Model / Toy - Space Shuttle

[preprius]

I took on a small challenge. Create a 5.5 inch wooden space shuttle.  
My guidelines:

1) scale model  1:266.   Final tip to tail is 5.5".  Main engines are to scale and mounted at proper angles. 

2) only stain (no paint).  Kinda intarsia but 3D. 

Bottom wood is Wenge very dark.  Fuselage is Maple,  Top of wing is Baltic Birch (ran out of thin maple). 

Windows are stained, using Java wipe on gel.   I found a website that showed 'decals' for the a space shuttle model so I just resized the window decals in inkscape and traced a besier curve over the picture.  I then printed the sheet and create my own stencil.  Spray glued the paper sheet and put on fuselage, then applied stain.  The right side window have issues.  My blotting technique or gluing the paper down caused bleeding.  Another technique was to put grooves in so stain bleeding won't go too far.

I did the fuselage by using the compound cut concept. 

I put a small 1/8" router bit in my drill press. And slid the fuselage to create a slot for the tail.

Here is the inkscape exploded view for wood pieces assembly. 

I decided to NOT create the white back covers for the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS).  I bit too complex for a model/toy.

 

 

The 3 Main engines (nozzles) were mounted using T88 epoxy.    Orbital maneuvering nozzles are assembled later.

 

Here is the picture of cutting the cones.   3/4 Wenge. Blade #1 super skip,  diameter 0.4 inches. Table angle 20.1 deg. 

 

Stained. . . 

 

The intent of this model / toy was to put inside my desktop computer glass case.   I made my own Christmas toy.  It is hanging from a motor that spins really slow.

 

If anyone wants the inkscape file just shoot me a message.  

Suggestions (for next time),  are always accepted.  Questions are ok too.

Me.  Mark Eason

 

Edited December 12, 2025 by preprius

[Gonzo]

Wow! Very cool!

[jerry walters]

WOW!!!! That is very nice.  Quite a project to undertake, especially with designing, cutting, and assembly.  Very, very nice.

Jerry

 

[Sycamore67]

Well done !

[Scrolling Steve]

Wow!...You were all in on that project and it shows,very well done!

[daveww1]

very nice

[Scrappile]

Great job!

[Denny Knappen]

Very impressive and thanks for the walkthrough on the making process.

[MarieC]

Mark that is impressive!  I liked how you made your cones.  I might try that method for another idea I am working on. 

[preprius]

56 minutes ago, MarieC said:

Mark that is impressive!  I liked how you made your cones.  I might try that method for another idea I am working on. 

In my mounting I drilled holes so the points of the cones went into.   I knew that my drill bits are not the same angle as rockets.  So I had some issues of wiggly rockets.  I should have used epoxy putty instead of thin epoxy.  So for you , keep the mounting in mind on your project.   

Also the cone depth 0.75" scale of actual rockets matched my wood thickness.  I have experimented with 1.5" cones a few years ago.  Actually made cone inside cones. 

 

[Wichman]

Very nice!

A couple of notes. When you have a need to control a stain line, you can use an Exacto knife to score a light line where you want the stain to stop, by using a small brush to apply a light amount of stain, the stain will "bleed" to the line and no further.  For the cones; I would check the angle of some step drill bits to see if any are close, I have a set of three with various angles, if you were doing enough to make it worth your while you could grind a spade bit to the proper angle.

[preprius]

ooh I like the grind spade drill approach.

i did do the exacto groves for the window i also used a scratch awl, tiny one that used for metal. 

I am not planning on doing more, but if I do I will approach staining better.

Thanks for the tips.   

 

[FrankEV]

If you really wanted it to be a more "true" Intarsia piece, you could have cut it up more and made all the pieces you stained from diferent color wood and even the windows could have been wood inlays.  

I can envision a piece, as I described above,  with the Space Shuttle mounted on a stand-off from a black backer that had some gliiter to represent stars, and the assembly set into a shadow box type frame.  Not in my skill set, but there are those who could make it happen.

BTW very nice work and very unique display.

[rjweb]

Very nicely done, Frank are we going to see a space shuttle intarsia in the future, RJ

[preprius]

8 hours ago, FrankEV said:

If you really wanted it to be a more "true" Intarsia piece, you could have cut it up more and made all the pieces you stained from diferent color wood and even the windows could have been wood inlays.  

I can envision a piece, as I described above,  with the Space Shuttle mounted on a stand-off from a black backer that had some gliiter to represent stars, and the assembly set into a shadow box type frame.  Not in my skill set, but there are those who could make it happen.

BTW very nice work and very unique display.

Here is some screen shots of inkscape pages. . .    only 3 pages.   really only 2,  pg 3 was the assy sketch I already showed.  Pg 4 is the pattern to create a motor arm.  

pg 1. 

 

pg 2

 

pg 4.