Raider conversion – making a removable tail section
Things you will need:
Sharp razor knife
Razor saw or jewelers saw
Files or
Rotary tool (Dremel) with abrasive cutting wheel
Polystyrene cement
5-minute epoxy
1/4" inch polystyrene tube (1” length)
5/16 inch polystyrene tube (3+” length, must slide over 1/4-inch tube)
1/16 inch this polystyrene sheet (1” x 1” piece)
Raider model – assembled or disassembled
Step 1 – Remove tail section from the raider model. You can use a
knife or saw to do this. There are two ways to cut away the tail: you
can cut it off flush with the main raider body or preferably cut into the
body and remove the tail and small section of the body attached to the tail.
The latter is more difficult with an assembled model. You will
need a sharp knife, and you will need to make progressively deeper scores/cuts
in the plastic until you cut through.
Step 2 – Make a hole in the back of the raider model. This hole will
be where the tail section slides into the model for final assembly. The
hole is located where circular disk is above the raider’s jet exhaust port.
The disk is approximately 5/16” diameter and has several raised ridges
on it. Carefully cut around the disk with a razor knife and remove
it. Save the disk, as you will need it later. If necessary, enlarge
the hole slightly until the 5/16” polystyrene tubing snugly fits in the hole.
Step 3 – Cut/enlarge the slot in the raider model where the tail section
will be mounted. This slot is approximately 1/8” wide and is located
where the tail section was cut away. If the tail was flush cut, then
you will need to make a slot. If the tail and part of the body were
cut away then there will already be a slot and it will only need to be enlarged
slightly. You can use a razor saw and file to cut/form the slot or
a rotary tool with abrasive cutting wheel (preferred.) The slot should
begin at the front edge of the tail section and proceed back through the
rear wall of the model. It will intersect the hole that you cut in
Step 2. You only need to cut the slot deep enough to pass through
the thickness of the plastic, no more than 1/4” deep.
Step 4 – Add an extension to the tail section. This extension will
be made by gluing the 1/16” polystyrene sheet to the cut portion of the tail
section. The sheet should extend the bottom edge of the tail section
approximately 1/4”. You can check the extension for fit by placing
the tail section into the slot that you cut in step 3. If you look
into the hole cut in step 2 you should see the extension protruding into
the hole. There are several ways to attach the polystyrene sheet extension
to the tail section to insure that it is sturdy. I prefer to make
a cutout in the bottom of the tail section that matches a tab that I make
in the polystyrene sheet. The tab fits into the cutout and helps to
lock the two pieces together. You can use polystyrene cement to bond
the pieces. I also use 5-minute epoxy to fill any gaps.
Step 5 – Cut a slot into the 5/16” tube. The tube will ultimately
be inserted into the hole that you cut in step 2 and then it will be bonded
to the raider body with polystyrene cement and/or epoxy. First however,
the 5/16” tubing will need to have a 1/8” slot cut in it lengthwise.
This slot needs to be wide enough so that the tail extension added in step
4 will freely slide through it. It will also need to be approximately 1”
long. The slot can be cut with a knife or rotary tool. At one end of the
tube the slot will need to be further widened to 3/16” to create a small
“step” in the tube. This “step” should match the “step” in the raider
body. The wider 3/16” slot should be approximately 3/8” long.
Step 6 – Glue the 5/16” tubing into the raider body. The slotted 5/16”
tubing can now be mounted and glued into the raider body. I like to
use both polystyrene cement and 5-minute epoxy to glue the tube in place.
The polystyrene cement is applied to the end of the tube with the “step”
slot. Inside the hole (from step 2) in the back of the raider I will apply
a generous bead of 5-minute epoxy. The end of the tube with the “step” will
be inserted into the raider body first and pushed until it contacts the “step”
in the raider body. Approximately 1” of the 5/16” tubing will be inserted
into the raider body. The remaining tubing will protrude from the back
of the raider model. You can move this protruding tubing to adjust
the angle and position to insure that that the tubing is located properly.
The long axis of the tubing should run parallel to the top of the
raider body. The slot in the tubing should be positioned so that it
aligns with the slot cut in the raider body. While the glue is setting, position
the raider body vertically with the front pointing up. The tubing will point
downward and the epoxy bead at the hole will flow down into any gaps between
the tubing and the back of the raider.
Step 7 – Cut the 5/16” tubing flush with the back of the raider body. The
extra tubing that protrudes from the back of the raider can be cut away with
a razor knife. Use a file to clean the edges and blend them with the
back of the raider body. Inspect the interior of the 5/16” tubing.
It should be free of any excess glue and the slot should be free of
glue as well. If necessary clean out the slot with a file or rotary
tool.
Step 8 – Cut a slot in the 1/4” tubing. This slot should be approximately
1/16” wide and run the entire length of the tubing. The slot should
be wide enough to snugly hold the raider tail extension that was added in
step 4. The slot can be cut with a razor knife or rotary tool.
Step 9 – Attach the tail section to the 1/4” tubing. The 1/4” tubing
should be place into the 5/16” tubing that was glued into the raider body
in step 6. The slot in the tubing should align with the slot in the
5/16” tubing and raider body. The tail section and extension should
then be placed in the aligned slots so that it is in the same position as
it was in the original model. The tail section should project vertically
from the raider body and the back edge of the tail section should match the
back edge of the raider body. Once this is completed you will notice
that part of the tail section extension protrudes into the 1/4” tube. A
small amount of polystyrene cement should be applied to the joint between
the 1/4” tube and tail section extension. Let the glue set up firmly
and then carefully slide the tail section and attached 1/4” tube out of the
back of the raider body. The tail section extension can now be more
firmly bonded into the 1/4” tube by putting a generous bead of 5-minute epoxy
inside the 1/4” tube at both ends. Be careful not to get any epoxy
on the outer surfaces of the tube.
Step 10 – Add the circular disk to the tail section assembly. Insert
the tail section into the raider body by sliding the 1/4” tube on the tail
into the 5/16” tube mounted in the raider body. If necessary trim the
1/4” tube on the tail assembly so that it is flush with the back of the raider
body. Glue the circular disk (removed in step 2) to the back of the
1/4” tube and position it as it was in the original model. Use polystyrene
cement to bond the disk and take care to bond it ONLY to the tail section
assembly, not the raider body.
Step 11 – Finishing – Sand and trim the tail section if necessary to clean
up any seams or joints.