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Rocket blank ready to be turned to a cylinder.

Photo 3

The rocket body blank mounted on the lathe and ready to be shaped.

Rocket blank rough shaped with the porthole holes drilled.

Photo 4

When the rocket is near its final shape, I drill the 3/8” hole for the portholes.

I drilled a small pilot hole and then use a 3/8” forstner bit in a hand-held power drill. The pilot hole helps to guide the point of the forstner bit at the start of the hole, so it doesn’t walk around too much and chew up the rocket surface. Reducing tearout on the hole’s edge means less clean up afterwards.


 

Page last updated 15 June 2007