for replacement for so cheap and on the original machines with the original technical package.

The other thing I thought about, concerning plastic items, is the time-to-market delay. In the time it takes for one plastic tooling to be created, tested, revised, tested again, put into production, shipped, and finally received in the warehouse / packaging room, that Krellvenator could have produced multiple batches of the same cone and the kits could have been on the dealer shelves. The quicker turn-around time is worth any premium a balsa cone might cost, if there actually is any.

I'm not personally in favor of an injection-molded cone at this time. We've seen some applications already on this forum -- the Tau Tau is a good example -- of where a hollow, blow-molded plastic cone might be usable; and if SEMROC did venture into plastic that is what I might suggest. But I think the balsa components give these kits a feel that plastic takes away. I'd just as soon not see plastic used right now. Estes and Quest are in that camp. Their QC is in dire need of attention, and off-shore tooling is just one issue. Let's just "not go there"...

__________________
Craig McGraw

BARCLONE Rocketry -- http://barclone.rocketshoppe.com
BARCLONE Blogsite -- http://barclone.wordpress.com
BARCLONE Forum -- BARCLONE Forum

BARs helping BARs

SAM 0044
AMA 352635

Oh, *so* close, Craig, but *no* cigar!

For the rest of you, this was Craig's original fin guide:

http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/show...8&postcount=124


And here it is in operation:

http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/atta...tachmentid=3383


Does that translate to 6-ply? I think these are 2-ply. Right, Carl?


Cheers,

__________________
Jay Goemmer
"Centuri Guy"/"Tau Zero"
YORF Member 28
Semroc SAM #0029
NAR 86131


"I think about organizing things all the time. Never seems to happen. I find something that piques my interest and I'm off on a quest. Or a Centuri. "

--Bill Eichelberger, 02/22/2022


“Centuri fret buzz in an updated form.”
Bill “Wallyum” Eichelberger re: Estes Flutter-By
03 Sept 2014

Yeah, well, *I* didn't think of it until I "tried them on for size" with a Tau Zero prototype.


I'll have to get back to you on that.


Cheers,

__________________
Jay Goemmer
"Centuri Guy"/"Tau Zero"
YORF Member 28
Semroc SAM #0029
NAR 86131


"I think about organizing things all the time. Never seems to happen. I find something that piques my interest and I'm off on a quest. Or a Centuri. "

--Bill Eichelberger, 02/22/2022


“Centuri fret buzz in an updated form.”
Bill “Wallyum” Eichelberger re: Estes Flutter-By
03 Sept 2014

In the past, a lot of the parts that came with the Estes original Designer's Special (which had
stayed with me since the 1970's) also came in handy when I needed to make quick repairs/
rebuilds of my NAR contest "rated" models (especially the boost/rocket gliders and, on my
most recent "overnight" build, an 18 mm helicopter duration model -- the Gassaway styled
design). Speaking of which is why I need another "Designer's Special" as most all of the parts I had have been used up

__________________
Dave, NAR # 21853 SR.

I have small scraps of popular tube sizes already pre-marked for 3 and 4 fins. I socket the tube onto the body tube I need marked and use my angle stock to extend the pre-marked lines. Zip zip zip... done!

__________________
Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

When I lay out my templates, I try to cut the slot width as precisely as possible, for just this reason. The tolerance on the balsa, plus the fact that I like to tissue the fins, means the slot width will vary slightly from project to project anyway. So making the templates out of matte board gives me something that I can sand to fit the width of the particular fins I'm using (also, the thickness of the matte board makes for a very sturdy template which makes for a better support). When the template gets too loose, I just make another one. Another reason to keep them cheap!

And as has already been pointed out, it's highly advisable to chamfer the slot points to make room for glue fillets (!).

__________________
John
YORF #003
SAM #004

Excellent idea! It never occurred to me to do that, but I use scrap tubing for everything else.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2