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


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Thanks Pete for trying to help me, bow.gif

 

one possibility would be to glue both airbrushed gutters end to end at the MLP deck and then to overpaint the connecting edge once more with the brush by hand. denknf8.gif

 

Maybe I could also use the special glue for photo etch parts, Gator's Grip-Thin Blend for gluing instead of CA, whose application is easier. 

 

s0B9HJ.jpg

 

I have also already thought about using of a foil or tape, maybe simple masking tape (0.05 mm) on  the rear half of the gutter could be suitable as a little support, which one can not see from the front. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Manfred,

 

I haven't used the Gator Glue but I've used the Formula 560 Canopy Glue.  I believe they are both very similar glues.  They are very strong water soluble glues that hold really well.  I've used Formula 560 Canopy Glue for gluing windshields into car models and other parts.  I've heard other builders say they even glue photo etch with the Formula 560 Canopy glue.

 

Mike.

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Hi Mike,

 

a significant advantage of Gator's Grip is that it is water-soluble and does not harden as quickly as CA. up045518.gif

 

The longer drying time allows repositioning or correction of the parts, which is a real plus compared with CA. After about 10 minutes, the initially milky white color changes into transparent.

 

BTW, I could have thought about earlier and could use it for gluing of the gutters. up040472.gif

 

According to user reports, it should also be suitable for the gluing of plastic on metal, which I will try too, maybe I can use it for an easier gluing of the supports onto the gutters of Side 4. up040577.gif

 

 

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Hello everybody,

 

okay, admitted, this delicate matter is really not very easy, because the gluing surfaces (cannot to be said actually) or better the gluing edges (0.1 mm) are much too narrow. smiley_worship.gif

 

I had previously only planned its application for the gluing of the various PE parts at the FSS/RSS and therefore it falled a bit into oblivion. rolleyes.gif

 

Besides the water solubility a further advantage is the amazing elasticity of Gator's Grip in the cured state. While a contact that is glued with Seku can break away quickly, as with one gutter support, the Gator's Grip contact itself can withstand a bending by 90° and then re-erect itself,  analintruder.gif also known as Memory effect, what I initially did not wanted to believe. 

 

And this variant I have tried today. cool.gif

 

Here one can see the  put together gutter dummies, which I have just before lightly painted inside and outside with the Gator's Grip, as well as a similarly attached support.

 

8Mkn7S.jpg

 

After a drying time of about 10 minutes it looked like this. The gutters were actually tightly connected and held out a slight bend without breaking apart.  huh.gif

 

vuy9at.jpg

 

In addition, I also have glued an old PE ladder as well as a piece of handrail upright onto a plastic pad and let dry.

 

JJVyrN.jpg

 

And then followed the brutal nail test for the ladder by loading of a tweezer, what overwhelmed it. erschrocken2.gif

 

quccfg.jpg

 

And whether one believes it or not, after taking the tweezers away, the miraculous resurrection of the ladder began, here after half of the recovery from this strain, smiley_crazy.gif

 

xEx1dl.jpg

 

and then almost to the starting point. 

 

And the handrail finally had to bend itsef under my cent coin,  rolleyes.gif

 

ASuy2f.jpg

 

but had surprisingly the same abilities and stood up again little by little, although these are only point contacts!!!  

 

UaAU7l.jpg 

 

Finally here once again the state of the probands after this stress test, which impressively proves their total recovery. 
What more do you want?  speak_cool.gif

 

aUBD0v.jpg

 

As a conclusion, I can say rightly that the test reports have not promised too much, and that Gator's Grip is really a hellish stuff that convinced me and will be helpful to me when gluing the next gutters on the Side 4, as certainly also in the gluing of the gutters at the MLP deck. up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

since I can order Gator's Grip also in Germany, I have tested both varieties in comparison, because I was interested in the difference. cool.gif

 

aCoGWW.jpg

 

While the Original Blend is rather pasty and resembles conventional wood glue, the Thin Blend is not fluid, but noticeably thinner.

 

iMM6ED.jpg

 

And since the Gator does not bite immediately like CA, I had to hold the two plastic rods first. rolleyes.gif 

 

As can be seen after a dry time of 5 minutes the Thin Blend actually dries faster, and the milky white color already begins to become transparent. 

 

hKhhSi.jpg

 

After 10 minutes, both samples are standing already by itself.

 

c0RZHK.jpg

 

After 15 minutes, the Thin Blend should be almost cured.

 

oTEboL.jpg

 

After 20 minutes:

 

4p6zDq.jpg

 

After 25 minutes:

 

pFV6rX.jpg

 

After 60 minutes the original glue was still not quite transparent.  huh.gif

 

Ui6HE4.jpg

 

Then came the nail test, 

 

2gOakx.jpg

 

which both samples have survived.  up045518.gif However, the force for upstanding reached only to half, for whatever reason. 

 

91RV3L.jpg

 

However, the connection is still so stable that the samples can be moved and erected arbitrarily without having to break. up045518.gif

 

bdODof.jpg

 

This allows everybody to decide for himself which blend is more advantageous and to order accordingly. I will probably stay with the Thin Blend because of the faster curing.up040577.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello everybody,

 

and today finally to the gutters on the Side 4, which basically have the same structure as the gutters on Side 2. The only difference is that there is no console in the Bay 17 as on the Side 2, and therefore there is also no recess as shown on this image on the MLP-2 during STS-8.  cool.gif

 

KRU9cy.jpg
Source: NASA

 

As a result, there are only two gutters on Side 4, which can be seen in this image a bit better. For dimensioning it is only important to determine the distances in the recess in the Bay 10

 

8cjRBt.jpg
Source: apollosaturn.com (John Duncan)

 

in which the box for the Fire Hose Reel was installed earlier. The two gutter ends at the beginning and at the end of the side have the same outward lowering structure, as can be seen in this image,

 

l1mCGH.jpg
Source: apollosaturn.com (John Duncan)

 

which again have to be glued with blunt ends, but this time immediately with Gator's Grip.

 

For the cutting of the aluminium sheet metal strips (0.1 mm) was used a small montage sketch as usual.   top.gif

 

P4UGig.jpg

 

Then, again, the rounding of the gutters followed in the usual way, here first the short initial piece of Gutter 1 in Bay 1, which was relatively simple,

 

ax3DfB.jpg 

 

and then the long piece, which was already somewhat more tricky. rolleyes.gif

 

TqYx81.jpg

 

4KsAPN.jpg

 

As far as for today. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Your experiment with Gator Grip Glue is most interesting Manfred! I would not have thought its bond would be so resilient and strong!

Plus the differing materials it bonds to!

Excellent information!

 

Many Thanks!

Pete

 

 

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Hi Pete,

 

yep, Gator's Grip is really fabulous, and here is still an encore. top2.gif

 

It was even possible to smooth the glue contact with a sanding stick, and the 0.1 mm contact seam was resistent and is not broken apart, which would have happened by using CA. eek.gif


wH09j3.jpg

 

Strange, but true! up040577.gif

 

As a small customer service for curious guys and prospective customers, here one can go to the witch master Kenny Loup from Sulphur (Louisiana), from whom I bought my glue a few years ago. speak_cool.gif

 

up059354.jpg
Source: gatorsmask.com

Edited by spaceman
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Hello everyone,

 

and now to the still remaining Gutter 2 on the Side 4. top.gif

 

While the rounding of the long gutter strip with the help of the half-pipe and core wires up to Ø 4 mm is relatively easy, it is known to become more tricky below this level. rolleyes.gif

 

This is why I have clamped the brass core wire (Ø 2 mm) this time over the rounded gutter strip on the table and pressed the edges from both sides by sliding along with a rounded magnet, because unsightly kinks can be prevented  this way.  

 

FgO4Ut.jpg

 

RvrjdO.jpg

 

J3DkAQ.jpg

 

This is followed by the last rounding step with the core wire Ø 1.5 mm. 

 

Lqlbnf.jpg

 

Any slight longitudinal distortions of the gutter can be compensated on the narrow rounded plastic core strip, 

 

N8rMfB.jpg

 

so that Gutter 2 is finally finished too.  up045518.gif

 

2jHPIh.jpg

 

JJ1XOT.jpg

 

As the crowning end of the gutter chapter, next the gluing of the Gutter Supports follows, but this time also with the Gator's Grip. up040577.gif

 

GtOueR.jpg

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Hello everybody,

 

before the 14 supports (with lower strip) could be glued to the two gutters, they had to be scratch-built, of course, with full concentration, a calm hand and good eyes. cant-believe-my-eyes-smiley-emoticon.gif 
 
Sa4WNX.jpg

 

And already the gluing of the sickles on the tiny strips was again the expected tricky matter as with the gutters on the Side 2. smiley_worship.gif 

 

Since these are again the same procedures and handgrips, I will only briefly illustrate them by picture.

 

up058960.jpg

 

up058962.jpg

 

up058964.jpg

 

With a few supports as a reserve, the gluing of the supports onto the gutter continued.cool.gif

 

yg9U5t.jpg

 

After the bottom of the gutter was glued into the short piece, the outer support without strip was glued.

 

jupQ7p.jpg

 

IrT7ZM.jpg

 

This time I did not glue the supports on the long gutter individually, but at the same time three at one go clamped between cutter edges. 

 

TqVYRR.jpg

 

Afterwards, the contact points on the gutter were dabbed with CA and then the core strip with the gutter were lowered to the supports and thus glued. 

 

A4PDJM.jpg

 

cBWUvb.jpg

 

Subsequently the remaining five supports were glued.

 

LOB9m1.jpg

 

Since the last support had not glued completely,  rolleyes.gif it was glued once more.

 

qPleet.jpg

 

YeZxKn.jpg

 

Next, the short initial gutter is glued to the long Gutter 1, this time with Gator's Grip

 

Later, the Gutter 2 will follow. up040577.gif

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Hey folks,

 

yeah, yeah, yeah, still these boring gutters, I can not change it, sorry. rolleyes.gif

 

In the case of the dull gluing of the gutters, a smooth seating and an exact fixing of the position is very important, so that nothing can shift. smiley_worship.gif

 

kv9UfH.jpg

 

Then the seam was gently painted with Gator's Grip and let it to dry. 

 

Cruumz.jpg

 

jf1CkX.jpg

 

And as one can see, the gluing also holds this time.  speak_cool.gif

 

W7nbUt.jpg

 

Tomorrow I will carefully smooth the seam. top.gif

 

LXIbAi.jpg

 

And so once again back to the Gutter 1 on the Side 2, where the two parts also had to be glued bluntly. 

 

Here, at first, the fitting test of the two parts, 

 

affjQE.jpg

 

which I made this time even more securely aligned and stabilized before gluing.  

 

r3TW8o.jpg

 

And this gluing was also successful, up045518.gif

 

tDnLqB.jpg

 

OVZ1No.jpg

 

and can be smoothed tomorrow.  up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Hello everybody,

 

and thus to the last round with these tiresome gutters. cool.gif

 

Here was only still missing the Gutter 2 on the Side 4, the beginning of which is shown here.

 

cDjtiZ.jpg
Source: apollosaturn.com (John Duncan)

 

The gutter begins directly on the girder between the Bay 10 and 11 and then runs without interruption to the end of the Bay 18, whereby the last part behind the downspout becomes again lower towards the outside.

 

NHtwvp.jpg
Source: apollosaturn.com (John Duncan)

 

And these are the two parts of the gutter.

 

mU3oaV.jpg

 

At first, the gutter bottom was glued with CA, again using Teflon foil as gluing protection. top.gif

 

EZlO9V.jpg

 

89C40V.jpg

 

fUgK90.jpg

 

And then it went on with the supports, 

 

7UwrV8.jpg

 

And then it went on with the supports, which were clamped for exact fixing again between Cutter Blades. up045518.gif

 

xgUf38.jpg

 

bgcMcL.jpg

 

Then I have left the gutter alone, 

 

OShVe3.jpg

 

and thereafter examined the seat of the supports, which was okay. speak_cool.gif

 

miVHVn.jpg

 

This was followed by the last dull gluing of the two gutter parts with Gator's Grip, smiley_worship.gif

 

hVicYz.jpg

 

which again has worked great. top2.gif

 

DzbRRw.jpg

 

aneNHg.jpg

 

Hence all five gutters with a total of 34 supports have finally been scratched,  hurrah.gif above for the Side 2, and below for the Side 4

 

4mLs4X.jpg

 

and now I feel truly relieved. up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

after the wearisome Gutter chapter has been finished except for the paintwork, I want to take a relaxing look ahead and bring the highlight of the lighting of the MLP back into the game, which will soon be back on my agenda. gut.gif

 

During my first inventory (2014) I had found these 21 lamps on the Side 1

 

up036462.jpg
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

 

which I had to correct in hindsight, since the Lamp 5 during the STS-6 (1983) did still not exist, like one can see in this picture of the STS-28 (1989), but rather much later, whereby the number of lamps is reducing to 20. huh.gif

 

ctVAy3.jpg
Source: NASA

 

Since the wiring design of the Super-Current bank was construed on max. eight LEDs per circuit, my original lighting plan included these three circuits with a total of 20 lamps. cool.gif

 

iuSwTm.jpg

 

During the preparation of the later installation of the circuits on the model, it is important from a practical point of view to think about how the thin leads and the return conductors of the individual circuits should be laid preferably. Withal it is necessary to consider how to pass with leads and lamps through the narrow spaces under the canopies between the pipelines and struts and past the tiny fittings and also to glue them, whiat should not be so easy. smiley_worship.gif

 

In my first lighting trials, the matter was easier, because I had then only provisionally laid the individual LED wires under the canopies, which now inevitably needs to be done differently in the final solution.  top.gif

 

up037353.jpg

 

That is why I have changed the division of the circuits, which now looks like this. Thus there will be a circuit (red) with eight LEDs connected in series, and two circuits with six lamps each.  up045518.gif

 

SFSL7U.jpg
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

 

Therefore I imagine the installation so that the three leads are led through the front right Pedestal, preferably detachable via mini-connectors, denknf8.gif in order to be able later to let drive the Crawler with the MLP a short piece on the Pad diorama. speak_cool.gif  

 

In contrast to my original plan, it will be more favorable to lead the first circuit (red) along the wall to the right Access Platform and then under the LH2 Access Platform. As with the other two circuits, the return wires then run via a Ground (GND) bus below the left Access Platform and the front left pedestal.

 

The installation of the second circuit (yellow) will presumably be the most difficult act because the place under the Blast Shield over the valves of the LH2 Valve Skid is very tight, as one can easily see here. eek.gif

 

ku44gq.jpg

 

ecxL96.jpg

 

But we'll work it out somehow ... top.gif

 

The installation of the third circuit (light blue) hopefully will be a bit easier, because there is more space above the LOX Valve Skid and under the left Blast shield.

 

As far as with this little trip to the illumination of the clouded minds.up040577.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello friends,

 

after my gallstone calmed down again analintruder.gif and can stay on parole for the time being, where he is, I can finally turn the LED switch back again to clarify a few last details with the MLP lamps and try out. gut.gif

 

First of all, I want to introduce my Super Current Bank, which a friend of mine had designed and built in an ingenious way for illumination of my Launch Pad Diorama. up045518.gif

 

KfwlX5.jpg

 

Here again briefly to the profile of this "Marvel Box", whose performance capability we deliberately generously constructed, which provides the following Constant current circuits:

 

- 46 current circuits (adjustable from 0.6 ... 5.6 mA) for the normal lighting of the FSS/RSS, as well as of the MLP and the Crawler,

 

- 6 current circuits (adjustable from 0.6 ... 5.6 mA) for warning lights (switchable to flashing),

 

- 6 current cuits (fixed at 12 mA) for flood light poles on the pad,

 

- 2 current circuits (fixed at 220 mA) for the overall lighting of the diorama

 

In each of the two circuits (220 mA), 2 LEDs can be connected in series. In each of the other circuits, however, up to 8 LEDs can be connected in series. That gives the impressive number of total 464 LEDs (368 + 48 + 48), yikes.gif which I will not exhaust corresponding to my previous planning. i5684_no2.gif 

 

Before I react to the red LED (0401) for the Warning lights connected to the Current bank in the picture above, I have scrutinized once again the relevant lamp shapes for my pad model, initially adopted by the Apollo LUTs at the beginning of the Shuttle program and later replaced by more modern lamps.

 

At that time there were lamps both with reflector (Type A) and without reflector (Type E), and this type also with red globe (Type F), as it was used for the warning lights. 

 

NaGS02.jpg    uzWHRG.jpg   vjMTj9.jpg
Source: NASA

 

In the Tower (FSS) and on the RSS the lamps with reflector were mostly installed,

up037300.jpg
Source: NASA

 

G73AKX.jpg
Source: NASA

 

for which I have used expanded ferrules (1 mm²) with inserted beads for fixing the LED wires. cool.gif 

 

up037280.jpg

 

With the exception of lamps 2 and 3 (yellow) and lamp 2 (light blue), all lamps on the Side 1 are type A and have a reflector,  

 

SFSL7U.jpg
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

 

what one can see a little more clearly in this picture section. 

 

BJz6tl.jpg
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

 

As a reference measurement for the dimensioning of both lamp shapes served me the width of the webs on my MLP walls of 1.5 mm. 

 

Yz2YtK.jpg
Source: NASA

 

And so back to the first image with the red LED for the warning lights, which works perfectly with the Current bank, only it does not blink quite as fast as this one. up040439.gif

 

KWrtTO.jpg

 

Since these lamps without a reflector are slightly smaller, I have used slightly smaller ferrules (0.5 mm²), which need not be widened as much as the sleeves for the lamps with reflector (left in the picture). 

 

hI5fok.jpg

 

The difficulty with these lamps without reflector is to find a suitable glass bead for the glass body, for which I have tried different bead sizes. top.gif 

 

Here is e.g. a cylindrical shape,

 

0GByvp.jpg

 

and here a roundish bead, which should fit better in size.

 

TgT4cN.jpg

 

The sticking point here is that the LED also has to fit into the bead, which is why only the smallest types 0401/0402 with dimensions 1.0 mm x 0.5 mm x 0.5 mm (LxWxH) are suitable for this. 

 

mIbOE9.jpg

 

0sFca9.jpg

 

USgM5q.jpg

 

vCCimq.jpg

 

Then I still found this smaller bead, which fits even better with this lamp shape without reflector.  speak_cool.gif

 

g1QiWe.jpg

 

ZySjPj.jpg

 

1nGeR7.jpg

 

And with that I want to content myself for today.  up040577.gif

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Hi friends, bow.gif

 

I can still remember very well how I have rubbed my eagle eyes at that time three years ago, cant-believe-my-eyes-smiley-emoticon.gif when I did a lot of extensive analysis during my Lighting Chapter, as one can see here  for the RSS ... gut.gif

 

rjii.jpg
Source: NASA
 

Here is another amazing impression of the Pad at night, showing Challenger's countdown for mission STS-41B (1984). top.gif

 

KSC-84PC-0080.jpg
Source: NASA
But until then there is still a long and challanging way to go ... up040577.gif

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Hello everyone,

 

today I have first expanded a handful of the larger ferrules (1 mm²) with a center punch from 2.3 mm to 2.8 mm diameter, for which the cordless screwdriver only needs to run a few revolutions, otherwise one is fast at Ø 3 mm or more. rolleyes.gif

 

LsituE.jpg

 

Then I experimented a bit further and tried to expand also the slightly smaller ferrules (0.5 mm²) to Ø 2.8 mm.  huh.gif

 

At this sleeve, the smaller diameter of the tube with 1.4 mm is still slightly smaller than that of the larger ferrule with 1.8 mm, which would fit much better to the socket diameter of my lampshades. top.gif

 

The only question was whether the sleeve would endure the expansion, or whether the lampshade would crack. analintruder.gif

 

On my first attempt, I was probably a bit too impetuous,  up040472.gif which can be clearly seen on the cracked lampshade on the right in the picture. To the left are the expanded 1 mm² ferrules, which did not mind this expanding. speak_cool.gif

 

uuaxcK.jpg

 

Therefore, I proceeded much more cautiously on the second attempt and checked the lampshade diameter from time to time with the caliper gauge. cool.gif

 

Everything went pretty well up to Ø 2.5 mm, as you can see here,

 

rP2GsM.jpg

 

but at Ø 2.8 mm the first mini-cracks appeared on the edge of the lampshade,  rolleyes.gif which is why I will rather use the larger ferrules. 

 

vIuD9M.jpg

 

5sRcqb.jpg

 

And here's already a look ahead to the mainly installed lamp shape on the RSS, here on Pad 39B during the preparation of the Challenger on her last, unfortunately fateful mission STS-51L (1986). cry.gif

 

SIjsqX.jpg
Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (James MacLaren)

 

And here are my first attempts compared to a simple lamp from the Revell Kit (right). smiley_worship.gif

 

QTeL9E.jpg

 

Probably for these lamps thin brass tubes will later be used into which the LED wires then will be threaded respectively soldered. up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

on closer inspection, however, the lamp Made by Revell is too rustic for me, which I can not make friends with, i5684_no2.gif especially as the tube seems also too thick to me. rolleyes.gif

 

And since the lamps are getting a bit more filigree anyway, I have taken measurement at the RSS-lamp once more.

 

And behold, my sense of proportion has not deceived me again,cant-believe-my-eyes-smiley-emoticon.gif because the tube should have a diameter of 0.4 mm,

 

Yh1Rqd.jpg
Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (James MacLaren)

 

while the Revell tube with 1 mm is twice as thick, which can be seen in the following photo.  analintruder.gif 

 

This is for comparison a brass tube with Ø 0.5 mm, which would match the lamp size well, compared with the overlying lampshade, which is a little smaller with Ø 2.8 mm than my first samples with about Ø 3 mm (left).

 

HhQwBB.jpg

 

And as one can see, the 0.1 mm thin LED wires let also thread into the tube, so everything is okay. up045518.gif

 

All we can hope is that one can bend the tube cleanly around the rounding without a kink, but we'll manage that too, I guess. up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

Oh well - pipe bending is always such a tricky thing and can also become a complete flop. smiley_worship.gif

 

But what's the name of it? gruebel.gif Well begun is half done.  cool.gif

 

And my first bending test with the 0.5 mm brass tube looks quite useful already, right? denknf8.gif

 

SU3SEr.jpg

 

Which in turn confirms my credo: Nothing is impossible!!!  up045518.gif

 

BTW, maybe the pulling in of the two 0,1 mm wires is even favorable for the bending of the brass tube, since its diameter is 0.3 mm, which both wires almost fill. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Hello friends,

 

here is another update to the marked three lamps without shade on the Side 1, as well as for the hazard warning lights with this shape here. gut.gif

 

up059840.jpg
Source: NASA

 

In my search for even better matching ferrules for this lamp shape, I've actually found something, and indeed at Voelkner, who offers the smallest available size 0.1 - 0.3 mm². And although that are equal to 100 pcs, which I guaranteed will not need, so I grabbed it, and today the package arrived, so of course I had to try it.  speak_cool.gif

 

These sleeves have a shade diameter of 1.5 mm, which corresponds exactly to the width of the MLP girders, and would therefore be even better suited than the previously tested 0.5 mm² sleeves with Ø 1.9 mm (shade). cool.gif

 

An LED 0402 can also be threaded into the sleeve, as you can see on this picture. To the left are the 0.5 mm² and the 1 mm² sleeves.  

 

gUCVJN.jpg

 

And if the back part of the shade is slightly widened, then the shade looks like this (right) and its shape would therefore fit even better.

 

6vJjOV.jpg

 

But since there probably are no matching transparent or red glass beads for this size, which should have a diameter of approx. 1.3 mm, one would have to apply the glass body above the LED with transparent epoxy resin. But wether that would work, I do not know ... denknf8.gif

Let's try and see. up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

once more back to the Tube bending. The wires I have threaded before, especially since that would be one of the two options in the later installation.  cool.gif But since I for myself was unsure how far I had threaded the wires, I have checked it out.

 

iLdWMi.jpg

 

And as one can see here, the wires actually went beyond the arch,  

 

1ylxuX.jpg

 

so they might have been a bit of a bending aid.  up040577.gif

 

But there is also this second option here, which had brought a friend at the Raumcon forum into play at that time.speak_cool.gif

 

SjluE0.jpg

 

In this case, only one wire (anode) needs to be threaded into the tube, the other wire (cathode) could be separated and then soldered at both ends with the brass tube and thus use it as a return conductor (GND). 

 

When using brass pipes, of course, there is the risk of sharp edges, which is why you have to debur the separation points at the tube ends carefully or round off, schlaumeier.gif so that the protective varnish of the LED wires stays intact and there is no short circuit is caused.  eek.gif

 

That I have tried with my thinnest drills, first with a drill Ø 0.3 mm, which did not fit into the opening, but hopefully has served for deburring,

 

pOeLHW.jpg

 

and then with a drill Ø 0.25 mm for cleaning. 

 

nqNJOi.jpg

 

Then I have cut my first bent tube to length, also deburred the ends, and then tried to thread in both 0.1mm wires one at a time to test whether or not the bow can be run through. denknf8.gif

 

That was the expected tricky affair, and threading alone was not for the faint of eyes.  cant-believe-my-eyes-smiley-emoticon.gif

 

In the process, I first have slided the one wire from the long side into the opening and carefully felt my way to the bending so as not to unnecessarily bend the wire out of shape, which worked out well. And after a short standstill it went around the arch and out at the other end. top.gif

 

The second wire then made some more problems and only progressed a few millimeters, then I had to grasp again. But as one can see, it finally came to the fore again at the other end. top2.gif

 

IKYpxU.jpg

 

Whether the threading would be easier from the short side, I do not know what one could try.  hmmm.gif

 

In any case, the soldering on the tube could be avoided this way. huh.gif

 

That's it for now, maybe there are still useful tips from this round.  up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

as I see you have no opinion or suggestions on this issue. undecided.gif

 

Anyway, let's go, because with regard to the glass body for the lamps without a large lampshade, I have at least gotten a tip from a friend from the Paper Modelers Forum, who has found out a manufacturer of smallest glass beads in the Czech Crystal Valley, which I could perhaps contact to possibly get a handful of samples for testing.  up045518.gif

 

These mini beads Delica-RH / 321 11 001 (1,3 x 1,3 mm) could be a possibility with their size, and Macco-RH / 321 11 001 (1 x 1 mm) would also be interesting. top.gif

Seed-Beads_Delica-RH_t.pngSeed-Beads_Macco-RH_t.png
Source: preciosa-ornela.com

 

Crucial would be the inner diameter, which I have estimated from the image to 0.65 mm, which would be to check, which is why I have just asked there once. denknf8.gif 

 

Similar mini beads (Ø 1.3 x 1.1 mm), which would fit and would also be suitable for threading the LED, I have in my stock, but unfortunately they are silvered and not transparent or red-transparent. rolleyes.gif 

 

So the matter does not seem to be hopeless. 

 

So long!  up040577.gif

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We're not giving you a whole lotta love, are we Manfred? ... gee, have you noticed, there's not a lot of activity here on this forum.

 

But I'm sure we'd love to give you some advice, but, from my point of view, you are in uncharted territory. You are the trailblazer in scratch building and I, for one, am learning from you. You're building things, in such a careful, meticulous manner, that I haven't seen on any other forum before.

 

The way you're building and, as I've said before, in tiny 1/144 ... is inspiring! It's great to watch you, through your story-telling photos, using your own creative jigs, how you develop a solution, to a specific problem, through trial and error. It's Just ... re-mark-able!  :thumbsup:

 

We're still watching ... watching a Master scratch builder and absorbing ... and learning. And not settling for 'close enough'.

 

When I read this thread, the constant word I hear in my mind is ...

WOW!

 

Keep up the great work and know that we're still watching!

Pete

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Hi Pete and thanks for your great laudation, which makes me very happy because it is honestly meant. lob4.gif

BTW, it sounds almost as if you were the speaker in the mission of the forum community, which seems to be paralyzed from a kind of photobucket shock, which is really very, very pity ... hmmm.gif

 

Whenever I want to access the old threads with lots of amazing photos of you guys, only these stupid photobucket error images are staring at me, what a disaster, up043952.gif fight.gif  eek.gif because a thread without pictures is a dead thread in my eyes.

 

In that sense, I can understand when many of you are tired of posting ... erschrocken2.gif

 

But head up my friends - life goes on. up040577.gif

 

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