The lower outrigger trusses on Eagle where covered with 2-mil VDAL kapton with a layer of Clear 5-mil Kapton. I do not have any clear 5-mil Kapton (exept for a small reference piece that Vincent so gratiously sent me) So I have to cheat a little. I covered the trusses in 1/2 mil kapton (because it crimples better) and then i used a combination of some colored theater lighting film and kapton tape to get the desired color of the struts.
The upper trusses have a primary coating of 1/2-mil VDAL kapton and then three cuffs made out of pyromark painted inconel foil wrapped over that. I used some of my 1/2 mil VDAL kapton and some blackwrap for the cuffs.
The left strut only has its initial 1/2 mil kapton layer applied so far. hoping to get that fixed tonight.
I have made a bit of a blueprint for the blackwrap bits but this time it was not done on the computer. …the old pen and paper… will scan and put it with the others.
Added the last blackwrap on quadrant 2. I also added the Beta-cloth around the ascent stage attachment points. As Beta-Cloth I used the completely faded care instructions from an old over-washed pair of boxers because that was the only white synthetic fabric I could find around the house. 🙂
Could not resist taking a few pictures with the one finished leg attached.
Outrigger strut assembly coating is the next step.
If anyone have good references of the outrigger ventilation flange thingy on the top struts I would be grateful if I could have a look!
To get the slightly inflated look of the primary strut I first glued some wrinkled strings of aluminum foil to it to give it a curvy outline. Then I wrapped aluminum foil over that. The lower part of the leg is wrapped with yellow 1/2 mil Aluminized Kapton.
For the real LM5 it seems they where out of Aluminized 5 mil Kapton for the coating of the inside of the leg and used some kind dull metal foil covered with clear 5mil kapton as substitute.
I have no clear 5 mil kapton So I had to substitute the substitute with five layers of 1 mil Kapton Tape. For the dull metal foil I scoured the house for a source and ended up finding it on the inside of a metalized bag that contained “spongebob squarepants fantastic inflatable air guitar”. It came with a spongebob squarepants comic magazine. 🙂
I’m really happy with how the Pad is connected to the primary strut. I managed to get the balljoint to work.
The ball of the strut fits exactly into a tube of styrene. I noticed earlier that the styrene shrink when exposed to heat. I took the tube and carefully heated the end of it over a candle. That was enough to make it shrink and taper inward just enough for it to let the ball pass by if i used some pressure but still enough to hold it in place. Yay, posable Pads!
The silvery foil is ordinary household aluminum foil attached with CA-glue and small pieces of Kapton tape. The black stuff is “black wrap” that I got from a studio nearby. The rivets are faked with a silver pen.
