Federation Commander

bcantwell · Lieutenant JG Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 32

Any one have any good tips for repairing drone booms that have broken off of Kzinti ships?

I have a couple of ships from various purchases that have had one of the forward drone booms broken off at the point where they meet the hull.

I'm having trouble seeing a good way to reattach the boom since it contacts the hull at an edge and not on a flat face. Any tips and tricks appreciated.

Brian

Scoutdad · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:03 pm Post subject:

Hey Bryan,

You're not going to like the solution, but here's the best I've found. Or at least one that I use on mine and one that works.

1) file a small, flat space vertically where the boom should attach.
2) drill 2 of the smallest diameter holes in the ship as you can at the bottom of the flat place.
3) epoxy two short, steel pins into the holes.
4) epoxy the boom to the hull and the pins. USE EPOXY SPARINGLY!
5) apply liquid green stuff / JB Weld/ or other epoxy putty to the underside of the boom and allow to cure.
6) sand flat... prime... paint.
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Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

djdood · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:24 pm Post subject:

I'd concur with Mr. El Thomas.

The booms are too thin to "pin" in the traditional way, so "bracing" them from below is the most workable approach. Steel pins would indeed be the best bet, as they will carry all the bending and load, so they need to be stiff; more-so than brass is capable of. (the boom itself just becomes a decorative "top cap" for the steel pins that are doing all the work)

To get "steel pins" in place, I will usually beg some straight pins from my wife's sewing supplies, dremel off the points, get them epoxied in-place, and then dremel them to the appropriate length. It's better to cut them through as quickly as possible, as steel heats up A LOT and that heat can kill the epoxy glue bond, if allowed to build up and migrate down the pin. CA ("super") glue is considerably more vulnerable to heat issues - it turns to goo.
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Scoutdad · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:57 pm Post subject:

Ha. I bought my own pins.

While serving a BOB (Beast of Burden) for one of my wife's trips to the fabric store, I saw a package of 'silk pins'. They are a finer gauge than regular sewing pins and needles.

They are almost as strong as the regular pins, much stronger than brass, but still thin enough that once epoxied - I can cut them to length with a set of snips.
No overheating with a Dremel!!! Cool

_________________
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF