Most stressful moments in my life:

1. Witnessing the births of my children
2. Gluing up woodworking projects
3. Combat in Syria

But actually, gluing is so goddamn stressful to me.

Leg #1, my golden boy, worked perfectly, the glue looked good, the toothpick went in with just the right amount of friction, just beautiful.

Then I go to do leg #3, the ugly-ass, stretch Armstrong looking motherfucker, and the toothpick snaps after it was already fully inserted into the leg. THEN, when I used a pliers to pull it out, the end just ripped off, so I ended up relying on the suction inherent in the joint and prayers.

I think it’ll all turn out okay.

^this is #1, my golden boy

^top leg here is fuck-ass #3

Update: having taken the time to look at these pictures, I realize how horrifically uneven the tops of the legs are and I want to burn it. I did the gluing in a huge rush and it shows :[

Got the legs matched to the body and the holes drilled for the toothpicks, it’s almost ready for gluing

Just gotta fix this

Once I get that wonky leg fixed and a final sanding with like 220 on everything, it’ll be time to glue

Since every leg is a little different and the tail section isn’t perfectly symmetrical, I have to basically custom fit each leg to its section of the fuselage

So I’m just using a tiny piece of sandpaper and the tip of my finger. Making them out of softwood is coming in handy, as removing material is pretty easy.

I also found that rubbing the leg up and down while applying pressure makes slightly shiny spots that I can then sand.

It’s a laborious but effective process

Tonight I was able to: drill pilot holes for the toothpicks I’m gonna use to anchor the legs for gluing, slim down the top taper a little, and round off the nose that everyone so emphatically reminded me was going to kill someone

I’m a little sad to see it go, but the tip now kinda closely resembles the tips of the legs, which is very satisfying, esthetically. ^test fitting on a spare length of dowel with a sanded down toothpick so it didn’t widen the pilot holes Ended up using a 5/64" bit, with glue it’s the perfect fit that’s tight, but can be done by hand or maybe a little tap tap

The proportions are odd, the legs look much smaller than i imagined them.

Also gotta fix the tearout, I’m thinking of just taking like an inch off the overall length when I round the tip, which will remove the tearout in the process

I also don’t have a fucking clue how I’m gonna clamp them for the glue-up. I’m considering gluing one at a time and using rubber bands. i dunno, let me know if you’ve got a better idea

As the shape revealed itself, I decided I liked the look of landing legs more than chunky fins

Also, my plan to wrap sandpaper around the dowel to match the curve worked spectacularly, I’m very very pleased

Also, the shape of these legs got very complicated very quickly

I was bored during his nap and he’s OBSESSED with planes, so I figured I’d be productive.

I’m unhappy with the forward fuselage, but other than that it honestly looks pretty good from most angles. I have a strange love of working with cardboard, it’s tons of fun as a structural material for cat trees and stuff like that

I’m gonna make the fin a little slimmer than it is currently, but the general shape works for me.

It’s currently made from SPF from home depot, but I’m debating making them out of more oak dowels, but that’ll be SO MUCH more work to carve out

Just spent 5 minutes using the proper tools, got the other two roughed out, as opposed to the 30-45 minutes it took with the box cutter

My toddler is obsessed with rockets at the moment, so I decided to use an extra length of dowel to make him a sturdy one.

I’m currently brainstorming the best way to attach the fins, figured I’d see if anyone here had any ideas

Currently, I’m thinking of cutting perpendicular grooves from the bottom that the fins will slot into, with each pair of fins being a solid piece. But keep in mind I haven’t made the fins yet, so that’s definitely not set in stone.

Modeling after the v-2 because it looks as stereotypical as a rocket can

HATE the name, but I’m fascinated by all the detail on this guy. I particularly like his little feet

Time to put up the Christmas lights in the Midwest.

This is dusty, he’s a very very patient boy, part maine coon we think