The BlueJay build -- Part 1

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues...

It's been a while since I did a build thread in this blog, and looking over the popularity of the posts over the last two years, it's obvious that people enjoy or read build threads a lot.

So, I took advantage of a sale to score a BlueJay glider from Semroc just this week.  I found a sale on eBay for just $19.99  instead of the $21.49 that I had found on other sites.  I pulled the trigger but also let the seller know that I would call for the rocket instead of paying shipping. (I have a friend who will pick up items in the big city for me, if I pre-pay and drive over to pick them up.)

To my great surprise, I received a SECOND BlueJay in the mail. Apparently someone in the shipping department failed to read the fine print and just shipped it out gratis.  That cinched it.  I'm going to do a build thread on this BlueJay.

I also have been fortunate enough to find the original designer in a nearby rocket club, and he told me a bit about the background of the BlueJay...where the inspiration came from, and how it is a better design than others. Jay also told me how he came up with the name.  (Get it?)

So I opened one of the baggies and laid out the parts for a parts photo.  I compared them to the parts list on the back cover of the instructions and found that there are several Part D's included in the exploded diagram. In the list, they are all summarized by "Balsa parts D", so I assume the listing is for all the parts as if they were bundled.

Anyway, it's all here, and the kit is relatively straight forward.  So let's begin.

I laid out the parts on my wife's favorite cutting mat, promising that it was only for a photo backdrop shoot.  Now I have to be careful that I don't cut or glue anything to the mat. But this should not be a problem, as I have found ALL the wooden, balsa or basswood, parts are pre-cut.  No flashing, no excess, no punch out.  Nothing extra.

The longest piece in the kit is the keel, measuring some 16 inches tip to tail. The other Delta spars are about 13 inches long, and much wider, but still thin...though not as thin as some other gliders that I have built.

I should also note that there is some cool laser logo work on the uprights and the tail section "Semroc Bluejay" that really stands out. If you decide to paint the glider (which is not recommended), you will loose these.

First step after confirming all the parts are present, is to check the nosecone into the body tube for fit. I found mine was uncomfortably loose. So, I resolved to add a little bit of circumference by sealing the balsa nosecone. This time, I chose to use eRockets Sealant as it dries quickly, and I didn't want to waste time and steps by showing how I mix Elmer's Wood Glue with a drop of two of water to get a slurry and paint the nosecone.

After this dries, I inserted the screw eye into the base of the balsa nosecone, and then backed it out again, filling the hole created with a single drop of Elmer's Wood Glue. (See, I knew we'd get there!) The screw eye is replaced into the hole, and the entire nosecone is set aside to dry.  I waited until the sealant was dry and then parked the nosecone conveniently into the body tube, so as not to loose either one.  WARNING: Make CERTAIN any sealant is bone dry, and the wood glue won't drip if you do this. DON'T GLUE THE NOSECONE into the body tube by accident.

While awaiting the nosecone to dry, I moved onto the wing, setting to the two halves to one side on top of a sheet of wax paper. I positioned them halfway down the sheet, ready to fold the top half of the wax paper down making a sandwich of the balsa wood when gluing. This protects the worktop from the glue, as well as the heavy book I chose to weight it down. As my copy of "Rockets of the World" has not arrived, I chose one of the Marvel Comics Omnibus volumes, "Marvel Comics Universe by John Byrne".  Any heavy book will do.

Applying just a minimum of glue to the tab surfaces where the two halves meet, I mated them together, lowered the wax paper sheet and weighted it down to dry.

The next step is to add the tail section, and to glue it down also, in the same fashion. In fact, you could do all three corners at once, if you had enough wax paper and Omnibus/heavy books.  This time I chose the Acts of Vengeance cross-overs Omnibus and the Monsters Omnibus.  The important thing is to keep the balsa flat as the glue is absorbed and dries. 

Why the wax paper?  Have you ever tried prying a thin piece of balsa wood off a table top once it dries?

The uprights are next. The instructions have a nice splash of color showing the exact locations to apply the thin bead of glue. I use a pointed tip from a white glue contain from elementary school on my bottle of wood glue to replace the chisel tip applicator. The uprights are to be held at a 90 degree angle when drying.  Again, I turned to the Marvel Comics Omnibus to prop them up, with a wax paper shield to protect both the wood and my books.  You may feel they stay at 90 degrees without proping up.

Checking the nosecone, I wasn't satisfied with the thickness of the sealant yet, so I tried another coat. But this time, I could hold it by the screw eye since I had added that. Once the second layer of sealant was on, I was presented with a problem: Where to lay it without marring the surface or getting the stickiness everywhere.  I could hang it from an opened paper clip at any point on my drop ceiling, OR I could prop a pencil between the Omnibus and drop the screw eye over the sharp point. The resulting suspension in mid-air looks like a flag fluttering in the breeze, and nothing gets sticky!

  NOTE: We did NOT glue the tail end of the spine to the rear fin. I've put an X over it, as that's one of the final assembly steps, and will be covered later. 

We will pause here while the wing assembly dries. 

This has been the Thrifty Rocketeer saying, "Press your balsa glue joint flat under an Omnibus or heavy book overnight. You'll thank me for using wax paper later."