Hubble Telescope

**cdavenport** · #1 05-19-2009, 09:51 PM

This is Ton Noteboom's intermediate Hubble downloaded from Hubblesite. My 12 year old, Michael, and I built it today for a science project. Very nice model whose most notable attribute is the dead on fit of all the parts. I improved the assembly process by inserting foam formers.

The process is easy:
1. Cut the kit bulkhead parts in 3mm card.
2.Laminate this to closed cell foam (I save sheets when they come my way. The formed foam in computer boxes and other products works quite well). I just happened to have some 3/4" stock.
3. Use the 3mm card as a template to cut the foam with a hot wire foam cutter. The process takes seconds.
4. Glue the bulkhead in place. I glued the printed parts for the fore and aft sections of the Hubble right onto the 3mm card/foam bulkhead and slid the hole shebang into place.

The advantage of this process is the added strength and shape definition you get from the foam. There is no crinkling of the edge of the skin that sometimes happens when the bulkheads are glued in place.

This process is great for constant diameter cylinders, tapered cones, and compound shapes. All that is required is some shaping with a file or sandpaper.

**Retired_for_now** · #2 06-16-2009, 07:12 AM

Nice idea - intermediate between the PVC chunk model and just paper for durability. If they can't touch it it might as well be CGI. Well done!

How'd you work a display stand? Still thinking about how to do one for mine - too heavy to slip onto a split stick, too many projections to just set down (and can't even set it flat on its bottom if I add Ton's soft capture and docking mechanism (see his site for add on). Don't want to add any extraneous display mount fittings ...

Yogi

**cdavenport** · #3 06-18-2009, 01:09 PM

I cheated! Since it was going to stay in a classroom with dozens of eager young hands, I decided to suspend it from the ceiling with fishing line.

What's nice is that I located the CG so that the telescope points slightly toward the viewer so one can see the primary mirror.

**Retired_for_now** · #4 06-18-2009, 02:13 PM

Bobbin' for stars? Or is it more "space pinata?" (?? can't find a tilda on this thing!).

BTW, it's not cheating - it's brain bait.

Yogi

**Retired_for_now** · #5 07-01-2009, 08:39 PM

Charles,
Laminated about 8 layers of card around the barrel and bus (waxed paper to protect the model). Wound two short tubes around the support sticks, then split the ends of the tubes (more surface area) and glued them to the laminated pieces. Stuck the sticks into my usual hunk-o-wood-an-a-picture base and...
Yogi

**cdavenport** · #6 07-05-2009, 09:57 PM

That is clever and sweet RfN! Nice display of the horsehead nebula.