Quite right. I have the (2) pairs of tubes assembled but I'll glue them in after sanding and sealing the wood and just before painting the model.

TBC

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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

I've assembled the orbiter's wing halves and elevons(?) and set the angle of the elevons. Next (and using my Herculean thighs for support) I sand the joining edges of the two halves perfectly flat with the Corian board covered with 220 grit. I then scrape an angle into the joint of the two wing halves.

TBC

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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

Now for some technique.

Since a triangular fiberboard jig is provided to set the angle of the wing halves, I place little dots of wood glue onto the upper edge of the jig and attach it to the underside of the port wing along the seam of the rear spliced section and registering the vertex to the joint. I use a little piece of angle aluminum to align the jig perpendicular to the underside.

With the jig temporarily attached to the underside of the port wing half I don't have to worry about the jig staying where I want it as the adhesives of the wing halves set.

I then join the wing halves with wood glue and place a heavy weight on the starboard wing half as the adhesive sets.

TBC

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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

I then rub a bead of 30 minute epoxy into the joint of the wing halves, let it set up, and then snap the triangle jig from the underside of the starboard wing.....

....and voila! The wing halves will stay together longer than a Claxton fruitcake! (as I said before, some of my comparisons are rather dumb.)

TBC

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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

Time for some ethyl alcohol. “The Vixen” reports there are no more blind robbins—-and there never will be any again. Life is hard sometimes.

Good night.

TBC

__________________
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

More balsa than a Hercules H4. And references to Herculean thighs. When I think about pre-cut balsa in the newer kits, I feel like you must be thinking you have avoided a Herculean effort in building …

I cut all the basswood and balsa about 15 years ago on my 1.68X upscale. Painful! It sat 5 years before I started filling the grain.

__________________
Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp

FWIW, Hercules is also Elton John’s middle name.

__________________
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

I've awakened from my post-blood donation nap (somewhere between 200 and 300 units so far. I lost count years ago,) and I've done some more work on the SOT orbiter.

The rear faux nozzles is pleasingly different from from the original OT in that it's still a Herculean thigh-rolled cone--but this time it's inserted and glued into a CR instead of surface mounted to a disk.

As for the PNC, I'm not going to glue it onto the BT but rather I'll put enough tape on the shoulder to give it a very tight fit. This way, rimming weight can be added internally with ease.

The orbiter's forward dowel standoff is too important to be balsa (IMO) so I've remade it from 3/32" basswood. I've also enrobed the entire dowel standoff with epoxy.

TBC

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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

Now for the orbiter's rudder.

The kit even includes a fiber rudder alignment jig. Nice!

Lastly, I apply epoxy fillets onto the rudder and sand some rough areas from the orbiter's underside.

TBC

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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

The rear faux exhaust tubes are temporarily inserted into the nacelles of the booster, I've piggy-backed the orbiter, and........


......Voila! The SOT is ready for many hours of sanding, sealing, sealing, sanding, sanding, more sealing, much more sanding, and painting!

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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