N1 1/96 [Currell]

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Okay, after this circular intermezzo it's back to the cutting mat. Here's the next part in making the N1: The second stage.
We're a bit behind here, I have already progressed a bit further. Last photo was of a 'naked' second stage without all the greeblies. They're done and I made a start with the third stage, Blok V.
The 250 gpm2 paper I was using proved too heavy for easy curving and showed lots of buckling when I did the fuel fairings. I decided on making them from thinner (coloured) paper with an inner reinforcement of a rolled tube and a cut piece of beer coaster as base. This because I don't like the slot method originally used in the rocket. Looking back on the first stage, I'd done it differently now.*
Anyway, the new system worked well and also lots of the greeblies like cable runs and RCS thruster clusters (that has a nice ring to it) were done in other paper. The engines were painted with gun metal to give them a more realistic appearance, the original printed colour was blueish grey and I thought it was a little flat. Just eight this time, so that was peanuts compared to the 30 of the first stage.

I now kind of switch between cutting out the second latticework and the other jobs for the stage to keep it interesting, the tedious work of the latticework is painful and boring. Besides, the paper is doubled, so it actually it 500 gpm2. Hard to cut. But quite sturdy. I don't mind the chipping of the toner layer that much because I will paint it anyway. The white sides are sticking out like a sore thumb if I don't and just trying colouring it with a pencil is not possible, it cannot get into the corners.

The hull of the third stage you see on the last picture here is already in the waste paper basket, I messed it up. I used an embossing needle and made the panel lines too deep in my enthusiasm so when I rolled it into its final shape, the panel lines made the hull fold and it wasn't a nice rounded cone shape any more but it had more of an angular appearance. I tried to mitigate by adding reinforcement circles (there we go again) but they didn't do a lot to make it look better.
Since I had this model (laser) printed at the copy shop, I went back there and reprinted the page there. I could have done it at home, having an A3 printer but it wouldn't have been the same colour and appearance.

Speaking of that, I am surprised how well the toner layer holds up in the making of this model. I had some serious doubts after all the stories I read on how the toner could chip and fall off as you fold and curve your model. The overall appearance is nice and satin gloss-like. And although the paper is perhaps a tad too thick for my liking, it all turns in to a nice big rocket.
After this one though, I really want to make something small again!
Now here's a busload of build photos I'd like to share.

*I am in the process of trying to redesign all the fairings and the lower skirt of the N1 to resemble the last appearance of the rocket, the all-white N1-L7, which had more streamlined, pointy fairings. In this model I could try and ditch the slots all together. But that is not for now.

[dhanners]

Stunning work!

[sparky00]

Looking at that lattice work makes my fingers hurt.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

My fingers *did* hurt after finishing the latticework. I first took it a couple of triangles a time and did some other stuff in between but after two days like that I just finished the whole darn thing and had a sore hand for the rest of the day.
I took a little time off from the N1 to make a little inbetweenie tribute build I soon will show here, it's not entirely finished yet.
The third stage of the N1 awaits its greeblies on the outside of the hull and then it's on to the fairing - and more...

[Paper Kosmonaut]

I decided to place the aforementioned inbetweenie in the Other builds section.
Expect a N1 update in the next two days.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Okay, three days, then.
Here's stage three or Blok V as the Russians called it. I made a false start with a too enthusiastically embossed panel lined hull but after that it all came together quite quick. The engine section already was finished when I started on the hull. The greeblies on the sides were done like I did the 2nd stage, no slots and gluing onto the hull itself. The hull was slightly roughened up with my knife to take care of a better bonding. Toner skin is very smooth and white glue easily peels off. Quite handy when you make a little blemish. (-:

So, the top had to be different because I plan to have the LK3 fairing detachable to show some (or all) of the innards. So I needed to make a tank dome top. The first one already looked good, but was a tad too wide for getting a paper ring between itself and the hull wall. So I ripped it all out and redid it at 95%, which was all right.

The first and second stage were then joined (bit of a hassle but with small pieces of paper in the latticework to keep it all level, it eventually worked out fine. I also sanded the attachment points a little to make the lattice attach the best way it could.

Well, now it's time for the upper parts. More concrete plans will revealed in the next post.

[Papierschnitzel]

So much for miniature building

This is huge! And it looks very good.

[elliott]

Your work on the N1 is most impressive PK. And quick too.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

@ Papierschnitzel: All my rockets are in 1/96. I have specific scales set for different items in my collection. Rockets generally are in 1/96, spacecraft, satellites and probes are in 1/48, and my dioramas have several scale sizes, mainly 1/400 but also larger when that is more convenient.
@Eliott: I think it actually goes quite slow..

By the way, what a stupid untypical tags are generated for this build. And I cannot even erase them for better ones.

[luke strawwalker]

I never really paid any attention to the tags until you mentioned it...

I agree-- weird choices... and there's NO way to change them?? LOL

That's crazy...

Later! OL J R