nose cones

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mbecks

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I only scratch build my rockets using non rocket related stuff. The hardest problem I'm having is finding things to use as a nose cone. I was hoping someone here could guide me to a site or with pictures on building a nose cone using cardstock. I've tried this technique but don't like the results I get. any ideas?
[video=youtube;z6VvQmoE0cg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6VvQmoE0cg[/video]
 
Someone else here posted a video of someone using a medicine jar and a stemmed wine glass to make a nose cone. Dick Stafford sometimes uses plastic Easter eggs. Can't help with the card stock, but just thought it might help get you thinking outside the box.
 
If you look at the Project Paper thread, Glen uses a series of transitions to make nose cones...

I think the creator of the Project Paper thread is Greg.

I have just recently discovered these cardstock templates myself and have been building some of them and making some of my own.
 
I think the creator of the Project Paper thread is Greg.

I have just recently discovered these cardstock templates myself and have been building some of them and making some of my own.

Thanks for the link to Project paper.
 
Thanks for all the responses I'll give them all a look. Here is the newest idea I came up with. I'm very happy with the look of it but haven't tested it in flight yet.
[video=youtube;cJYYMyDTZ-c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJYYMyDTZ-c&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
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Sorry I mis read your post. What seems to be the issue with the video?
 
Don't make shot glass nosecones, cause they're way too heavy and small. The first method you posted sounds very complicated and it probably won't end up looking even. I would recommend buying a plastic champagne glass, sawing off the handle, then sanding it down with 150 grit to match the contour of the glass. A much better option is to buy a molded nosecone, there's no reason not to, cost as much as a shotglass or plastic champagne bottle, are stronger, more reliable, and much more geometrical than a scratch built nosecone. I just don't understand why people make nosecones, just because it's scratch built doesn't mean you are limited to non-rocketry related objects.
 
I only scratch build my rockets using non rocket related stuff. The hardest problem I'm having is finding things to use as a nose cone. I was hoping someone here could guide me to a site or with pictures on building a nose cone using cardstock. I've tried this technique but don't like the results I get. any ideas?
[video=youtube;z6VvQmoE0cg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6VvQmoE0cg[/video]

What you are doing looks great. It will take me a while to remember, but someone a year ago posted their Level 3 build, and they built their nose cone in a similar manner to what you did (with obviously bigger materials), and used expanding foam inside the nosecone to fill it out. Let me see if I can remember that build thread...
 
Don't make shot glass nosecones, cause they're way too heavy and small. The first method you posted sounds very complicated and it probably won't end up looking even. I would recommend buying a plastic champagne glass, sawing off the handle, then sanding it down with 150 grit to match the contour of the glass. A much better option is to buy a molded nosecone, there's no reason not to, cost as much as a shotglass or plastic champagne bottle, are stronger, more reliable, and much more geometrical than a scratch built nosecone. I just don't understand why people make nosecones, just because it's scratch built doesn't mean you are limited to non-rocketry related objects.

Thanks for your input. I guess I should have mentioned its a dollar store plastic shot glass. Its much lighter and cheaper(10 for $2) than a dollar store Champaign glass nose cone (I have built those as well.) I prefer to use non rocketry supplies just for the challenge. I realize buying a pre-formed nose cone would be easier and more efficient but it defeats the purpose of what I enjoy about rocketry.
 
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Your original question was more related to this cardstock rocketry section of the forum, there are a couple of nose cone templates here on this site and on the blog linked above. have you built any of them yet? Get a ream of cardstock paper and try building them. They are easy to print at different scales for custom diameters, just compute the percentage based on the body tube diameter ratio. I had some trouble at first, it helps to have a variety of dowels and one thin one sharpened to a point. Pre-roll each part to shape dry. Use a glue stick to spread thin glue evenly on the glue tabs, or white glue that you smear out with a finger or qtip to a very thin film. Have some wet and dry paper towels handy to wipe your fingers clean. I was building a scaled down clone of a transition rocket and the nose cone I needed was not a standard BT size, between a BT5 and BT4, but I was able to print at the scale I needed. after building a few of them I got pretty quick at it, not an expert, but it fits the need. I prefer just using a conventional ready made nose cone, on some builds the lines just look better with a certain nose cone shape. But, the cardstock templates offer the satisfaction of doing it yourself, if you are up to the challenge.
 
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Your original question was more related to this cardstock rocketry section of the forum, there are a couple of nose cone templates here on this site and on the blog linked above. have you built any of them yet? Get a ream of cardstock paper and try building them. They are easy to print at different scales for custom diameters, just compute the percentage based on the body tube diameter ratio. I had some trouble at first, it helps to have a variety of dowels and one thin one sharpened to a point. Pre-roll each part to shape dry. Use a glue stick to spread thin glue evenly on the glue tabs, or white glue that you smear out with a finger or qtip to a very thin film. Have some wet and dry paper towels handy to wipe your fingers clean. I was building a scaled down clone of a transition rocket and the nose cone I needed was not a standard BT size, between a BT5 and BT4, but I was able to print at the scale I needed. after building a few of them I got pretty quick at it, not an expert, but it fits the need. I prefer just using a conventional ready made nose cone, on some builds the lines just look better with a certain nose cone shape. the cardstock templates offer the satisfaction of doing it yourself, if you are up to the challenge.

great stuff, do card stock nose cone wreck super easily?
 
In answer to your question "Do card stock nose cones wreck super easily?"

No, if constructed correctly they are the strongest part of a cardstock model.
Three layer cardstock fins (cardstock, cereal box cardboard, cardstock) are very strong!

Greg's Project Paper is a great place to start. Larger diameter nose cones are better for your first tries.

Here's a picture of an older Eric Truax Scamp BT-50 size cardstock nose cone -

Truax BT-50 Nose Cone.jpg

It took a few tries to get it right. Don't give up after one attempt. Each one gets better and stronger.
While some use 65 lb. cardstock, this one was made with 110 lb., it's very strong.

From an article on my blog -

Plastic Nose Cone Glass 030_WEB.jpg

https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2011/01/tip-champagne-flute-nose-cones.html

The hardest thing about plastic champagne glass nose cones is finding the body tube to match diameters.
These (almost) fit the Quest 50mm tube.
Good Luck!
 
Thanks for the good words about Project Paper! I will echo Chris' statement. I have been flying paper models for contests for several years now. The contest models are for duration events and they are mostly in 18mm and 30mm diameters. Once made, the nose cone is, indeed, the strongest part. The body tube will burn or crush on landing sooner than the nose being damaged, unless the whole model lands in water. The reason is simple: while the tube is one of the strongest shaped in the longitudinal axis, it is easily dented, which wil compromise its strength. Since the nose is a series of transitions, all mostly 1" or shorter, and reinforced inside with white glue, they become almost as strong as plastic and the progressively sharpening transitions are very strong.

I never have been able to make the "petal" style cardstock cone work. However, if the transitions used for the cone are selected carefully, the my nose cones can look really good! And, for what it is worth, designing ogive nose cones to be printed on a 3D printer (that is where my creative efforts have been devoted lately) uses the same process, except that the transitions are MUCH shorter making the cone smooth. This, BTW, is the principle behind doing integrals on the computer - a series of steps that increasingly approach infinity. Of course, you can't get to infinity, but stopping when each step is less than a mm long works quite well. And working on designing ogives for 3D printers is igniting my interest in designing more Project Paper models, so we will see where that goes!
 
In answer to your question "Do card stock nose cones wreck super easily?"

No, if constructed correctly they are the strongest part of a cardstock model.
Three layer cardstock fins (cardstock, cereal box cardboard, cardstock) are very strong!

Greg's Project Paper is a great place to start. Larger diameter nose cones are better for your first tries.

Here's a picture of an older Eric Truax Scamp BT-50 size cardstock nose cone -

View attachment 279743

It took a few tries to get it right. Don't give up after one attempt. Each one gets better and stronger.
While some use 65 lb. cardstock, this one was made with 110 lb., it's very strong.

From an article on my blog -

View attachment 279744

https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2011/01/tip-champagne-flute-nose-cones.html

The hardest thing about plastic champagne glass nose cones is finding the body tube to match diameters.
These (almost) fit the Quest 50mm tube.
Good Luck!

that is a good looking card stock nose cone, I didn't realize they could look so professional.
 
wow you got some great equipment and ideas. you must be really big in this hobby. I love it.
 
image.jpg

When I found the satellite interceptor mini downscale clone template, that was my gateway cardstock rocket and got me started into building others and trying out making some of my own templates. Strangely enough, the simple cone geometry is actually pretty difficult to get straight and to a point on this cone, but when you coat the inside with glue, it does become quite sturdy. (I know, the dorsal fin is backwards, my goof)
https://rocketry.wordpress.com/ultimate-paper-rocket-guide/
 
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