[Willard11]

I'm starting the 2nd test build of an Atlas D using silver gift wrapping paper. It is being made with the unused laser printed silver paper from the 1st test build. The object of this test build is to explore building techniques for issues identified in the 1st test build.

These photos shows the the additional reinforcing paper glued to the back of the silver paper. Their placement is where parts like the Vernier Fairings, Instrumentation Pods, and Forward and Aft Bulkheads will be glued. The paper connector strip is bent to shape before being glued to the edge of the silver paper.

I have the gluing test of attaching large silver paper to plain paper from the 1st test build. I decided to use it to test my gluing method for the Main Tank seam. The next photo shows both the Main Tank glue test and the 2nd test build before the rolling process. My gluing method for the 2nd build test is to use Tacky glue for the seam under the Instrumentation Pod and Canopy glue for the seam above the Instrumentation Pod.

While doing this with the glue test Main Tank part, I complained to my wife the clamp I am using is triangular shaped and flattens out the bottom of the tank while the glue dries. She suggested I use a strange clamping device called a Hair Pin to hold the seam together. The next photo shows the 2nd build Main Tank held with the Hair pin. I used a Styrene tube to hold the shape of the connecting strip while the glue dried.

The last photo shows the seam side and front side of both the glue test and 2nd build Main Tanks. I did notice that many of these surface bumps flattened out in the rolling process on the glue test Main Tank. Also, it is stiffer than a plain paper rolled cylinder. This may be the same effect we saw with the composite gluing of parts in the Saturn 1B tanks Aries construction techniques thread.

I find this an interesting observation. From my limited experience building models using silver gift wrapping paper, I would think the Atlas model building scale range would be between 1:300 and 1:200 scale. Anything above that scale, the silver paper is too thin for modeling. Spray adhesive or some other gluing method may bond the silver paper to plain paper or card stock. Jeff (Doubting Thomas) may have used this method in his thread about building the 1/100 P-38 lightning using silver wedding gift wrapping paper.