Blue Gemini Rescue Vehicle - Delta 7 Studios - Page 2

**jagolden01** · #11 01-23-2018, 08:51 AM

Thank you everyone for checking in and encouragement. Even though it’s an easy model I still have some anxiety and need to take it slow.
The basic capsule body is completed. Tricky work around the front. The insets are are small and the strip on the capsule body at the front is extremely thin and delicate. Not bad though.
Have run into two issues, one of my own making. I installed the connectors for the come and the reaction control thrusters on the wrong pieces. Luckily I discovered it before the glue set up. I’ve removed them and will correct. Funny, at that point I was trying to follow the instructions as written and illustrated

. Shouldn’t be too hard to fix.
The second problem I ran into previously while building another of the DS7 Studios Gemini capsules. The RCS does not seem to fit properly to the body of the capsule. I dried fit and measured a couple of times but think it will be a rough spot on the finished model. We’ll see. This IS my first model in a while but it is the same problem area I had on a previous Gemini capsule.
Overall though I am happy just to be building something again. Before I started this one I had printed out the Fiddlers Green Burgess-Dunne mono-wing plane and would like to tackle that next. It has always fascinated me even before FG issued their model. Very interesting plane wth apparently good, stable flight characteristics.
Well, back on to the Blue Gemini Rescue Vehicle.

How do I turn off auto-spell/correct in my iPad. It makes so many changes as. I go along and don’t realize until after I post. Then I have to go back and proof/fix a bunch of things. Grrrr.

JoeG

**jagolden01** · #12 01-23-2018, 01:44 PM

Moving along to the cover of the nose cone.
I’m not much for trying to attach a flat, relatively thin round cover to the end of a tube - especially without some sort of tabs. I find this can make for a poor connection and make the end out-of-round with edges that don’t fit that well.
Whenever possible, my solution is to mount the flat piece to thicker board, carefully trim to size and then slide down the inside of the tube until it is flush with the outside. This gives it a firm shape and strength. It is a process of trimming and light sanding of the edges until it fits but it is well worth the effort. In this particular case I misjudged the trimming and the piece was just not big enough to fit snuggly in the space. To solve that I built up the diameter by gluing a couple of strips of paper around the outside. Problem fixed!

**dhanners** · #13 01-23-2018, 09:20 PM

You're doing well. Dan's Gemini models are great -- I've built several over the years -- but they can benefit from a deviation or two from the instructions to improve the capsule's construction. I covered some of the techniques I utilized in post No. 12 of this thread: Gemini 8

**jagolden01** · #14 01-24-2018, 05:54 AM

Dhanners, rhanks for reposting the link to that fantastic post!

**avro202** · #15 01-24-2018, 10:27 AM

this has inspired me to buy my own copy. Thanks!

**jagolden01** · #16 01-24-2018, 11:24 AM

Have just about completed the capsule. Just a little touch-up to do.
The four main parts went together quite well. Did a number of dry-fits and made slight adjustments where I felt it was necessary.

The directions say to pass the capsule through the inside of the rescue section, that it is a tight fit, and to glue one or two tabs at a time. This is definitely the way to put these two pieces together. Took a while to slowly glue each tab Individualy but the results look great so the patience and effort paid of.

Next, as per the directions I will be working on the rescue service module (the orange tube). I will make a slight modification to add glue tabs at the aft end for attaching the engine bulkhead. I think this will work best. The capsule attachment end already has tabs for attaching the capsule.
The paper for this large tube is a little thin so I will be mounting the prints to another substrate for strength.

I’ve revised my estimate of the 1/16 length from 18" to about 20" long when completed

Joe
G

**jagolden01** · #17 01-24-2018, 04:11 PM

<Sigh>, completely depressed and disgusted with myself.
I trimmed out and glued together the two halves of the orange body cylinder. The two easiest pieces of this model and completely messed them up.
Incredibly poor glue line and to top it off glue all over the parts.

I was just going to move on and use them but I just can’t. Looks lousy and it will always be a sore spot for me.

It takes tons of red and yellow ink to print these parts but I’ll Have to reprint - hopefully tomorrow.

In the past when joining long straight tabs I used to use strips of an item called cello-tak or cello-mount. It was large, thin sheets of a carrier with permanent adhesive on both sides. Main use for was mounting posters to foam-board. The Pro was it was absolutely permanent. The con was it was absolutely permanent-no room for mistakes. Apparently it’s no longer made. I hoarded pieces of it for years until I ran out.
It was clean, sure and permanent. Trying to find an alternative but no luck so far.

JoeG

**Gibbo** · #18 01-24-2018, 05:20 PM

Hi Joe

Like this a lot, and as for an easy model.
They are only easy when you have never built one!!

Once built a dart rocket and stuffed a solid fuel cell in the bottom, thought I had built it so well nothing was going to go wrong with the flight.
OH BOY HOW WRONG I WAS, off it went in every direction except up

Had use running around for a bit to avoid it

Keep building

Rob

**beckychestney** · #19 01-25-2018, 08:41 PM

Ya know, I found a "back door" to the Delta 7 Studios site that I'm not sure Dan knows about. By linking from Niels: Nielspapermodels - links to the free model of Columbia http://www.delta7studios.com/columbia.htm, and then clicking on the "Home" link, you go back to the previous style of page that offers the models in sets on CD: Spacecraft Paper Models - GEMINI BLUE. Not sure if he's still selling them that way or not, but he should be aware of the "back door".

**dhanners** · #20 01-25-2018, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagolden01

<Sigh>, completely depressed and disgusted with myself.
I trimmed out and glued together the two halves of the orange body cylinder. The two easiest pieces of this model and completely messed them up.
Incredibly poor glue line and to top it off glue all over the parts.

I was just going to move on and use them but I just can’t. Looks lousy and it will always be a sore spot for me.

It takes tons of red and yellow ink to print these parts but I’ll Have to reprint - hopefully tomorrow.

In the past when joining long straight tabs I used to use strips of an item called cello-tak or cello-mount. It was large, thin sheets of a carrier with permanent adhesive on both sides. Main use for was mounting posters to foam-board. The Pro was it was absolutely permanent. The con was it was absolutely permanent-no room for mistakes. Apparently it’s no longer made. I hoarded pieces of it for years until I ran out.
It was clean, sure and permanent. Trying to find an alternative but no luck so far.

JoeG

I HATE building cylinders and avoided doing it like the plague for years. I had a couple of well-stocked hobby shops near me who sold model rocket tubes and came to use them for many of my rocket bodies. I could often find one that was the size I needed, or I learned how to cut a tube down to the necessary diameter. (Rick Sternbach has a great tutorial on this on his Saturn V Clinic page, but he works in plastic. I found his techniques worked great with cardboard model rocket tubes, though.)

I got over my aversion, though. I still am challenged to glue long seams, but I'm learning.

Keep at it. You've done a great job on the capsule, and I bet you'll wind up with a great-looking model.