Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

[roma847]

Hello everybody,

 

the Fuel Cell Pipes are put aside and let's look again to the Bay 18, 

 

 

in which are still to install the through-sleeves and connection sockets of the three ports for the ECS purge lines.

 

Here is again the original using the example of the MLP-1.

 

Source: NASA (Street View)

 

These are the painted and shortened parts,

 

 

 

and here on the tailor-made insert.

 

 

And here ist still the GN2 line with the blind flange. The eight screws I tried to hint with a fineliner, but what not still convinced me.  

 

 

But the next attempt was already better.  

 

 

 

Since the through-sleeve (Ø 1 mm) was somewhat too long, it was inserted into the wall,

 

 

and then the insert was finally glued over it. 

 

 

The GN2 line was initially inserted only temporarily, since its installation height must match the height of the connection sockets, 

 

 

which were subsequently glued.

 

 

 

And with this result, I am now quite satisfied, although the too bright red could be mitigated by a final Washing. But a small thing is still missing, if one looks closely, namely?

 

Exactly, the labelings above the three ports are still missing and have been added by carefully removing the color with the cutter.

 

 

Fortunately one must not be able to decipher them.  

 

And here once again for comparison, how the ports looked before in 2D ...

 

[Mustermark]

Very nice and very noticeable improvement 

[roma847]

Thanks Mark for looking. 

 

Hello everybody,

 

before it goes on in the Bay 17 with the upper console with the two connector sockets,

 

Source: Library of Congress

 

I've been busy myself with the gutters and initially corrected their lengths based on the the MLP-3 photo,

 

Source: Library of Congress

 

which differ a little bit from the values previously determined at the MLP-1.

 

With the Gutter-3 (Ø 10'') above the Bay 18 I had already started.

 

 

When dimensioning the strips for the gutter, one has to take into account that it does not have a semicircular cross-section as in ordinary guttering on the house, but rather that it extends somewhat beyond the semicircle, as can be seen in this image,

 

Source: NASA

 

which is why the strip should be slightly wider than half of the diameter, approximately 4 mm.  

For molding the strip of 0.1 mm aluminum sheet over a core wire with Ø 1.5 mm this Rolling Set (thesmallshop.com) is suitable, in which the strip can be bulged in a first step.

 

 

In order to mold the gutter to the final diameter, I have also tried my Balsa clamping method from the SSWS Pipes.

 

 

For the first tests, I also used the wrapping foil of a champagne bottle cork.  

 

 

And as it looks like, this method should also be suitable for the molding of the longer gutter parts.  

 

At the same time, I have also tried to use a thin Styrene foil (0.15 mm) because plastic might be advantageous for gluing the supports under the gutters, which would make them more stable.  

 

 

But since the plastic strip is less ductile than the aluminum strip, it is not easy to buckle it.

 

 

And even after the hot air shower in the Balsa-"Corset"

 

 

 

 

the result was not so amazing,

 

 

which is why I will probably stay with the aluminum sheet.  

[RichO]

Good call with the Aluminum sheet, I think it holds it's shape much better.

[roma847]

Thanks Rich for looking in on me,  

 

I also think, that this is the way to. 

[roma847]

Hello friends,

 

the devil is just as always in the details.

 

Just when I wanted to start with the tiny supports for the gutters, 

 

 

I have noticed that I have to correct the dimensions once more, because I noticed a thing only now, which I have so far overlooked.

 

The gutters have indeed the same diameter (10'') over the side length of the MLPs, but their height in the first and last bay strangely diminishes outwards as you can see in this image, if one knows it, otherwise it is not striking.  

 

But on the linked HiRes image one can see it more clearly, if one follows the alignments of the gutter.  

 

Source: NASA

 

In the Bay 18 I then took measurements, and as you can see, the height difference is about 0.5 mm, which is not much, but at least.

 

Source: Library of Congress

 

And then still to the gutter supports, which are fixed on the girders, as can be seen in this picture.  

 

Source: Raumcon (eumel)

 

Merely the outer supports at the sides end differ in shape as one can see in these images, at which the lower flange is missing.  

 

Source: Raumcon (eumel)

 

Source: Raumcon (eumel)

 

Therewith everything should be clear now for scratching the gutters.  

[RichO]

Interesting problem with the changing dimensions on the gutters.  How to model the changes?  The different gutter supports will be easy enough, but the different diameters might be challenging.  Have fun, I know you will.

[roma847]

Hi Rich,

 

and thanks for your welcome thoughts,   but this is not as difficult as you think. 

 

The diameter of the gutter is also at the end 10'', but the cross-section of the gutter shifts slightly upwards, as the blue lines hopefully show. 

 

 

 

 

 

This means, that I also need at the front gutter a separate part in Bay 1, and this aluminum strip has also to be slightly narrower at the outside, like the strip for the gutter in Bay 18. 

 

And I hope, that this will work. 

 

BTW, far more difficult, if not impossible, would be to bend the outer edge of the gutter, because that should be only 0.15 mm. 

 

That's why I will stop myself from doing this ... 

[roma847]

Hello everybody,

 

here quickly an image of an other test of a support on a gutter fragment.

 

 

These supports must then still be glued onto short Evergreen Strips 0.25 mm x 0.75 mm and then glued on the 17 girders below the gutter, what again will only work with CA.

 

Probably I will already previously glue the supports below the gutter, then paint everything together and finally glue the complete gutter.

 

Thus far for the moment to the theory!

[roma847]

Hello everybody,

 

somehow I still miss the right bite for this gutters chapter, but it does not help, so I have to swallow this pill ...  

 

Therefore, I first have drawn a template for the making of the gutter parts, which is unfortunately somewhat pale,  

 

 

and then I have cut a further sample strip for the Gutter-3 from a champagne cork foil, which slightly tapers to the corner, in order to get the appropriate gradient of this gutter part.

 

The punched opening for the downspout (8'') is located at the beginning, immediately next to the girder at the end of the Bay 17, as can be seen in this image.

 

Source: Library of Congress

 

And this stripe I then have pre-molded step-by-step on my Rolling Set,

 

 

by using core wires with decreasing diameters,

 

 

 

down to the last groove,

 

 

with this intermediate result.

 

 

For further molding of the gutter, I then have pressed the gutter with the core wire vigorously into a foam strip, 

 

 

whereby unwanted kinks can be avoided, as can be seen.  

 

 

Between two balsa slats the rounding was then still somewhat equalized. 

 

 

Since the wider strip end inevitably gets rounded a little too far using the thinnest core wire (Ø 1.5 mm), the gutter part has been equalized again over a rounded plastic strip (5 mm x 1.5 mm) in order to obtain an U-shaped profile.  

 

 

 

Here the gradient of the gutter can be seen very well already. 

 

 

And here one can see the Gutter-3 in the side view with the prepared bended downspout, which is running into the downspout at the end of the Bay 16.

 

 

 

After this successful attempt, I can now also make the final Gutter-3 from the aluminum sheet (0.1 mm).  

 

The Gutter-2 will then be formed in an analogous manner, but this time immediately from an aluminum sheet strip of 99 mm × 5 mm, since its height is the same over the entire length. 

 

That's it so far, and thanks for looking.  

[Caerbannog]

excellent thread - great tutorial of scratchbuilding :-)

[roma847]

Thanks Caerbannog for your kind words, 

I'm glad if you like what I'm doing here, and therefore stay tuned. 

[RichO]

Nice solution Manfred.  Looks great.

[roma847]

Thanks Rich, that's right! 

I have to keep on fiddling still a little bit with this tricky stuff,   but I think that it could work this way. 

[Mustermark]

More thorough research and amazing details. Great work!

[roma847]

Thanks Mark for looking in on me.   

 

No pain no gain! 

[roma847]

Hello everybody, 

 

it goes on with the gutters.

 

The fact that the test results with the short gutter parts were quite promising doesn't have to mean anything, because whether the rounding of the longer gutters from the 0.1 mm aluminum sheet would be work well too, would still have to be shown.

 

At first the short Gutter 3 at the end of Side 2 (Bay 18) was cut out and its opening punched for the downspout, 

 

 

and also the strips for the Gutter 2 and Gutter 1 (bottom). 

 

 

The dimensions were taken from this image of the MLP-3, because it has almost no distortions and should correspond to the MLP-2.

 

Source: Library of Congress

 

The Gutter 2 starts at the end of the Bay 16 directly behind the local girder and extends to the middle of the Bay 11.

 

 

And then I actually wanted to start with the rounding of the gutters, but previously I had once again compared the distribution of the gutters and the position of the box with the Fire hose reel with the images of the MLP-2 from the collection of John Duncan and suddenly did not trust my eyes.

 

For as one can see on this already known image, the Gutter 2 is running up to the end of the Bay 11,   

 

[/img]
Source: apollosaturn.com (John Duncan)

 

and must therefore be slightly longer than the already cut strip, namely 107 mm instead of 99 mm. Only good that I had compared once again.  

 

 

So a new gutter had to be cut, which was done quickly.

 

 

And now the stepwise rounding of the parts could finally get started, 

 

 

initially again with the short gutter part up to the lower groove, and then with the longer part,

 

 

 

what could have been made even relatively well up to the rounding in the last groove, although it would be better if the Rolling Set would be slightly wider.  

 

 

Thereafter, the short piece was gradually further rounded, first on the foam strip, 

 

 

and then between the balsa boards up to the core diameter of 1.5 mm. 

 

The further rounding of the longer gutter was then somewhat more difficult because it is longer than the core wires, which has led to unsightly kinks, especially during rounding on the foam strip, which should be avoided, however, since they are difficult to remove.

 

That's why I've tried it on the cutting mat, but for this one needs a tight clamping in order to press with the Balsa boards from both sides, but this has not worked so well. 

 

 

After that I have the gutter again somewhat widened and tried it once more with a longer plastic profile, only the plastic is of course not stiff enough, 

 

 

which is why I have stopped for the moment.

 

But, of course, I will not abandon immediately, rather I will try it again with longer core wires, wherefore you could keep your fingers crossed, if you please!  

 

Maybe one of you still has a smart tip for me, which would be very helpful.  

[roma847]

Hello together,

 

here I am again, but unfortunately with the previous low point of my gutter-rounding ...

 

 

And what does one say thereto?

 

I had just cut off a longer brass core wire (Ø 2.0 mm) and wanted to try again, to smooth the little dents, but a longitudinal kink which meanwhile had developed caused by the multiple rounding of the strip was then too much for the thin sheet, which unfortunately has broken up, caused by material fatigue ...  

 

And what is that teaching us?  

 

Unnecessary back-and-forth bending should be avoided as far as possible, and stepwise be rounded in only one direction, which I will now try again cheerfully with longer core wires and a new strip.  

[Gimme Shelter]

this build is just so amazing - 85K views pretty much sums up just how brilliant your work is and surely deserves to reside in a Museum display at NASA when complete.

 

Having shelled out what I considered a small fortune on tube, rod and plasticard recently, could you put a price on the materials you have used so far if you ever had to estimate of put a price on what you have produced so far? You must be close to taking out a 2nd mortgage.....

 

stunning work - quite mind blowing

[roma847]

Thanks Gimme Shelter for your nice compliments, 

 

I think that my Pad will get a nice and safe place in my home, when it will be finished some day ... 

 

BTW, the hit number of views is relative, in our German Raumcon Forum there are meanwhile more than 400K and in NASASpaceFlight Forum more than 350K ... 

 

To estimate a price of the material costs what I have needed so far for my project is very difficult, but in a first approach I have come up to approx. 1.000 EUR, but perhaps that is still too little ... 

 

The Evergreen Profiles alone were about 200 EUR ... 

[roma847]

Hello friends,

 

since these crazy gutters are always on my mind, I am constantly pondering how I can master them ...  

 

And then tonight during a cool wheat beer (Cheers!!!) I hit on an idea,   that in my very first attempts to build such gutters I had used the smallest available Styrene half-pipe (Ø 3.0 mm), on the left in the image, which was however too big for my 1:160 scale and was quickly put aside.

 

 

But this half-pipe could at least be a suitable support for the final rounding of the gutters with the 1.5 mm core wire after the last groove in the set,

 

 

 

which would be long enough for the longer gutter parts, what I will try as next.

[roma847]

Hello everybody,

 

here briefly to the current state of the plumber works.  

 

Today I have made a few longer half-pipes as a support for the first roundings of the longer gutters, by halving pipes (Ø 7.5 mm and Ø 6.0 mm) with the precision saw. 

 

 

And in this way the roundings can be formed much more evenly and, above all, without larger dents or even kinks.

 

 

 

So it looks much better than yesterday, 

 

 

and is still increasable, which makes me confident.  

 

And as it looks so far, there could still be a happy ending with these gutters.  

[RichO]

Nice save Manfred!!  Another great technique to barrow.  Rounding thin sheet metal.

 

The gutters look very straight and clean from here.  I'm sure that they will add some nice details!

[roma847]

Thanks Rich for looking in on me again, 

 

The tiny supports will be a bit more tricky, but should be doable, even though not without the usual stress, as I think. 

 

The highlight then will be the varnishing and above all the assembly of these fragile stuff at the MLP deck, which is why I'm dreading it already today ...

[roma847]

Hello together,

 

since I was still not satisfied with the last rounding step to the final gutter diameter of approx. 2.0 mm, I have tinkered at a better solution.

 

At first, I have made a few longer core wires for the longer half-pipes to get the curves evenly over the entire length.

 

 

With the last core wire of Ø 1,5 mm I get with the 0.1 mm aluminum sheet to approx. 1.7 mm, only I had to widen the gutter again and again, since the top edges are always rounding slightly again. With my previously used rectangular strip (1.5 mm x 5 mm), however, this did not achieve uniformly enough, especially with the longer gutters.

 

That is why I have sanded a 2 mm balsa board on one side down to a thickness of approx. 1.7 mm and rounded the edge in order to be able to widen the last rounding accordingly and to smooth it, which I have tested then at the end of the Gutter 1. 

 

 

 

This may work in principle for short gutters, but is not a good solution for the longer gutters, since the Balsa board is too little stable in shape over the length and can partly be pressed in. That's why I have choosen another solution with a plastic strip, which is somewhat more complex, but more stable. 

 

But since there is no commercially available wider strips with about 1.7 mm thickness, I have made it myself.  

 

For this purpose, I have cut a handy strip of 15 mm x 150 mm from 1.5 mm styrene and glued on both sides 5 mm wide strips of 0.1 mm Styrene, for which I used MEK, wherewith the composite strip is then approx 1.75 mm thick. 

 

 

The more difficult part was then the smooth rounding of the edge, which took some time.  

 

But with this core strip, it can be handled very cleverly by clamping the gutter into a Balsa "vise" to smooth it, without slipping or tilting.  

 

 

And with this more sturdy plastic core, the desired half-round shape of the longer gutter should be doable reproducibly, which is very important.

 

 

 

 

And if this method now works as well with the longer gutters, which I assume, this would be great.