What did you do rocket wise today?

Launched my comanche-3 and got a estes saturn v.

Since November I have been renovating a bathroom, so between that and work I have done Zero rocketry since then till yesterday.

Built a Falcon 9 plus fairing kit that I picked up from SpaceX. I will have to do some graphics in the SES-10 launch config as a celebration of the first re-use. I got two, so I will make one a static model (get some legs 3D printed) and one for flying.

Also started re-prepping my 1/2 scale Apache (Nike Apache minus the Nike) for flight in the next month or so. Looking forward to lighting that one up on a CTI M840 Been trying to fly it since September last year.

Finished a repair on a fin on my Wildman Demon. Cracked fillets on each side of one fin...

Dremeled the fillets...
Poured new fillets...
Repainted entire fin can...

Placed an order for miscellaneous components from Balsa Machine.
Placed order for a JLCR from One Bad Hawk.
Ordered some BT56 components from ebay vendors. Have nose cones in the pile, might as well put them to use.

7 rockets CWF'd, and 4 of those sanded, half of one of the sanded ones primed.

Cowabunga dude.

smugglervt said:

Cowabunga dude.

Click to expand...

Like this....

I finally got up the courage to finish soldering my Eggtimer Quantum. I was so relived to see this when I attached the battery and connected my phone to the new wifi signal. Who knew my crappy soldering skills could make this thing work?!



Thorough testing will happen tomorrow, but I'm really liking this thing already.

Cl(VII) said:

Lost print to bed adhesion failure. Made it about 3h before coming loose. I am trying to print vertically, so it is a small footprint relative to length. I'll try again tonight.

Click to expand...

I've had luck with pretty low bed temps, but I currently run a bed temp of 90C and a hot end temp of 250C and it works like a champ with eSun PETG. I use BuildTak on my bed - that helps too.

rharshberger said:

Like this....

Click to expand...

That Cowbunga looks awesome!

GrouchoDuke said:

I've had luck with pretty low bed temps, but I currently run a bed temp of 90C and a hot end temp of 250C and it works like a champ with eSun PETG. I use BuildTak on my bed - that helps too.


That Cowbunga looks awesome!

Click to expand...

Its done with vinyl cut on my wife's Cricut from clip art I converted to SVG then resized. After the spots were applied the whole deal was given a coat of Future.

rharshberger said:

Its done with vinyl cut on my wife's Cricut from clip art I converted to SVG then resized. After the spots were applied the whole deal was given a coat of Future.

Click to expand...

Vinyl cutters rule for rocket paint jobs. I love my Silhouette 3 for cutting spray paint masks.

EDIT: Tonight I reprogrammed the freqs on my Eggfinder & Eggfinder Mini. I also started designing a 3d printed sled for my Go Devil 29. It'll get a Quark, Eggfinder Mini, a hack & slashed 2S 300mAh lipo and a switch...if it all fits in there.

rharshberger said:

Like this....

Click to expand...

Hopefully

Ordered some new Mylar competition chutes, and a pack of 1/2A6-2 motors for a project I'm starting, from ASP. And sent off an inquiry to Stickershock for some custom decals for said project.

... And ordered a second QCC Explorer from the Estes "Specials" page!

GrouchoDuke said:

I've had luck with pretty low bed temps, but I currently run a bed temp of 90C and a hot end temp of 250C and it works like a champ with eSun PETG. I use BuildTak on my bed - that helps too.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. Last night I did a 3 hour print with 75C/245C using Hatchbox PETG, and it stuck like a champ to the stock Prusa bed wiped down with isopropanol. The main difference was I found a thermal image of the Prusa bed and found out I was printing in the coldest spot, so I moved to a hot spot. Also, I added a 10 layer birm around the print, and a 10mm skirt, as well as. Even the skirt and birm were stuck flat after 3 hours, so I think I'll try my sled print again with the new settings soon. I need to make an enclosure to get the bed consistently over 85C, so I think many things will get easier after higher bed temps are achievable. I'm starting to understand what all the many print settings equate to in the reality of printing, so it is getting easier to solve little problems here and there.

Cut out templates then cut fins for EAC Viper clone (original size)

Launched my comanche-3 again.

Clear coated the Saturn V, initial color coats on the Patriot, Aerobee, and Thug and even got the lawn mowed.

Lost another one. This time 90C bed and some Aqua Net...if it can hold up 80s Jersey Mall Hair it can hold plastic to the bed of my printer.

Primed and sanded, primed and sanded....7 rockets now primed, a Cherokee-C, Cherokee-D, BT50/55/60 V-2 rockets (yep 3 sizes), Centuri Bulldog, and Enerjet Aero-Dart. Also printed the decals for the Cherokees and the Bulldog and Aero-Dart. Tomorrow is starting color coats and coating the decals.

Cl(VII) said:

Lost another one. This time 90C bed and some Aqua Net...if it can hold up 80s Jersey Mall Hair it can hold plastic to the bed of my printer.

Click to expand...

Dang. BuildTak is an awesome friend to have, BTW. There are other similar products too.

For me today, I finished the first draft design of my Go Devil 29 sled and printed it. I'll fit check the avionics tomorrow.

Filled and sanded (repeat several times) the fins for my Estes BT-60 Nike Smoke and for the Saros clone. Should be able to sand out the last coats and prime tomorrow.

Also got the fins cut out, sanded and glued on to my Estes K-11 WAC Corporal clone. The WAC was my go-to rocket when I was a kid and the last time I flew one was in the 80s. Hard to believe we could get a 12" chute in a BT-20. Even harder to believe it ever came back out...

Cl(VII) said:

Lost another one. This time 90C bed and some Aqua Net...if it can hold up 80s Jersey Mall Hair it can hold plastic to the bed of my printer.

Click to expand...

Worked!

Cl(VII) said:

Worked!

Click to expand...

Looks like you're getting the hang of this!

patelldp said:

Looks like you're getting the hang of this!

Click to expand...

Getting there. Really is fun seeing how big a difference in the product small tweaks to the settings can have.

Cut and bulk sanded some fins.

les said:

Cut and bulk sanded some fins.

View attachment 319928

Click to expand...

Estes Hyperion clone?

Cl(VII) said:

Getting there. Really is fun seeing how big a difference in the product small tweaks to the settings can have.

Click to expand...

Lookin' good! The Prusa's a great machine & making rocket parts with them is super fun.

Cl(VII) said:

Estes Hyperion clone?

Click to expand...

Bingo - well, close enough. A PDR kit. They sold clone kits of Estes OOP rockets.

Printed my Mobius rocket mount.

With the supports attached:


With the supports removed:

Assemble my new drill press.