Greelt's (& company) Saturn V

[Mechanic]

. . . and with the engine.

[gene1772]

Greetings all, just wanted to make a couple of quick points, Sakrison, my J-2 engines reach beyond the interstate ring of the second stage by 1/2 inch so a 1/4 inch would not be enough clearance for mine to make it work but maybe for you. Mechanic, I used the Apollonia third stage, the J-2 does stick out a little far but it does work and I think looks good but you did a great job on your version. You and Algebraist are inspiring me to rebuild mine and fix all the flaws from the first run.
I got a 3d printer for Christmas and have been eyeballing that Smithsonian Apollo command module model for the last couple of weeks, I was happy to see that someone built it. Looks good, what kind of printer did you use and did you just let it run for 80 hours straight?

[Mechanic]

Originally Posted by gene1772

Greetings all, just wanted to make a couple of quick points, Sakrison, my J-2 engines reach beyond the interstate ring of the second stage by 1/2 inch so a 1/4 inch would not be enough clearance for mine to make it work but maybe for you. Mechanic, I used the Apollonia third stage, the J-2 does stick out a little far but it does work and I think looks good but you did a great job on your version. You and Algebraist are inspiring me to rebuild mine and fix all the flaws from the first run.
I got a 3d printer for Christmas and have been eyeballing that Smithsonian Apollo command module model for the last couple of weeks, I was happy to see that someone built it. Looks good, what kind of printer did you use and did you just let it run for 80 hours straight?

Thanks Gene, I wouldn't mind seeing more of your third, it looks pretty good and those chrome spheres look spot on.

My wife's 3d printer is a Creality 3D (I think) with a 12"x12" bed. It was a bit of a pain getting it 'dailed in', and took three tries before we got the whole model. The anticipation once the cone section started printing was ridiculous, and then I thought for sure we'd have an issue with the recovery section. Coming home to a birds nest of plastic always sucks and at over 80 hours it was such a relief to watch the tunnel hatch finish printing.

Even at that size there was detail that just couldn't print out right on the four quarter supports of the tunnel, not to mention detail that was intentionally removed (main chute mortars, and the block that all the parachute cables and recovery cable attaches to that sits between the two big mortar cans). That missing detail could be a future project, like I said, but for now it's just fun to hold.

[Algebraist]

Originally Posted by Mechanic

Just a 'little' side-project, my wife printed out a just-over 1/14 CM for me. It completely filled the print bed and took just over 82 hours. I don't think I'll do anything with it, though it could be fun to finish it someday. It's kind of fun just to hold a capsule model that big.

Hi Mechanic

That looks really nice. Is it possible to make it really shiny polished silver on the outside?

[Mechanic]

Originally Posted by Algebraist

Hi Mechanic

That looks really nice. Is it possible to make it really shiny polished silver on the outside?

It could be, but you're looking at a lot of filler and sanding for all the printing ridges. If you want to go for that pre re-entry look you'd have to do some serious restoration to the heat shield, this model does an excellent job showing just how much got burned off, and that it didn't burn off evenly.

[Algebraist]

Originally Posted by gene1772

Greetings all, just wanted to make a couple of quick points, Sakrison, my J-2 engines reach beyond the interstate ring of the second stage by 1/2 inch so a 1/4 inch would not be enough clearance for mine to make it work but maybe for you. Mechanic, I used the Apollonia third stage, the J-2 does stick out a little far but it does work and I think looks good but you did a great job on your version. You and Algebraist are inspiring me to rebuild mine and fix all the flaws from the first run.

Hello gene1772

Just to let you know that I have logged a method of doing the base of stage two that results in the J-2 engines staying within the interstage for the 1/48 model. It is on posts 149,150 and 151 of the 1/24 thread.

Hope you do decide to go for it and redo your Saturn V!

Kevin

[Mechanic]

Third stage completed (again, at least as far as I'm going to do it). A couple of notes; the tank skins are done in three sections - lower corrugated, smooth, upper corrugated. As printed out these sections where three noticeable different diameters (I noticed other pieces mis-matched size wise too), I had to butt glue these together without even attempting to use the tabs.

Repeatedly looking at the instructions I just couldn't see what the intention was, seemed like some of the section pieces where to have three layers, some four, others even more layers? I decided to just wing it and put it together however I could.

I did use tabs for the SLA, sandwiching in some on the third stage side and simply adding them to the top. The SLA seam was a good fit. The top of the SLA I just bent the tabs in, glued a backing ring on the inside and the printed stage separator ring on the very top. I didn't build or install the tank top since you can hardly see it through the top of the SLA.

[Mechanic]

So.... I shelved this project three years ago because I had worsening tremors. It got so bad I couldn't put two pieces together or cut a straight line. I pretty much stopped doing everything.

The good news is that my Doctor prescribed a medicine that has reduced the tremors to a tolerable level. I decided to try modelling again. I've started back to where I left off, sort of.

The first thing was that the stack has taken a few hits over the years, primarily the second and third stages, so I've had to do some repair work. Meanwhile, mrm (Saturn V paper model (1:96)) finished his SLA, so I decided to incorporate it. The detail mrm has gone to is amazing. Right on par with his Service Module and BPC/LET. I was considering cutting my existing SLA off but found mrm's SLA skin slides over almost perfectly.

Next post I should have some pics.

[Mechanic]

The SM is about half done, leaving just the thruster nozzles. This will be about all for mrm's parts go. The CM, and the the SM aft shield and engine bell will be grafted from AXM, as mrm's model was meant to be all exterior.

I'll just throw this out; does anyone know a decent way of indexing the SM aft shield to the SLA, and the SLA to the third stage? I hadn't worried about it up this stage because the way the stages sit on top of one another you can just rotate them around.

[The Mole]

Mechanic, nice to have you back. Good to see this thread moving again. Will be keeping an eye on this thread.