Rocketry Revelations

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Gary Byrum

Overstable By Design
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Messages
6,330
Reaction score
206
Location
Lincolnton NC
You've had em. That day when the light in you head came on and suddenly you thought, or said to yourself, "Why have I been doing it like this for so long, when I could have been doing it like that?"

Much younger than now, I fussed over why my fins were never really straight and my rockets were flying wonky. Not every time, but a great many times. Finally it dawned on me, I had been marking my tubes on door jambs all these years and we live in a house that was starting to settle and age somewhat. Never dawned on me that maybe the door was getting a little kinked. Started looking closely and realized I was right. My lines were a little off. So I quit and found alternatives. Today that would be a piece of aluminum angle that works like a champ.
NO MO DOH JAMBS!

My second of a great many others was, "The Xacto police are NOT going to arrest me if I decide to change what kind of knife I use."

Got one you wanna share?
 
I've been using aluminum angle for several years. It was a tip I picked up here on the forum.
 
Aluminum angle and Olfa knife:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006SJAR0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Started using that knife many years ago while installing auto glass. They make a bunch of different sizes and all have the blades you can snap the tip off and have a fresh, sharp edge. I use it extended to cut cardboard tubing.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
this:

perpendicular fins every time, no big fancy "jig"

Now I like that a lot! I see potential using 2 tooth pics. One on each side. This would prolly lend itself better for when you use epoxy on fins. Providimg they can reach/touch the fins.
 
and this:

An old Hotel room key for fin fillets.. Cut a custom radius if needed. Epoxy won't stick tot eh card-key, so it's infinitely reusable. Give it a wipe after each pass..

dx3_0682.JPG

dx3_0711.JPG

dx3_0678.JPG
 
A short streamer on your JLCR. if the tether snaps (or god forbid you forget to attach the tether!), you're looking for a 12" x 1" piece of bright orange rather than a 1" x 2" black box.. in grass..

Pre filled out flight cards, for each of your common models. Our club's flight cards are editable PDFs. So, I can add my name, city, NAR #, etc.. I can then create a few for my commonly flown rockets. Our cards come 2 per page, meaning that the cards are 2 per printed 8.5" x 11" sheet. I'll fill out my 'Estes Leviathan' on one, and my 'MC Skipper' on the other. I'll add the constant info: colour, chute size, rod/rail specs, etc.. I then only need to fill out motor info, electronics, etc.. when I'm at the field. I'll create about 10 'card files' (each contain two common rockets I fly). I'll print out 5 or 6 cards of each, and keep them in my 'flight binder'. (and yes, I have a few pre filled cards, but with no specific rocket info for those rare ones..)

I have a 'flight binder', divided into three sections:

The first section is general motor info & RMS assembly instructions. I also have a list of current motors in the box. I then just cross off what motor I use as I use it.. I'll then make a new update when the sheet gets to be ratty looking!

2nd section is to record the flights of the day: Date, wind, rocket, motor, expected speed & alt., verified speed & alt. (Although I haven't been as diligent as I have in the summer months)

Third section is rocket sim/flight info, gathered from Thrustcurve.org. I've entered in my rocket info, and then take the cvs file and converted it to an excel table (rotated to 'landscape'). Purged out the info I don't need, added a few extra columns & formulas I do need. So, I have a table with:
Rocket name, weight, length, dia., chute size at the top of the table.
The columns are: Motor, recommended delay, expected alt, velocity, G force, then the same columns in metric. So, looking at the 'Estes Leviathan' page, at the row for a G80, I see I need a 6.8sec delay, will reach an expected 1582ft, at 282mph, with 12Gs..
(once you have a format, others can be made from that format, with the relevant data entered in (copied from..))

I also have the pre-printed flight cards (see above) at the corresponding model page (Two punched holes at the top of the card, so they stay in.) So, I flip my book open to the "PML 2.1 AMRAAM" page. I have a G64-7W in my kit, and see that this motor in this rocket will need a 7 sec delay, will get it to 1682ft, with a speed of.. Flight card & info are right there, just fill in what I need on the flight card and tear it out once the motor is assembled & inserted. The other nice thing is, no need to fuss with a powered device to find thrustcurve, flight profiles, WI-FI, etc.. It's paper.. in a book.. easily referenced..
 
Don't wear your vintage Zepellin '75 concert shirt when building. The more favored / cherished the shirt, the more epoxy & CA it'll attract!
 
Aluminum angle and Olfa knife:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006SJAR0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Started using that knife many years ago while installing auto glass. They make a bunch of different sizes and all have the blades you can snap the tip off and have a fresh, sharp edge. I use it extended to cut cardboard tubing.

Heck, I re-sharpen my blades with an ultra-fine stones, finishing up with a Franz Swaty stone. As long as the blades aren't chipped up bad can really stretch the life out of them. Kurt
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CA bottle nozzles are forever getting clogged so instead of trying to unclog them I just unscrew the cap and toss it into a jar with some acetone in it. Voila, squeaky clean and ready to reuse in no time at all! And since no one wants to waste any precious build time waiting, pick up a couple of spare nozzles to use while the clogged ones are soaking. You can recycle them like this forever.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A short streamer on your JLCR. if the tether snaps (or god forbid you forget to attach the tether!), you're looking for a 12" x 1" piece of bright orange rather than a 1" x 2" black box.. in grass..

Pre filled out flight cards, for each of your common models. Our club's flight cards are editable PDFs. So, I can add my name, city, NAR #, etc.. I can then create a few for my commonly flown rockets. Our cards come 2 per page, meaning that the cards are 2 per printed 8.5" x 11" sheet. I'll fill out my 'Estes Leviathan' on one, and my 'MC Skipper' on the other. I'll add the constant info: colour, chute size, rod/rail specs, etc.. I then only need to fill out motor info, electronics, etc.. when I'm at the field. I'll create about 10 'card files' (each contain two common rockets I fly). I'll print out 5 or 6 cards of each, and keep them in my 'flight binder'. (and yes, I have a few pre filled cards, but with no specific rocket info for those rare ones..)

I have a 'flight binder', divided into three sections:

The first section is general motor info & RMS assembly instructions. I also have a list of current motors in the box. I then just cross off what motor I use as I use it.. I'll then make a new update when the sheet gets to be ratty looking!

2nd section is to record the flights of the day: Date, wind, rocket, motor, expected speed & alt., verified speed & alt. (Although I haven't been as diligent as I have in the summer months)

Third section is rocket sim/flight info, gathered from Thrustcurve.org. I've entered in my rocket info, and then take the cvs file and converted it to an excel table (rotated to 'landscape'). Purged out the info I don't need, added a few extra columns & formulas I do need. So, I have a table with:
Rocket name, weight, length, dia., chute size at the top of the table.
The columns are: Motor, recommended delay, expected alt, velocity, G force, then the same columns in metric. So, looking at the 'Estes Leviathan' page, at the row for a G80, I see I need a 6.8sec delay, will reach an expected 1582ft, at 282mph, with 12Gs..
(once you have a format, others can be made from that format, with the relevant data entered in (copied from..))

I also have the pre-printed flight cards (see above) at the corresponding model page (Two punched holes at the top of the card, so they stay in.) So, I flip my book open to the "PML 2.1 AMRAAM" page. I have a G64-7W in my kit, and see that this motor in this rocket will need a 7 sec delay, will get it to 1682ft, with a speed of.. Flight card & info are right there, just fill in what I need on the flight card and tear it out once the motor is assembled & inserted. The other nice thing is, no need to fuss with a powered device to find thrustcurve, flight profiles, WI-FI, etc.. It's paper.. in a book.. easily referenced..

I like this tip a lot, and will adapt some of what you've proposed- I have a few variations on this theme- two LPR books that contain flight data cards- sim data for my models, parachute size and decent rates. I have a sheet where I'm "supposed" to record flight characteristics, but never remember to. I also have a separate Excel file with all my HPR birds mapped out to motor size, but more with an eye for purchasing- this way I don't accidentally buy a motor that only works well on one rocket, and instead can focus on the motors that work on >4 birds for economical reasons (there are always outliers). I need to get better about making all of this field-ready, which is where I plan to leverage some of what you've implemented.

Great thread!
 
When gluing on fins using a spot or two of ca on the ends in addition to wood glue on the rest of the root edge. Grabs in about a minute instead of several minutes. And using a display stand and sighting down the tube to assure alignment. Estes for 3 fins and Qualmann's for 4. Only thing Qualmann's is a fiberboard stand, not rigid plastic, so it can bend. Check for trueness before aligning.

trf25.jpg

Cuz patience is not one of my virtues.
 
CA bottle nozzles are forever getting clogged so instead of trying to unclog them I just unscrew the cap and toss it into a jar with some acetone in it. Voila, squeaky clean and ready to reuse in no time at all! And since no one wants to waste any precious build time waiting, pick up a couple of spare nozzles to use while the clogged ones are soaking. You can recycle them like this forever.

Bang or 'put down hard' your bottle of CA, to dislodge the drop left at the tip (whether inside or outside)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Great thread. The switch to an Olfa snap-off knife has definitely improved my life (thanks to hcmbanjo for that recommendation originally).

Something I was shown at a recent launch that really blew my mind: when hooking alligator clips to an Estes ignitor (sorry, "starter"), curl the igniter lead into a "U" shape overlapping the tape, and then clip to the lead and the tape together. The tape ensures that the clips have something to grip. So easy and soooooo much better than just trying to clip to the tiny wires.

ignitor_clip.png

Maybe everyone knew about this one already but I didn't. Thanks for this one Brian S.!
 
Great thread. The switch to an Olfa snap-off knife has definitely improved my life (thanks to hcmbanjo for that recommendation originally).

Something I was shown at a recent launch that really blew my mind: when hooking alligator clips to an Estes ignitor (sorry, "starter"), curl the igniter lead into a "U" shape overlapping the tape, and then clip to the lead and the tape together. The tape ensures that the clips have something to grip. So easy and soooooo much better than just trying to clip to the tiny wires.

View attachment 338948

Maybe everyone knew about this one already but I didn't. Thanks for this one Brian S.!

That gets a 10!!
 
I have a similar, but smaller handle, but I get these blades!! (Go look for them!)

https://olfa.com/professional/product/snap-off-graphics-blades-pack-of-10-a1160b/

I hear you on Olfa knives (have a few, but not used in rockets).
For rockets construction, I found and use a mini-Olfa style "graphic knife". Same X-acto sized blades, but these can be snapped off Olfa-style when the knife tip gets dull:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DXWN42/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

a
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A short streamer on your JLCR. if the tether snaps (or god forbid you forget to attach the tether!), you're looking for a 12" x 1" piece of bright orange rather than a 1" x 2" black box.. in grass..

Pre filled out flight cards, for each of your common models. Our club's flight cards are editable PDFs. So, I can add my name, city, NAR #, etc.. I can then create a few for my commonly flown rockets. Our cards come 2 per page, meaning that the cards are 2 per printed 8.5" x 11" sheet. I'll fill out my 'Estes Leviathan' on one, and my 'MC Skipper' on the other. I'll add the constant info: colour, chute size, rod/rail specs, etc.. I then only need to fill out motor info, electronics, etc.. when I'm at the field. I'll create about 10 'card files' (each contain two common rockets I fly). I'll print out 5 or 6 cards of each, and keep them in my 'flight binder'. (and yes, I have a few pre filled cards, but with no specific rocket info for those rare ones..)

I have a 'flight binder', divided into three sections:

The first section is general motor info & RMS assembly instructions. I also have a list of current motors in the box. I then just cross off what motor I use as I use it.. I'll then make a new update when the sheet gets to be ratty looking!

2nd section is to record the flights of the day: Date, wind, rocket, motor, expected speed & alt., verified speed & alt. (Although I haven't been as diligent as I have in the summer months)

Third section is rocket sim/flight info, gathered from Thrustcurve.org. I've entered in my rocket info, and then take the cvs file and converted it to an excel table (rotated to 'landscape'). Purged out the info I don't need, added a few extra columns & formulas I do need. So, I have a table with:
Rocket name, weight, length, dia., chute size at the top of the table.
The columns are: Motor, recommended delay, expected alt, velocity, G force, then the same columns in metric. So, looking at the 'Estes Leviathan' page, at the row for a G80, I see I need a 6.8sec delay, will reach an expected 1582ft, at 282mph, with 12Gs..
(once you have a format, others can be made from that format, with the relevant data entered in (copied from..))

I also have the pre-printed flight cards (see above) at the corresponding model page (Two punched holes at the top of the card, so they stay in.) So, I flip my book open to the "PML 2.1 AMRAAM" page. I have a G64-7W in my kit, and see that this motor in this rocket will need a 7 sec delay, will get it to 1682ft, with a speed of.. Flight card & info are right there, just fill in what I need on the flight card and tear it out once the motor is assembled & inserted. The other nice thing is, no need to fuss with a powered device to find thrustcurve, flight profiles, WI-FI, etc.. It's paper.. in a book.. easily referenced..

Paul-Great ideas here. Any chance you can share your Excel sheets here? No sense in reinventing the wheel--sounds like your system would work well for most of us.
 
Great thread. The switch to an Olfa snap-off knife has definitely improved my life (thanks to hcmbanjo for that recommendation originally).

Something I was shown at a recent launch that really blew my mind: when hooking alligator clips to an Estes ignitor (sorry, "starter"), curl the igniter lead into a "U" shape overlapping the tape, and then clip to the lead and the tape together. The tape ensures that the clips have something to grip. So easy and soooooo much better than just trying to clip to the tiny wires.

View attachment 338948

Maybe everyone knew about this one already but I didn't. Thanks for this one Brian S.!

I always attach the clips above the tape. The tape helps support the clips and keeps them from shorting. It also provides a shorter distance between the clips so there is less resistance from the excess wire. Okay, that last one is probably entirely psychological anymore, but that was what Stine's book said, so it became a habit with me!
 
Great thread. The switch to an Olfa snap-off knife has definitely improved my life (thanks to hcmbanjo for that recommendation originally).

Something I was shown at a recent launch that really blew my mind: when hooking alligator clips to an Estes ignitor (sorry, "starter"), curl the igniter lead into a "U" shape overlapping the tape, and then clip to the lead and the tape together. The tape ensures that the clips have something to grip. So easy and soooooo much better than just trying to clip to the tiny wires.

View attachment 338948

Maybe everyone knew about this one already but I didn't. Thanks for this one Brian S.!

Neat idea, but I normally just give the clip / lead a twist, then clip the lead, then twist in the other direction to wind the lead around the clip..

There is also making a 'U in eth starter lerad, then clipping the clip across both vertical parts of the 'U' so you're grapping 2 lead segments, not just one.

(and, have the club / offer to replace the clubs leads / clips every once & a while. the springs go, they get rusty, they get mis-aligned...)
 
and this:

An old Hotel room key for fin fillets.. Cut a custom radius if needed. Epoxy won't stick tot eh card-key, so it's infinitely reusable. Give it a wipe after each pass..

Works very well for spreading glue on a fin for papering also.

put a tie wrap on it.. (on the end of the handle) and fight the urge to pick it off every time you pick up the knife!

Don't have a knife to put one on. I ditched those round "leg daggers" years ago. And besides, I'd prolly need said tie wrap for a quick fix on something and forget where I got it from. It'd likely end up in the misc tray of my Table Top Carousel.

Lazy Susan Organizer.jpg
 
Ask and ye shall receive!

Here is one of my cross reference sheets I have in my binder. You can see the form is an Excel form, made into a table. Some columns have the appropriate formulas to turn what ever info into what ever info you want to see (lbs to Kg, m/s to kph or mph, etc..)

Add / delete the columns you don't want / need..

Oh, and make each sheet the colour of your rocket! colour coordination!

View attachment Black_Shadow_(Upscale)-results-pass.xlsx
 
Back
Top