This duo of Youngest Daughter (Y.D.) and Kid-zilla has teamed up again with the intention of making this rocket carrier:
Kid-zilla plans to use leftover bits from his Submarine Transport for the Triple O as the basis. From there, I am not sure where they plan to go, though Kid-zilla assures me “It will be easy!” His style leans industrial…hers leans crafty…this should be an interesting combination…if they can pull it off!
Eric
I am reminded of the railroad that used to run munitions around the docks.
Maybe time for the different Mueller factions to get LSC accounts?
Close…The older one all have to manage online profiles for school. It is an unfortunate part of growing up in this world. Were they to ask, I’d let them establish accounts. I will let Kid-zilla remain blessedly free of the internet for as long as I can, however!
Eric
Kid-zilla has assemble the bits.
He tried to explain his plan to me. He assures me this will be “easy.” Y.D. did not seem so sure…
His plans have worked before, with a little stumble, hereandthere, go for it you two. 
Kid-zilla and Y.D. divided labor along the following lines. He will labor. She will provide moral support. OK…
The morning began before church with Kid-zilla tapping out a bit of brass from the submarine carrier project and testing his proposed plan on the tracks.
The real work began after church. He located a metal brace from some long-forgotten home project. Then, he grabbed the drill!
!Once I was assured that he understood the drill was a tool and not a home defense item, he set to, and eventually got the hole he needed.
Dinner discussions discussed the rocket cradle. He showed how it was supposed to be affixed the ends. When questioned about how that would work as the car rotated, he figured out the cradle would have to be affixed to the center beam.
This led to a discussion about how much help to provide one another. Kid-zilla acknowledged that he didn’t want any project to look bad, as they would all run on the same railroad. We all also agreed that no one won through another’s failure, even if somebody won in terms of the best project.
Got to love the MIK!
Eric
Bonus points awarded if it actually fires 
I’ll let them know!
In the meantime, Kid-zilla worked out how to make what amounts to a skeleton car.
Yesterday, I told him to grab an LGB log car to serve as his guide.
Today, he put that study to use, and he proceeded to locate bolts and nuts that he could use to make fast the two ends of his car.
Testing revealed it would work…
…but there are some balance issues for him and his sister to address.
He originally thought about letting it bend at the brace, but I reminded him of our problems with his submarine carrier. After much experimenting, he opted to drive a shim between the two striped beams and soak them in TiteBond III.
I at some point offered he might want to install another brace, but I was promptly reminded, “Dad this NOT your project!”
Good. Goooooooooooodddddd…
Eric.
P.S. No observed involvement from Y.D. yet 
Minor issues resolved today…yesterday’s joinery passed an 0-5-0 powered test and was pronounced good. Also, Kid-zilla picked his Estes BULLPUP as the rocket to influence the cradle design.
This was his first rocket he did as a more-or-less solo build, by the way. I helped with the spraypainting. I still have some uses…
Eric
SOOOOoooooooo when he puts it on a straight section of track… and lights it off… PLEASE have the video camera rolling…
Oh maybe I should not have put that idea into a curious mind…
The project is moving right along. He is clever to test it on the track before proceeding. Getting the articulation right can be tricky.
I think we all want to see this car take a few laps round the RR and then to the launch pad. 
Dave, I foresaw that opportunity at the very beginning and got the what-fer. But, with you being Guidance from Above, Grand Poohbah of the MIK, maybe they’ll go for it…
I thank a F15 in there would be spectacular… OK only once, but WOW what a sleigh ride…
Kid-zilla reports no progress…he is still thinking about the cradle. I don’t think I’ll mention that F-engine, though!
Kid-zilla has an idea about the cradle. It will be made from wood. All other inquiries receive the standard answer: “Dad this NOT your project!”
He did actually reinforce the joint with epoxy putty.
No sign of his sister, yet. You can tell. Nothing is in a pastel color!
Eric
Today, Kid-zilla made a detail part.
I told him that was really good, then I asked him about the rocket cradle. At dinner, he said he is pretty much doing this project alone, using his sister as a source of parts.
This is a long weekend. Let’s see what comes out the back side!
Eric
KId-zilla took a crack at the cradel today. I told him he had to show me some plans and some measurements before he started cutting into the limited non-scrap! Eventually, he got to measuring and marking…
…and then to chopping!
He is allowed to use the Dremel, the foam cutters, and the soldering iron on his own. Today he qualified on the chopper!
These will be the cross members of the cradle. We discussed their placement and the concept of a tap hole. I think he drilled one of those.
He is anxious to get this done, but I think the cradle is challenging him more than he would like to admit. He is too proud to ask for help, which is good, but I do wish he’d engage his partner. Y.D. is a very creative problem solver with a horde of stuff. He just needs to ask…
Eric
That’s awesome!
I also agree with his reminders " Dad…This is not your project" !!!
I had just cleared a cluttered table…
…put some short trains on the loop, and cracked beverage when, lo! Kid-zilla decided to take another crack at those rocket cradle arms.
He finished tapping some guide holes.
Then he noticed that the beam connecting the ends of the car were still wiggly. He had pounded a metal bracket flat earlier in the MIK, and, at my suggestion, decided to mount this bracket to end the wiggling. He used the drill bit to tap the holes, then he swapped out the bit for a Philipps head and drove home the wood screw. Next was the fun part - grinding off the exposed screw tips!
After dinner, he glued a dowel into a spent rocket motor casing before handing it over to the 1:24 night shift for trimming.
He did this four times. Tomorrow, he can tap the cradle arms and the dowels, the make them fast with wood screws. A coat of grey paint, and the cradles will be ready for mounting to the car. He is already thinking ahead to the details he plans to add.
Eric
Um, is she ok with that?
