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

[bubble]

Manfred did you see this link 

 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4563734/files

[spaceman]

Thanks bubble, 

 

I've also discovered the NASA Crawler Transporter by Scott McMaster (smc321) at Thingiverse, but I don't know how good his parts would match the outrigger structures (incl. JEL Cylinder), of Mischa Klement's Kit that I will try to recreate it made of plastic by using the downscaled outlines (1/160) I have let print out today. 

[spaceman]

Hello everybody,

 

here is still an addition to the superlative Micro Artwork Paper Kit. 

 

This kit is unique and worth every Euro, after all, the Lord of the Crawlers worked on it for about 10 years,  until after his extensive CAD modeling everything was printed on paper/cardboard/foil in 11.000 parts, what a hell of a job! 

 

And then he has still put a sweet cherry on the top of the cake: The Crawler truck assembly procedure as 3D PDF file - Additional instructions.  

 

This revolutionary new concept of building instructions gives you full access to the 3D model and lets you zoom, pan and rotate the complete model, selected parts or part groups. 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

And this is just the start. Predefined scenes lead you through the assembly procedure, and each scene gives you full 3D access to the model. You can individually isolate, show and hide parts or part groups. No more guesswork how parts are meant to be folded or fit together. 

 

And the best of all: All you need is the Acrobat Reader. 

 

And here some interesting information about the Background of the Project, of which the visit to the KSC and the ride on the Crawler Transporter #1 were highlights.

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

And as one can see, the master was deeply impressed ... 

Edited May 6, 2021 by spaceman

[CaptKirk]

You would have thought the least they could do is give it a classic racing steering wheel - maybe off a Porsche 356 or similar.

[spaceman]

You joker, I think he's just quite simply thrilled sitting on this beast. 

[spaceman]

Hello friends,

 

but for God's sake, I don't plan to build Mischa Klement's Crawler Kit with all 11.000 parts,  but I plan to use it for scratching important assemblies by using plastic. 

 

I also plan to let some parts such as the tiny Propel Motors and the Gear case housings to be 3D modeled by my friend Joe (crackerjazz) and printed at Shapeways.

 

A great help for doing this will be the construction report by the German Jürgen Ziegler (FADDA), a true genius in paper modeling, who successfully built Mischa Klement's Crawler Kit. 
 
In addition to his construction report, he has uploaded 20 YouTube Videos with all the individual steps during modeling of the paper crawler from its 11.000 parts each as a slide show! 
 
For example take a look at his Video #15, in which he first presents all 52 parts of one Propel motor in full and then puts them together step by step. You will be amazed, because this makes it easier to understand both the structure of the motor and all of the individual parts. 

Edited May 13, 2021 by spaceman

[K2Pete]

Video #15 was un-bee-leev-able!  Thanx Manfred! I shall watch the others in the series. Does he wrap the paper in something solid?

I've only made 1 paper model, the Hubble Space Telescope ( maybe 12 or 14 years ago) and it's just paper and hollow. and extremely fragile, Does he wrap his paper around Balsa or something else?

 

I have some videos to watch!  

Pete

 

[spaceman]

Hi Pete,

 

I can understand your enthusiasm and fully agree with you. This guy is from another star ... 

 

Source: Jürgen Ziegler (FADDA) - YouTube

 

His gluing technique in particular is ingenious,  he glues all edges butt-jointed, without any folds, that's modeling madness!!! 

 

Have fun with his other Videos, they are all absolutely worth seeing!  

Edited May 13, 2021 by spaceman

[spaceman]

Hello everybody,

 

but now one also needs 16 Gear cases on which the 16 Propel motors are mounted, 

 

Source: Jürgen Ziegler (FADDA) - YouTube

 

which one can see here after assembly. 

 

Source: Jürgen Ziegler (FADDA) - YouTube

 

Therefore maybe you can imagine that I'm not really bent on scratching 16 exemplars of this tricky assembly, especially since they are only about half the size in my scale 1/160, and that I can't make friends with David Maier's less detailed kit variant anyway. 

 

Source: papermodelers.com (mk311049)

 

Source: papermodelers.com (mk311049)

 

That's why I have asked my friend Joe (crackerjazz), who has kindly started with the 3D modeling of the Propel Motors,  for which I've emailed  him some first dimensions.

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

Unfortunately I don't have any NASA drawings of these assemblies.  But meanwhile I'm able to take measurements (1/160) in Mischa Klement's Truck 3D PDF, because the determination of the dimensions from the paper kit is rather imprecise. 

 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

And so we are slowly progressing, step by step, as one can see in this progress shot. 

 

Source: ARC Forums member Crackerjazz

 

It can carry on like this. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2021 by spaceman

[spaceman]

Hello everybody,

 

here comes the next progress with some more details. 

 

 

Source: ARC Forums member Crackerjazz

[The Underdog]

 

Spaceman, I've been away for awhile but seemed to return just in time

to see the progress being made with the Crawler Transporter. Your own

skills at modeling are amazing to watch!

[spaceman]

Thanks my friend, 

 

but keep in mind, I haven't 3D modeled the motor, my friend Joe (crackerjazz) is doing it kindly for me. 

[spaceman]

Hello everybody,

 

during my intensive occupation both with Mischa Klement's Crawler Kit and with his ingenious Truck 3D PDF, especially during determining various dimensions with the 3D measuring tool I came across something that gave me a bit of a headache.  And those are the sometimes minimal thicknesses of certain parts in the tenths of a millimeter range, with which Shapeways should have considerable problems during printing, without knowing their latest limit values. 

 

Such a thin part I want to show using the example of the retaining plate (part 5), which only is approx. 0,1 mm thick, to which the holders of the brake shoes of the brake disc (parts 9/10) are attached. 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

Similar parts with critical wall thicknesses I have framed in red in the Outlines PDF, whereby it is, among other things, the motor feet (parts 18-22), 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

which one can locate in the assembly instructions using the overview of the individual parts of a left Propel motor, which I always have within reach. 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

For illustration the proportions of the parts and distances that always appear huge in the 3D model shots, in the following picture I have determined the distance between the brake disc and this retaining plate, which is only approx. 1 mm.  

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

About this issue of minimal thicknesses I've informed my 3D modeler Joe and asked him how we should deal with it. 

 

Thereupon he said that once the 3D model is ready, we might have to adjust the thicknesses and enlarge small details, because otherwise they would be invisible.   

 

This is undoubtedly an advantage of Paper models, which Mischa Klement was able to use in his paper kit, since thin components made of paper still have sufficient stability. From this point of view, paper allows much smaller thicknesses than 3D printing, in which it may no longer be printable, which must be taken into account when 3D modeling. 

Edited May 18, 2021 by spaceman

[spaceman]

Hello everybody,

 

in order to finally get a real idea of the size of such a Propel Motor in my scale (1/160), I have tried just for the fun of it to scratch such a motor from plastic, and have quickly realized what a midget it is. 

 

For the base body of the motor I've used an Evergreen profile 4,8 x 6,3 mm, which I've cut on the narrow side with the precision saw on approx. 5 mm. 

 

 

Then I've drawn the octagonal shape of the motor housing onto the front side,

 

 

and afterwards I have filed down the four corners, whereby I had to be very careful not to take away too much.  

 

 

On this approx. 7 mm long octagonal base body I have glued on the two disks (part 3) for fixing the retaining plate (part 5) for mounting the brake shoes of the brake disc (parts 9/10).

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

 

Then it was the turn of the front brake disc shaft and the rear drive shaft. 

 

 

For the retaining plate I've used Styrene 0,15 mm and for the brake disc Styrene 0,3 mm, 

 

 

which were then glued, as well as the two rear ventilation openings (part 33) and the cable box (part 35) on the inside of the (left) motor. The ending was formed by the four small feet (parts 20-23) made of Styrene 0,15 mm, which were glued to the underside of the base body, wherewith I then wanted initially let it go at that. 

 

And there he lies now, the (unfinished) proud midget that I fiddled around with for a few hours, 

 

 

the one with approx. 14 mm length has place on my Euro Cent coin, 

 

 

and whose brake disc with Ø 5 mm, as already announced, stands comfortably on the globe of the coin. 

 

 

Here one can see for comparison the original Propel motors in the older version, relevant for my STS-6 Crawler, 

 

Source: Library of Congress (HAER FL-8-11-C-3)

 

as well as here after upgrading and modernization of the Crawler Transporters for the SLS Program, which can be easily recognized by the stronger blue brake shoes. 

 

Source: NASA

 

Because I now know the amount of hand work involved in crafting one motor,  I hope all the more that we can get right a printable 3D model for a Set of 16 + 2 reserve motors. 

Edited May 20, 2021 by spaceman

[crowe-t]

Hi Manfred,

 

Your scratch built Propel motor looks great!  I can't imagine the 3D ones looking much better.

 

Mike.

[karl h]

i said it before uns will say it again: unbelievable, i love it!

[spaceman]

5 hours ago, crowe-t said:

Hi Manfred,

 

Your scratch built Propel motor looks great!  I can't imagine the 3D ones looking much better.

 

Mike.

 

Thanks Mike, 

 

but let us surprise ourselves, I am optimistic. 

 

[spaceman]

2 hours ago, karl h said:

i said it before uns will say it again: unbelievable, i love it!

 

Thanks Karl for your great compliment  and stay tuned! 

[crackerjazz]

Here are some updates, Manfred.  But, yeah, some details may need to be simplified or enlarged for them to be printable. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spaceman]

Hi Joe,

 

I'm overwhelmed, what kind of ingenious 3D models you have created for both the right and left Propel motors!  

 

Thank you so much my friend, you did a great job and actually modeled all the tiny details, even the Tension locks on the Service flaps (part 27), really unbelievable! 

 

Since we had very good reference from Mischa Klement's 3D PDF and also some good Hi-Res. Reference photos, I was sure that you will manage it. 

 

Do you want to dare a test upload at Shapeways, or do we should talk about any critical details? 

 

Edited May 22, 2021 by spaceman

[crackerjazz]

Thanks, Manfred.  Still need to rework some details prior to uploading.  Some parts like the disc are already thicker (0.3mm) on purpose to ensure printability (although Shapeways even mentions 0.6mm minimum thickness for unsupported walls -- that's gonna be a thick disc).   I do tend to put actual-size details on the 3D model for us to see what the real object looks like (at least on the computer monitor).   Making a caricature version just goes against my system : )  and I imagine would draw violent reactions, lol.  But I know this is what we should really be doing.

[spaceman]

Thanks Joe, 

 

I've taken another look at Shapeways' Design Guidelines for Fine Detail Plastic. 

Walls

Supported Wall Thickness Min  

0.3 mm

Unsupported Wall Thickness Min   

0.6 mm

 

A supported wall is connected at least on two sides of the wall, while an unsupported wall is connected only on one side of the wall. 

 

With this in mind I would say that the Break disc is connected on three sides, which are the Driveshaft as well as the two Break shoe holders, so 0.3 mm should be permitted. 

 

Therefore we shouldn't unnecessarily deface the cute motor. 

[crackerjazz]

Ok thanks, will leave it at 0.3mm.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's just a theoretical set of 16.  Details have not been adjusted/enlarged yet.

Edited May 24, 2021 by crackerjazz

[spaceman]

Thanks Joe for the next progress shots, which are amazing.   

 

You even have adapted the cover cap. 

 

BTW, I've also seen this version with a hexagon screw in Mischa's Outline PDF, but which I couldn't find in original photos. 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

For the final set we should provide 18 motors, so that there are two reserve motors just in case. 

 

Now I'm curious to see what has to be adjusted/enlarged yet. 

 

 

[spaceman]

Hello everybody,

 

since one can measure almost all parts in the Truck 3D PDF, I was curious and as an exercise I measured some other details in order to scratch them if necessary, or at least once to try what is still feasible in 1/160.

 

First of all there were these 4 legs (parts 18/19) discussed previously, which I've measured. 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

I've then printed out their outlines from the Outline PDF, then stuck them onto thin Evergreen Sheet Styrene (0,13 mm) and then cut them out, which due to the "Size" wasn't that easy.

 

 

And since these are angle profiles, I then folded them under a steel ruler, which was also pretty tricky.

 

 

Gluing the legs was rather fiddling, because I had to somehow hold the motor and be careful not to let these midgets jump out of the tweezers, but what I still succeeded in doing, what will still be seen. 

 

Before that I still had measured these two flaps (parts 27) over the service openings, 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

which are each closed with a Tension lock, which should just about be printable, I hope at least.

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

In any case, that wasn't a hurdle for me.

 

 

On the left beside can be seen one of the four Transport eyelets (parts 30/31), 

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

whose thickness in paper thickness (0,1 mm) should be probably too thin for Shapeways.

 

Source: Micro Artwork, Mischa Klement (cyana)

 

For these eyelets I used a flat U-profile (0,7 x 1,2 mm), from which I've cut off thin slices with the razor blade. 

 

 

And then also to the cover cap between the eyelets and the small screws, 

 

Source: ARC Forums (crackerjazz)

 

which I made from Evergreen Sheet Styrene (0,13 mm) with my Punch & Die Set with diameter Ø 0,8 mm and the smallest existing diameter Ø 0,6 mm, which however should only be half as large.

 

 

And then the most stressful action came with the gluing of these midgets, which is one more reason for preferring to leave the 16 motors to 3D printing.

 

 

As already said, the screws are too large and should only be approx. Ø 0,3 mm, which I've then cut off from a corresponding thin rod, 

 

 

and tried to apply,

 

 

but with which I now stop trying to want sophisticate myself further.