Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

today I will now finally complete the connecting piece of the second supply pipe, on which still lacked the rectangular rib pairs and the triangular ribs on the lower ring.

After the rib pairs over the slots were glued and cut off,





the nine ribs between them were continued in well-known manner. Thereafter, the corresponding ribs sitting below them on the underside of the ring were glued,



and finally bevelled.



And only then did I have glued the remaining six ribs below the rib pairs, which was easier for reasons of space than for the first inlet pipe, where I had first glued all 15 ribs, which made the bevelling quite difficult.



And after the bevelling of the last six ribs, this tricky fiddling was finally done and I've felt relieved.







Therewith all pipes and outlets of the SSWS are finally finished and can be further processed.

[elliott]

Originally Posted by spacerunner

Therewith all pipes and outlets of the SSWS are finally finished and can be further processed.

Congratulations Manfred! You've hit another milestone. What further processing remains to be done on the SSWS?

[spacerunner]

Thanks elliott for your nice words, yep, I can be really satisfied with the progress.

Hello together,

after all the outlets of the SSWS have been completed with some missing Pipe Supports could actually follow their assembly at the ring lines.

I will begin with the transitions from the now finished 36'' inlet pipes (Ø 6.3 mm) to the two 24'' ring lines (Ø 4.0 mm),


Source: NASA

whose connecting sleeves are finally positioned and glued to the ring lines.



Then follows the modeling of the transitions of these six 18'' outlets (Ø 3.2 mm) with the tapers to 12'' (Ø 2.0 mm).



And then there are still these two outlets at the end of the ring lines behind the TSMs with the tapers to 16" (Ø 2.5 mm) and then to the 12" nozzle pipes (Ø 2.0 mm).


These four rear 18" outlets (above) and the two front 12" outlets (below) have no tapers and are already ready for assembly.



When these transitions are modeled, the outlets can finally be glued onto both ringlines. And then these connecting points must also be modeled.
So, all in all, this looks like an extensive Apoxie Sculpt session at which we then will see us again.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

so, now I have begun with modeling the transitions, first with the transitions on the two ring lines,


Source: NASA

which are still quite accessible and handy.

First, two equally sized marbles were formed from the two Apoxie-Sculpt components,



which were then kneaded until they were completely mixed, which can be seen in the white color.



And then the transitions were modeled on the two sleeves, which can be made at the same time.



Thereby it is helpful not to take too much Apoxie Sculpt and then keep it in the mean time occasionally to moisten in order to stay flexible.

Then followed the six 18'' outlets from the ring lines into the SRB shafts, and this action was then much more tricky and stressful.



Since these parts can hardly be held in the fingers, but they still have to turn and turn around constantly, this was absolutely no nerve balm.

Thereby one thing turned out to be particularly hindering, and these were the tiny nipples on the bows and the lower baffles, which I should have installed better afterwards.

As a result, the transitions have not worked out as good as one can see. But I wanted to make use of the time before the mass hardens too much, and so I have stayed the course.

But now I leave all this dry and then I will rework the transitions separately by sanding.

That's it for today.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

well, seen in hindsight, I have applied a bit too much Apoxie Sculpt (AS) and now have to sand off something, but this is easy to do because the AS is very dense and extremely fine-grained after the hardening.

But this effort would have been significantly reduced if I had already formed the transition better in the damp state and adapted it to the rather concave shape. But afterwards one is always wiser.

Therefore I have to shape this concave transition with different files, sanding sticks and finally with 2000er sanding sponge, which is already a bit arduous, but what the heck!

Here already a first picture of one of the transitions, on the left the somewhat chubby modeled form, and on the right the post-processed form, which looks optically already quite well.


In fact, the transition could be even something shorter if I exactly look at the picture once again.



At the transition on the second ring line (above) I was then already somewhat more relaxed, since I knew that there was something significantly to sand off,



as can be seen here at the right transition.



And these are the finished transitions.



And now followed the transitions at the six 18''-12'' outlets, which also have a slightly concave shape.


Source: NASA

Although there is less material to remove, but their handling is more tricky due to the small size. For comparison, I have put a raw state next to it.



And tomorrow the remaining five outlets will be reworked.

[spacerunner]

Hi guys,

as I have already indicated, I have now after all brought myself to shorten the transitions at the 36'' outlets of the ring lines, and I imagine that they fit better now into the overall picture.



And these are the 18''/12'' outlets with the reworked transitions,



And here are finally the finished transitions at the 16''/12'' outlets to the both nozzle tubes.



And as next step, the final assembly of all the outlets on the ring lines begins then with the mounting of the inlet pipes.


Source: NASA

[spacerunner]

Hello together,

before the assembly of the inlet pipes, however still had to be determined their exact length, so that they fit exactly into the corners of the two SRB shafts and end with the coupling sockets at the MLP bottom.

For this purpose, the tubes at the upper end must be shortened. At this place, the half-round recesses have to be sanded, whereby the special position of the coupling stubs in the pallets must be observed. And that looks exactly that the (still missing) pipe support sits over one of the three 120° staggered locking points (the rectangular rib pairs) on the inner SRB wall, as can be seen here a bit more distinctly.


Source: NASA

And as I wanted to be sure during shortening of the inlet pipes were shortened, I used a somewhat longer dummy and sanded the necessary recesses at the end.



Then I have sticked this dummy with some pattex under the outlet of the ring line and in this way could mark both the end point of the pipe at the MLP bottom and the corresponding position of the recess at the connection point.





And to this length, the supply pipes could now be shortened with a quiet conscience, and then also the recesses could be sanded at the right place.



And that looks so,



and the same length should have the outlets also, therefore the interim examination at the end stop.





And the adjustment at the connection points also looks good.



So, this should have been for today, and tomorrow the inlet pipes are then mounted on the ring lines.

[elliott]

You know, Manfred, I had no idea, at the beginning, that the SSWS would become such an intricate project all on its own. Every time I think it's finished you begin another part of it. Keep up your fantastic work!

[spacerunner]

Thanks elliott,

yep, the SSWS is in fact an own subproject with a lot of tricky details, but when all pipes and outlets as well as pipe supports and clamping rings have been assembled, only still the Water bags are coming as final surprise of this chapter, promised!


Source: NASA

This so-called SRB Ignition Overpressure Suppression System is a subsystem of the SSWS.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

meanwhile the assembly of the inlet pipes has gone over the stage, whose result I would like to introduce you briefly.



The positioning and simultaneous bonding of the pipes under the ring line was somewhat tricky, but finally has worked quite well.



Important was the vertical alignment of the pipes in the shaft corner, for which the ring line was weighted, in order to avoid slipping.





Now the bondings have only still to dry through,



then these transitions can also be modeled with Apoxie Sculpt.



And then the supports can also be adapted to the coupling connectors.



That's it again for today.