In the last update I mentioned that I’d be using the photo etch grid fins from the RealSpace kit. Well, I folded and test fitted one of the PE grid fins on the 3D part. It was a big fat no-go. It was just too big. It was too wide to fit and would have not left enough room between the grid fins. Here is a photo of the two side by side.
I went back to the 3D model I had found. I dug through the files and found that there was a zip file of sections that the author had already separated for printing and one of the files was a grid fin. The files were in .stl format so I loaded them in my slicer and re-scaled them to 1/144. I then added some supports and printed them. The features are extremely fine and thin. So like the nozzles I will need to be careful with them until I glue them to the shroud. Here is a set of four of them.
Meanwhile, I did some sanding and priming on the adapter/second stage part. I sanded down the access door above the periscope shroud. It seemed too large and was a bit thin. I replaced it with a small piece of .005 sheet stock. I then used CA to glue it to the 3D printed part. I also added some small thin raised lines that were on each side of the adapter section 180 degrees apart. I used .010 square stock which I then sanded down to a thinner profile closer to .005. You can see the changes in the picture below. I also primed the adapter section with white and the second stage with gray.
I also took time to remove the raised panel lines on the core stage and re-scribed them. Here is a photo.
There are more details to add to the core stage before it is time to cover it with primer. I now need to finally decide if I’m going to use the PE interstage grid, 3D print the interstage grid, or scratch build it. To be honest this is the thing that has been holding me up the most. I’m going to have to just get started and build.
More to come.
Luhman-ations 