I thought making the nozzle bases would be harder than the cardstock nozzles, but I was wrong. First, I made a tool to form the nozzles around, starting with a piece of dowel, sharpened with my beat-up, but trusty Dexter #2 sharpener. Then stuck in a drill and sanded down, using a paper nozzle to get the right cone. The stiff cardstock didn't roll as nice as I'd like, (and I've never been very good with paper transitions of any kind), but who's going to notice once it's built and painted?

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__________________
Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

While waiting for Aero-Gloss Sanding Sealer to dry on the escape motor assembly, I noticed the pull-away plug sockets still needed work, from way back at the end of the complicated step 6. The pieces are about 1/4" square, sanded to a bevel. I cut out 3, figuring I'd ruin or lose one. First, I wrapped some 320 around the BT to get the curvature in the back.

Donning my Opti-visor, and using my favorite sanding sticks from Stevens International, I held these little pieces between thumb & forefinger, sliding the 180 grit sanding stick along my thumb, to get the top, end, and sides looking approximately like the drawing. Then cleaned up a bit with the 240 grit stick.

They still need work, but that'll have to wait. The pieces are just too small to shape any further, it'll be easier once they're attached to the BT.

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__________________
Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

Like I said before, the Estes K-41 Mercury Redstone is the only "True" Skill Level 5 kit ever offered by Estes or Centuri. The 1/70 Saturn 1B and 1/70 Little Joe Ii come close due to that Apollo Capsule tower.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Agreed. Perhaps I'll finally earn those coveted red thrust bars.

__________________
Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

Two coats of Aero-Gloss sanding sealer, sanded with tiny strips of 320 & 400 grit, followed by two coats of Testors Enamel on the escape motor, and it's ready for attaching to the tower. It's not perfectly smooth, but the balsa was rough, and I didn't want to risk sanding down the ridges.

It was fun using some vintage paint for the vintage model. The red needed a little thinning, the Silver was just fine. I thought had a 15 or 20 cent bottle of Silver around somewhere, but these will have to do.

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__________________
Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

Paul, that looks excellent!

Thanks.

While waiting for Sugar Maple Sap to boil the last couple days, I completed a few more capsule steps.

Steps 33 & 34, assembling the 3 nozzles and brush painting red; Step 40, gluing the motor to the tower; And step 41, gluing the nozzles to the tower. Using a tiny drill bit, I made a little divet in the shoulder of the motor to get clean balsa to glue the nozzles with wood glue.

A little red touch-up once the glue was dry, and that's basically it for the capsule. Just need to attach the screw-eye, lead weights, and parachute. In reviewing the expanded assembly diagram to see if I missed anything, there's a note regarding the aerodynamic spike, "Use the center from the small ring on the TA-41". This isn't in the step-by-step, so I missed it. I wonder if anyone will notice?

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__________________
Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

Nope, looks great!

"Use the center from the small ring on the TA-41". This isn't in the step-by-step, so I missed it. I wonder if anyone will notice?
Well, now that you mentioned it.......
Great job on the tower and capsule.
It's all downhill from here.
Nice to see true craftsmanship at work.

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I like the unusual, the off beat, the avant-garde. No 3/4 FNC for me!

Looks great.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !