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Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)


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When ARC Discussion Board came back on line, this was the first thread I went to. Manfred, there are few out there with the guts to take on such a large project. When you are finished you should really think of donating it to a real space museum. It is just amazing work you have been doing! I would hate to think the project stuffed in a closet. Amazing work!

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Thanks my faithful friend for your nice compliment.  bow.gifbow.gifbow.gif

 

This may be, because such a major project is a real challenge and requires again and again new motivation and endless patience to never give up.  top2.gif

BTW, don't worry, our house is big enough so that the diorama will find a suitable place, if it will be finished one day ... up040577.gif

 

Edited by spaceman
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5 hours ago, spaceman said:

Thanks my faithful friend for your nice compliment.  bow.gifbow.gifbow.gif

 

This may be, because such a major project is a real challenge and requires again and again new motivation and endless patience to never give up.  top2.gif

 

BTW, don't worry, our house is big enough so that the diorama will find a suitable place, if it will be finished one day ... up040577.gif

 

RolandChayerByeByeSmiley.gif

How big will the entire diorama be???? Growing up on the Space Coast I have a special affinity for the Shuttle, and watching your work has been a blast

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5 hours ago, crowe-t said:

Manfred,  It was great having the forum back and seeing more of your magnificent work.  Keep it up and I know it will be finished one day.:thumbsup:

 

Mike.

 

Thanks Mike for watching again after the break.  bow.gifbow.gifbow.gif  

 

As you know I have no deadline, but one fine day I will have fulfilled my dream.  up040577.gif

 

Stay tuned my friend and keep your fingers crossed.  JC_doubleup.gif

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2 hours ago, crushkill said:

How big will the entire diorama be???? Growing up on the Space Coast I have a special affinity for the Shuttle, and watching your work has been a blast

 

The diorama is planned around this area and would then be approx. 1.5 m x 1.3 m (1:160) ...  up035091.gif

 

Cvl5GL.jpg

Source: google.com/maps

 

Then it could look similar to this diorama by Tomytec (1:700).

 

Space Shuttle Launch Pad. Tomytec Maßstab 1/700

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2 minutes ago, spaceman said:

 

The diorama is planned around this area and would then be approx. 1.5 m x 1.3 m (1:160) ...  up035091.gif

 

Cvl5GL.jpg

Source: google.com/maps

 

Then it could look similar to this diorama by Tomytec (1:700).

 

Space Shuttle Launch Pad. Tomytec Maßstab 1/700

Wow. Can't wait til it's done!

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I've been watching your progress on NasaSpaceFlight and your skill at, not only building these details, but at building these details at such a tiny scale, is true eye-candy.

I hope that translates correctly!  :rolleyes:

 

And Tomytec's diorama is incredible!! Thanx for showing it!

 

Thanx Manfred!!

Edited by K2Pete
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On 14.10.2016 at 7:38 PM, mkjm said:

I've been taking a look at this thread for weeks now. Such amazing attention to detail! You sir have more patience than I could ever muster! 

 

Thanks mkjm for watching, :worship:

 

yep, never ending patience and enough fun are absolutely necessary in such a long-term project if it is ever to succeed.  up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Hello everybody,

 

today I will now finally complete the connecting piece of the second supply pipe, on which still lacked the rectangular rib pairs and the triangular ribs on the lower ring.  cool.gif

 

After the rib pairs over the slots were glued and cut off, 

 

Qw25Sx.jpg

 

VdaA7z.jpg

 

the nine ribs between them were continued in well-known manner. Thereafter, the corresponding ribs sitting below them on the underside of the ring were glued,

 

FHISp0.jpg

 

and finally bevelled. 

 

AfZrdG.jpg

 

And only then did I have glued the remaining six ribs below the rib pairs, which was easier for reasons of space than for the first inlet pipe, where I had first glued all 15 ribs, which made the bevelling quite difficult. rolleyes.gif

 

qI3fyG.jpg

 

And after the bevelling of the last six ribs, this tricky fiddling was finally done and I've felt relieved.  top2.gif 

 

GfRZZT.jpg

 

3EinLk.jpg

 

IU79uO.jpg

 

Therewith all pipes and outlets of the SSWS are finally finished and can be further processed. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Thanks Joseph for warching again, bow.gif yep, I can be really satisfied with the progress. 

 

Hello together,

 

after all the outlets of the SSWS have been completed with some missing Pipe Supports could actually follow their assembly at the ring lines.  cool.gif

 

I will begin with the transitions from the now finished 36'' inlet pipes (Ø 6.3 mm) to the two 24'' ring lines (Ø 4.0 mm),

 

up051544.jpg
Source: NASA

 

whose connecting sleeves are finally positioned and glued to the ring lines.

 

swbtOs.jpg

 

Then follows the modeling of the transitions of these six 18'' outlets (Ø 3.2 mm) with the tapers to 12'' (Ø 2.0 mm).

 

up052447.jpg

 

And then there are still these two outlets at the end of the ring lines behind the TSMs with the tapers to 16" (Ø 2.5 mm) and then to the 12" nozzle pipes (Ø 2.0 mm). 

 

up052922.jpg

 

These four rear 18" outlets (above) and the two front 12" outlets (below) have no tapers and are already ready for assembly. up046118.gif

 

j5OHxp.jpg

 

When these transitions are modeled, the outlets can finally be glued onto both ringlines. And then these connecting points must also be modeled.

So, all in all, this looks like an extensive Apoxie Sculpt session at which we then will see us again.  up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Hello everybody,

 

so, now I have begun with modeling the transitions, first with the transitions on the two ring lines,

 

up051714.jpg
Source: NASA

 

which are still quite accessible and handy. cool.gif

 

First, two equally sized marbles were formed from the two Apoxie-Sculpt components,

 

uwUkai.jpg

 

which were then kneaded until they were completely mixed, which can be seen in the white color.

 

wflMwv.jpg

 

And then the transitions were modeled on the two sleeves, which can be made at the same time. up045518.gif

 

XSnYIQ.jpg

 

Thereby it is helpful not to take too much Apoxie Sculpt and then keep it in the mean time occasionally to moisten in order to stay flexible.

 

Then followed the six 18'' outlets from the ring lines into the SRB shafts, and this action was then much more tricky and stressful. shocked.gif

 

ZSZ4tc.jpg

 

Since these parts can hardly be held in the fingers, but they still have to turn and turn around constantly, this was absolutely no nerve balm. smiley_crazy.gif

 

Thereby one thing turned out to be particularly hindering, and these were the tiny nipples on the bows and the lower baffles, which I should have installed better afterwards.  flehan.gif

 

As a result, the transitions have not worked out as good as one can see.  rolleyes.gif But I wanted to make use of the time before the mass hardens too much, and so I  have stayed the course. cool.gif

 

But now I leave all this dry and then I will rework the transitions separately by sanding. top.gif

 

That's it for today. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Hello everybody,

 

well, seen in hindsight, I have applied a bit too much Apoxie Sculpt (AS) and now have to sand off something, but this is easy to do because the AS is very dense and extremely fine-grained after the hardening.  up045518.gif

 

But this effort would have been significantly reduced if I had already formed the transition better in the damp state and adapted it to the rather concave shape. But afterwards one is always wiser. rolleyes.gif

 

Therefore I have to shape this concave transition with different files, sanding sticks and finally with 2000er sanding sponge, which is already a bit arduous, but what the heck! cool.gif

 

Here already a first picture of one of the transitions, on the left the somewhat chubby modeled form, and on the right the post-processed form, which looks optically already quite well. top.gif

 

up053576.jpg

 

In fact, the transition could be even something shorter if I exactly look at the picture once again.  denknf8.gif

 

up051714.jpg 

 

At the transition on the second ring line (above) I was then already somewhat more relaxed, since I knew that there was something significantly to sand off, cool.gif

 

aLfzRs.jpg

 

as can be seen here at the right transition. 

 

FXrywU.jpg

 

And these are the finished transitions.  speak_cool.gif

 

H6pStx.jpg

 

And now followed the transitions at the six 18''-12'' outlets, which also have a slightly concave shape.

 

R9HB00.jpg
Source: NASA

 

Although there is less material to remove, but their handling is more tricky due to the small size.   rolleyes.gif For comparison, I have put a raw state next to it. 

 

rDXI0E.jpg

 

And tomorrow the remaining five outlets will be reworked. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Hi guys,

 

as I have already indicated, I have now after all brought myself to shorten the transitions at the 36'' outlets of the ring lines, and I imagine that they fit better now into the overall picture. top.gif

 

Vb1s0B.jpg

 

And these are the 18''/12'' outlets with the reworked transitions, 

 

6oBCVS.jpg

 

And here are finally the finished transitions at the 16''/12'' outlets to the both nozzle tubes.  top2.gif

 

bJmgmE.jpg

 

And as next step, the final assembly of all the outlets on the two ring lines begins then with the mounting of the inlet pipes.  up040577.gif

 

qChXff.jpg
Source: NASA

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Hello together,

 

before the assembly of the inlet pipes, however still had to be determined their exact length, so that they fit exactly into the corners of the two SRB shafts and end with the coupling sockets at the MLP bottom.  cool.gif

 

For this purpose, the tubes at the upper end must be shortened. At this place, the half-round recesses have to be sanded, whereby the special position of the coupling stubs in the pallets must be observed. And that looks exactly that the (still missing) pipe support sits over one of the three 120° staggered locking points (the rectangular rib pairs) on the inner SRB wall, as can be seen here a bit more distinctly.  up045518.gif

 

74r2Wc.jpg
Source: NASA

 

And as I wanted to be sure during shortening of the inlet pipes were shortened, I used a somewhat longer dummy and sanded the necessary recesses at the end.

 

YXUhSN.jpg

 

Then I have sticked this dummy with some pattex under the outlet of the ring line and in this way could mark both the end point of the pipe at the MLP bottom and the corresponding position of the recess at the connection point.  happy.gif

 

kd6I0A.jpg

 

diBLIx.jpg

 

And to this length, the supply pipes could now be shortened with a quiet conscience, and then also the recesses could be sanded at the right place.  speak_cool.gif

 

8IC5KF.jpg

 

And that looks so,

 

ww7EGo.jpg

 

and the same length should have the outlets also, therefore the interim examination at the end stop. top.gif 

 

qktASV.jpg

 

tsxCS3.jpg

 

And the adjustment at the connection points also looks good. 

 

eG3ADx.jpg

 

So, this should have been for today, and tomorrow the inlet pipes are then mounted on the ring lines.  up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

Meanwhile the assembly of the inlet pipes has gone over the stage, whose result I would like to introduce you briefly. cool.gif

 

OnCAjv.jpg

 

The positioning and simultaneous bonding of the pipes under the ring line was somewhat tricky, but finally has worked quite well. 

 

Ltzwa8.jpg

 

Important was the vertical alignment of the pipes in the shaft corner, for which the ring line was weighted, in order to avoid slipping. up046118.gif

 

xRgLEx.jpg

 

j3Gt5h.jpg

 

Now the bondings have only still to dry through,

 

BX9dQ9.jpg

 

then these transitions can also be modeled with Apoxie Sculpt.

 

mNq0N4.jpg

 

And then the supports can also be adapted to the coupling connectors.

 

up053622.jpg

 

That's it again for today. up040577.gif

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