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

[spaceman]

Thanks bubble and Pete for all your nice comments and encouragement! Here's a small update:

I cut the strips somewhat longer (4 mm), so that it can be glued more simply into the support openings, the overlaying rest after tying the Superglue one cuts off and the edges afterwards carefully one smoothes. Then it is enough in addition with the stressful handling these mites, up to the diagonal bracers, which must be still laterally glued to after the assembly of the painted supports.

After now all Pipe supports got their bearings, the paint shop could be pleased once again about a larger order in grey. Beside the supports should be painted there also directly still an evergreen profile (0.75x0.25 mm) for the lateral bracers, a round profile (Ø 1.6 mm) for the grey LOX Vent Line on Side 2, a H-beam (2.0x2.0 mm) and an I-beam (2.5x2.3 mm) for bracers and Pipe supports on the pallets on the Access Platform AP 1, as well as the ladders for the two TSM's.

For painting the nice Pipe supports (14.9x4.8 mm) I had to consider myself a retaining possibility. In addition I bent paper clips upward and attached the supports to it with few tiny Superglue droplets. The ladders were fastened with narrow adhesive tape strips to toothpick.

The Pipe supports let themselves solve after painting completely easily from the holding.

Thus nothing more stands in the way now to the assembly of the Pipe supports and the lateral bracers on the Side 2.

[crowe-t]

Manfred,

The parts look beautiful with the new paint!

What paint/color did you use?

Mike.

Edited May 6, 2012 by crowe-t

[spaceman]

Hey Mike,

thanks for your nice words. The color I used is Revell's Aqua Color 36157 Grey (beamless).

Before I begin with the assembly of the Pipe supports, I tried to build the LOX Pipes from the Paper kit. I hope you still remind you of these photos.

The production of this thin, but with approx. 30 cm relatively long pipes from paper is a delicate process. And so I tried it nevertheless but only with the white LOX transfer line, as one can see here in this picture, over it lie to the comparison a plastic round profile.

Okay, that is feasible in principle, however nevertheless altogether a quite lengthy procedure, until one before-rounded and to a tube formed the paper strip halfway over a core, particularly over this length. And of small breaks that is not at all alike evenly approximately and freely anyway not, and particularly stably already.

And now one would have to roll the tube up for glueing first again over the whole length something, in order to put the glue on an approx. 1 mm broad and to approx. 30 cm long fold and then with the glue again cleanly roll up ... , I believe, also that is not cleanly feasible without core, and by the way - also not without 19th nervous breakdown ... Then one can better take a stable round plastic profile rather, which I will make in any case. And one can bend that then also still around the corner, if it must be. Therefore I have also built the Pipe supports from sheet.

And now it is finally so far, and the installation of the LOX Pipes on the Side 2 can start up. In addition I aligned first the two pipes for a test between the first and last Pipe support and marked the positions of the supports, which have an easy downward gradient from the Side 1 to the Side 3. I stated to my surprise that there are not only eight, but even nine supports on this side , why still another support had to be ordered additionally.

Then I glued together the first four Pipe supports, first the front and rear, and afterwards the second support from the front and one for instance on the side center, and the downward gradient of the lines comes so far completely well.

Next the cut of the diagonal lateral bracers (0.75x0.25 mm) for the Pipe supports came to the row.

Afterwards I began with glueing of the lateral bracers, which are arranged by the support times on the right side and times left.

And tomorrow still the remaining supports are to then follow.

Edited December 7, 2012 by spaceman

[stevenichols]

Manfred to see your build and Mike's makes me hang my head in shame. I'am simply astounded at the level of detail you have incorporated in this build.

Edited May 7, 2012 by stevenichols

[spaceman]

Hi Steve,

thanks for all the kind words, which give me encouragement to keep pushing on the build. But you don't need hang your head in shame in such a way. I've been following your excellent work on the MIR station and it's also coming along great.

[spaceman]

Hello guys,

before there was however still another small aha-experience. When exact looking it noticed to me that there are not only eight Pipe supports on the Side 2, but even nine of them. Thus made something happy to early, and therefore still one support had to be ordered additionally, before the manufacturing sketches disappear perhaps still in sinking.

And therefore here only still smaller side trip to a few interesting Pipe details. It would be also too easy to push simply only the two naked LOX Pipes by the supports onto the Side 2 and that was it then, but hello! There are still the so-called Expansion Joints in both lines, or also stretch flanges, as well as shorter, thicker Pipe segments, which occur in each case in different dimensions, therefore here are a few photos in addition:

Here first on Side 4 into the LH2-Pipes, where the stretch flanges are somewhat longer,

source: NASA

and here on the Side 2 the somewhat shorter building in the LOX Pipes:

source: NASA

And here one can sees a detail pic of such a stretch flange.

source: United Space Alliance: STS-111 Flight Readiness Review (2002), GO-18

But naturally the exciting question comes now, how one could probably scratch-build these flanges best?

There are e.g. drinking straws, which everyone knows, with which the bends have such bellows, but I only know such straws with approx. 5 mm in diameter which unfortunately is too thick. Therefore I tried out for it first times the following winding technology with simple garden wire. That is the 1.6 mm round profile for the LOX lines, and whereupon on the right a coil from 0.4 mm wire and on the left of beside it with 0.6 mm wire, and on the left of one of line swellings. One must vary there surely still with the wire sizes, whereby the right wire surely seems still to be too thin.

That was now only a all first hand attempt without large precision, and as one sees, the meanderings run inevitably somewhat diagonally. If one is not yet content thereby, one can improve also some more. For such things a view is always worthwhile itself into the decoration department of a tinkering shop, where I e.g. discovered then these small rings, and thought that it could go thereby possibly still better.

The rings are 0.8 mm strongly, have an outside diameter of approx. 4.5 mm and would here be a possible option for the thicker LH2-Vent Pipes on the Side 4 with 2.7 mm outside diameter. In addition an attempt with these rings, which I planished and easily bent together somewhat. Several such rings drawn up next to each other on the round profile, such a stretch flange were then showed, still without gluing.

And I find, whereupon can be constructed, or? And which do you mine in addition? Or are there possibly still better proposals?

[stevenichols]

Manfred,

How about using a punch set and sandwich a few together to make one. It would be tedious but it would work.

http://www.micromark.com/Precision-Disk-Punch-Set,10230.html

Edited May 11, 2012 by stevenichols

[crowe-t]

Manfred,

So far I like the 2nd option using the small rings. It looks more like the actual Expansion Joint. If you could find thinner versions of those small rings that might look better. However the rings shown in the pictures get the job done.

Mike.

[mark31]

Manfred,

Nice progres so far and i think the second options is the best solution.

Looksmore realistic keep up the good work.

Mark

[spaceman]

Manfred,

How about using a punch set and sandwich a few together to make one. It would be tedious but it would work.

http://www.micromark.com/Precision-Disk-Punch-Set,10230.html

Hi Steve,

that's really a nice tool and it also would work so far, but if you look exactly, the turns of the bellows are rounded and not angular.

[spaceman]

Thanks Mike and Mark for your nice comments, which drive me forward.

But you're right Mike, those rings would have to be somewhat more thinly and their diameters somewhat more largely, therefore I will probably use thinner wire for the Expansion joints.

[spaceman]

With the exact comparison with the detail pic of the Expansion Joint (EJ) it noticed to me that the proportions of my solution with the rings, presented last, seem to be correct nevertheless not completely. In addition the rings with a thickness of 0.8 mm are nevertheless somewhat too strong in relation to the pipe diameter of 2.8 mm for the LH2-Vent Line on the Side 4 and should be rather somewhat thinner.

Therefore I checked for the examination of the proportions the dimensions of the EJ on the detail pic again, and came thereby on the following proportions:

EJ-Diameter:Pipe-Diameter=1,4

as well as

EJ-Diameter:EJ-Ring-Thickness=9,5.

And from this follows e.g. for 2.8 mm pipe diameter a thickness of the EJ-Rings of 0.4 mm, which might show a more realistic picture than with 0.8 mm rings.

For the LOX-Vent Line on the Side 2 with 1.6 mm in diameter would result thereafter a thickness of the rings of 0.25 mm. And thus my all first coil with the thinner wire did not lie at all 0.4 mm so far away, which however first not at all like it looked. On Macro photographs such details look always rather clear, although these differences from normal point of view will not be noticeable probably however at all so much.

Thus I will have to look around for appropriate wire sizes.

[Youngtiger1]

Manfred, everytime I visit this thread I'm in an awe. You are doing some great work. I'm learning a lot of cool tips. BTW, have you thought about were you going to put this project when its all finished? :)

Mike

[spaceman]

Hi Mike,

thanks for the nice compliments, your interest in my build and the fact you can use some tipps of mine make me happy.

The place for the Pad I've already considered myself. In our studio under the roof I reserved a corner. There the Diorama (approx. 1 m x 1 m) with the Launch Pad could stand.

[spaceman]

Hi all together,

since the procurement some more drags on, I concerned myself in the meantime with a further nice MLP detail somewhat more extensively. Here again a photo of the Ladder Cages, which are installed at both corners of the Side 1.

source: NASA

In David Maiers kits look these baskets in such a way:

That would be then only such obscure tubes with the suggested outlines of the baskets, which would not please me however at all, that's an absolute NO Go!

Therefore I originally wanted to procure myself for it the PE-kits for fire ladders for the trace N, which would fit from the size well, which would cost however again something. Therefore I considered for a long time back and forth to what one could take for it possibly for improvisation, in order to save for something work and costs. Since I found however no suitable lattice or similar aids, I thought that I could scratch-build the baskets possibly also from thin Evergreen profiles, the suitable ladders I had already procured myself for the two TSM's.

In order to be able to start correctly, one needs naturally first however only some dimensions. And therefore I have searched my picture collection for good Hi.Res.-Photos and evaluated appropriate photos, measured i.e. diameters, distances, wall thicknesses etc.,converted it on 1:160 and not badly been astonished, which for delicate mites would become. For the baskets one needs rather thin Strips, whereby I decided in the long run for 0,25x0,5 mm.

Next I considered myself the fact that one does not manage probably without template and without a core and has looked for appropriate round material with approx. 6 mm in diameter and made me a sketch of the completion of the basket . Then I tried to bend a Styrene Strip around the core to windings and under a hot-air hair dryer to rings in hope that they maintain afterwards their diameter, which also in principle goes, although they expanded themselves again somewhat.

Therefore I started a next winding attempt and used a core with smaller diameter and wound the strip more carefully under hot-air, which supplied better rings.

Since the use of the completion sketch as template for sticking the bars and rings together on the core would have led to the enlargement of the basket diameter, I had in the long run done without it. Afterwards I have drawn the location of the strips and rings on the core and whereupon first fastened the ladder and the longitudinal bars with tape.

Afterwards the rings were roughly cut

and afterwards glued with Superglue around the bars, which was however not completely so simple.

There were easy problems with the replacement of the ladder basket of the core, which stuck nevertheless in some places. With the careful loosening of the splices I had to watch out infernally, since the 0.25 mm thin strip can't bear not very much and could easily break. There I must be still more careful when next sticking and dab less Superglue.

Next update follows soon.

[spaceman]

And here is the next update.

But in the long run nevertheless succeeded in getting the basket down welfare and cutting on length, and it looks nevertheless completely tidy, as I find.

And in such a way then the provisional fitting at the MLP looks.

Now the upper exit beside the ladder must be only opened and the basket afterwards be painted. With the result of my prototype I am so far completely content, with somewhat more exercise could next perhaps even some more better succeed.

[bubble]

Great job !!! , this micro work ,it take,s a lot of time, but later the endresult will be

[spaceman]

Thanks bubble for the nice words,

you are right absolutely, the final result is important. I have not looked on the clock, but it lasted some time, until the first ladder cage was finished so far.

But that is the price, I'll gladly pay for it.

[crowe-t]

Manfred,

Nice work on the ladder cages! The prototype looks exactly like the real thing.

Mike.

Edited May 23, 2012 by crowe-t

[stevenichols]

Manfred, the engineering of the construction process is every bit as impressive as the cage's. This is simply stunning work.

[mark31]

Nice work on the ladders.

Good expland thanks for the tips

Mark

[spaceman]

Thanks guys for all the kind words! Your comments give me encouragement to keep pushing on with scratch-building such details.

So, and because the first prototype already had succeeded completely well, directly still the second ladder cage should follow. Now I have refined some handles somewhat, whereby the procedure should be simplified.

This time I've glued the vertical bracers next to each other in the necessary distance on two thin masking tapes. This 'bracer lattice' I put then around the core and fixed it together with the ladder with some masking tapes too. That could be done in any case more simply than with the first time, I had presented the bracers just separately and had fixed them successively with masking tapes. And then again rings under the hot-air hair dryer were wound and cut from it.

Afterwards I glued the first ring only at one side of the ladder as starting point. After the Superglue has hardened I pulled the ring loop something to the side and successively dabbed all splices on the bracers with Superglue and immediately thereafter pulled the ring loops with the tweezers in one turn around the bracers and let them glue. One can still make quite small position corrections, if one hurries somewhat. And in such a way that could be done actually completely well and the ring sat rather exactly on the marking.

And in such a way all remaining rings were then glued together, from which one can see the starting points in each case here,

and here the other side with the endpoints. The supernatant ends were cut off and finally all outside splices to the ladder were carefully sanded.

And there now both ladder cages stand and wait for the finish, the recesses for the exit and in the end the painting.

And to the end still a nice matter of price for the eagle eyes among you: How do both ladder cages differ, which is your opinion?

[crowe-t]

Manfred,

It's not easy to tell from the picture but the ladder cage on the left looks a bit nicer and smoother. However they look nearly identical. Beautiful work! Maybe if you post some closer pictures I'll be able to see the differences more clearly.

Mike.

[K2Pete]

The two ladder cages are so close, in quality, it's difficult to tell any difference. Plus, they are so small ...

Manfred, your creative solutions and workmanship are remarkable!!

It's a real pleasure to see your progress. You're very skilled ... and talented too!!

I am so happy you've been posting here so we all can share in this build of yours! I look forward to every one of your posts!

Pete

[spaceman]

Thanks Mike and Pete for your nice words, which make me happy.

I admit, the difference is really not easy to recognize, if one does not know it, therefore you will be astonished. But let's wait for a short time, perhaps other guys still could find the elementary difference.

I don't know what browser you are using, but you should be able to zoom it something more higher, in order to see the ladder cages more largely.