What did you do rocket wise today?

Just_Keep_Flying said:

Submitted my Level 3 design proposal to Robert Dehate for approval!

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Got my design APPROVED by Rob Dehate! Submitted, viewed, and approved in less than half an hour!!

o1d_dude said:

Tracked down a few outstanding rocket parts orders: One vendor hasn't shipped the order out yet (10 days) and another vendor hasn't acknowledged my order/PayPal payment (5 days).

Purchasing "mail-order" is a hit or miss thing.

Ordered a 49'ers NFL Salute to Service hat on Tuesday and it hasn't even been picked up from the warehouse yet (3 days).

Ordered a new Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H motherboard on Sunday and it was sitting on my doorstep Tuesday at 8:30AM (3 days).

Ordered a Hoover vacuum cleaner a few days ago and took delivery of it today (3 days).

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I received email confirmations/shipping notices today and the rocketry shipments were in my mailbox. Nice!

My 49'ers hat is still stalled somewhere in Ohio.

Making a Black Friday wish list.

MichaelRapp said:

Chop sticks! But of course! Thank you, you just saved me a trip to Home Depot this morning.

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Glad I could help; I find chopsticks are more versatile with the tapered and straight end (if you get the right kind); cheaper, if you have to buy them, than popsicle sticks or dowels in bulk; and you can eat with them.

Last night I bought a second Baby Bertha for parts, and today was some experimentation with filling techniques. I tried papering a fin both before and after rounding the edges--I think before is the easier method. And I filled a small amount of tube spiral with Bondo Putty and CWF (both of which I found at Walmart, but NOT at Home Depot or Lowes). I think the Bondo sands easier with less chance of damaging the BT. I started assembling the new motor mount while the rest was drying.

bondo spot putty is easier to work with and sand if applied after the primer.
Rex

Rex R said:

bondo spot putty is easier to work with and sand if applied after the primer.
Rex

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Yepyep, Bondo Spot Putty is thick iron oxide primer. That solvent you smell is made to microscopically melt and promote the fusion of the spot putty and the primer. Used like this your results will be even better than you have already.

dave carver said:

Yepyep, Bondo Spot Putty is thick iron oxide primer. That solvent you smell is made to microscopically melt and promote the fusion of the spot putty and the primer. Used like this your results will be even better than you have already.

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Can bondo be applied before primer?

timbucktoo said:

Can bondo be applied before primer?

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Many do but it is really meant to be used after primering so that it is sticking to paint and filling instead of people using it like Bondo. It can be done but yeah, I tried using it the wrong way and had problems with it cracking off. Maybe I didn't rub it in hard enough

spot putty applied directly to an Estes nose cone can cause problem areas that require...you guessed it more filling sanding . plus if you sand the primer coat the low spots are already partially filled.
Rex

Drew up one of my winter builds in OR.

38mm minimum diameter based off of an Intimidator Mini, a coupler, 1" vent band, and 11" of tube,
First flight should be the G339.


View attachment Redshift.ork











One question: I plan to put the decal on the rocket while it's fully assembled, bridging the vent band to booster and vent band to payload bay gaps, and then ever so carefully just cut the decal where it needs to be cut. Has anyone done this before?

nute said:

Drew up one of my winter builds in OR.

38mm minimum diameter based off of an Intimidator Mini, a coupler, 1" vent band, and 11" of tube,
First flight should be the G339.


View attachment 247342



View attachment 247338


View attachment 247339




One question: I plan to put the decal on the rocket while it's fully assembled, bridging the vent band to booster and vent band to payload bay gaps, and then ever so carefully just cut the decal where it needs to be cut. Has anyone done this before?

Click to expand...

SWEET! Love the name and design! 38mm min. dia. are so much fun What are you using for tracking and motor retention?

Worked on the pile...started 3 more Mini motor in a BT20, 18mm in a BT 50 and BT55...something to keep hands busy.

BT70 rocket with fins, one of the 6...now 9...rockets I'm working on.

RocketHunter said:

SWEET! Love the name and design! 38mm min. dia. are so much fun What are you using for tracking and motor retention?

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Thanks!

Tracking- I'm planning to get a beeline transmitter- probably the same as what Teddy has.
Motor retention- I'm thinking I'll go with friction fit, and maybe use the tapped forward closure to attach the SC to (that should help with motor retention, right?) Also, to aid further in motor retention, I might rely solely on the altimeter. We'll see, I still haven't fully decided, but I'm gonna try to keep it fully internal.

Nate

nute said:

Drew up one of my winter builds in OR.

38mm minimum diameter based off of an Intimidator Mini, a coupler, 1" vent band, and 11" of tube,
First flight should be the G339.


View attachment 247342



View attachment 247338


View attachment 247339




One question: I plan to put the decal on the rocket while it's fully assembled, bridging the vent band to booster and vent band to payload bay gaps, and then ever so carefully just cut the decal where it needs to be cut. Has anyone done this before?

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Love it! Please do a build thread (or at least post pics of the finished product)!

To answer your question, yes I have done that before successfully. Use a sharp X-acto knife to make the cut(s).

Wanted to go launch, but the Wind never came down to acceptable levels, which for me is ZERO, so I just put my Rocket on the Rail and stared at it for a bit to get my Rocketry Fix for the Day.
Then, there was a Soyuz Launch on TV, so I watched that and it made me feel better.

Edited and posted a video of my Hawk Mountain Bad Attitude on a 54/1400 K694 Plain Jane:

[Youtube]BNcEqOdo6fU[/YOUTUBE]

rocketgeek101 said:

Love it! Please do a build thread (or at least post pics of the finished product)!

To answer your question, yes I have done that before successfully. Use a sharp X-acto knife to make the cut(s).

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I'll definitely put up pics of the final project. A build thread may be forthcoming, It depends how things go .
Thanks for the confirmation on the cutting. Maybe I'll do some sort of practice cuts on some excess vinyl first.

Nate

Removed the mandrel from half of my motor...

Did some ground testing on the Arapahoe-J, and finished up a 29 mm Art Applewhite Cinco. This is a really well made kit, and an easy, but not too easy, build. Looking forward to putting this thing in the air.

Sanded a fillet or two on my Polecat Goblin.

Sorted out various nuts, washers, and screws in alt-bay supply zip lock baggie.

Fitted a bulkhead into the 2.6" diam nose cone of my OSXP project. Hopefully I will have time to epoxy it into place tomorrow.

Have not yet been able to get my daughter to attach the shock cord quick link to the hardpoint inside my 3" diameter tube fin body tube.

Examined the MW RRC2+ alt that arrived yesterday, read the user manual, and continue to marvel over the altimeter's small size. Kinda wished I'd ordered two of them. Good thing the Cyber Monday sale is coming up.

Was getting excited about the sale and realized I had a couple of unbuilt kits from last years .. so broke them out.

Figured the Super Jart 38 was a good build tune up for the Shreader . Also saw Hardlines Jart fly in Vegas - fantastic ! CaveDuck just finished his Shreader. .. and excited to see his fly, but want to get mine together too.

Sanded, fit together the Jart parts, and got the kevlar bridal on the tube. This time want to get the forward cr on before encapsulating the bridal so got that mounted too. Got the fins roughed up, a tip and trailing edges rounded too.

The future clear added to Fyrwrxz Funk Saucer guts, ran so I wet sanded and reshot the future. I can still see a bit of streaky lines in a couple of places but looks good overall so going to move on to assembly next. I know he is going to enjoy having something to fly that he doesnt have to chase to far.

Kenny

My Cats went on a Tear through the Living Room, which doubles as my Rocket Room because my House only has two Rooms, and they popped a Fin off of my AMRAAM Build. I fixed it, and when the Epoxy sets up I'll hang it from the Cieling where they can't jump on it.
I also took another Scratch Build and hung that up.
The Weather was crappy again, so to appease the Rocket Gods who were obviously angry about something, I launched my Astron Elliptic out into my Woods. This also served to appease the Tree Gods, so it was a good Deal all around.

Watch out, ceiling cat can get dangling rockets...
Kinda busy weekend rocketwise - finished up the airframe of my Wildman Shredder: bolt rings, shear pin holes and vents; sanded most of the paint off a vintage LOC Viper III, added a restraining bolt (OK a couple inches of 6-32 rod in the center of the cluster), ground out a cracked fillet. Sent fried lathe motor controller off for repair. Organized my motor cases and took inventory to plan for the Black Friday sales.

Rex R said:

bondo spot putty is easier to work with and sand if applied after the primer.
Rex

Click to expand...

dave carver said:

Yepyep, Bondo Spot Putty is thick iron oxide primer. That solvent you smell is made to microscopically melt and promote the fusion of the spot putty and the primer. Used like this your results will be even better than you have already.

Click to expand...

So do you attach the fins, prime, then fill and sand? Seems like the fins would get in the way of sanding out the Bondo.

Yesterday I sanded my Bondo'd body tube, and papered the remaining three fins. The BT looks and feels great, but the fins didn't quite live up to their beta test brother--a bit of peeling paper and rough edges. I think it is a combination of too little glue and a dulling X-Acto knife.



Today I recieved a package from AC Supply Co, what could it be?



E-Series pad & controller, a mess of engines (A-D), a Yankee, Wizard, Tall Tom, and Maxi Alpha 3. Together they should complete my NARTrek Bronze requirements.

1) The Maxi Alpha 3 is a lot bigger than I expected, guess I should have paid more attention to the dimensions . Has anyone built this model with a break at the coupler instead of nosecone? I think it would store a bit easier.
2) I misread the E-pad specs, and it doesn't seem to come with, or support a 1/8″ rod. Anyone have experience jury-rigging this, or should I just invest in some 3/16″ lugs?

Started finishing my Painkiller 3. Got the rivets, vents holes, and shear pins installed. Also got the tracker bay built and installed for my Eggfinder. Should be ready to rock and roll for the December 13th Indiana Rocketry Launch!

I cant' tell you because it is classified.

Today I edited the video below from the launch on November 22nd for my level one certification!

[video=youtube;qctqUxY_8jA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qctqUxY_8jA&list=UUiqe7HeAXCsDR5_IIXISNFg[/video]

zanfar said:

So do you attach the fins, prime, then fill and sand? Seems like the fins would get in the way of sanding out the Bondo.

Yesterday I sanded my Bondo'd body tube, and papered the remaining three fins. The BT looks and feels great, but the fins didn't quite live up to their beta test brother--a bit of peeling paper and rough edges. I think it is a combination of too little glue and a dulling X-Acto knife.

View attachment 247471

Today I recieved a package from AC Supply Co, what could it be?

View attachment 247472 View attachment 247473

E-Series pad & controller, a mess of engines (A-D), a Yankee, Wizard, Tall Tom, and Maxi Alpha 3. Together they should complete my NARTrek Bronze requirements.

1) The Maxi Alpha 3 is a lot bigger than I expected, guess I should have paid more attention to the dimensions . Has anyone built this model with a break at the coupler instead of nosecone? I think it would store a bit easier.
2) I misread the E-pad specs, and it doesn't seem to come with, or support a 1/8″ rod. Anyone have experience jury-rigging this, or should I just invest in some 3/16″ lugs?

Click to expand...

It's glue on the fins and add fillets, filler, sand and do a check to see if it's filled after sanding. This can be 1-3 coats depending on the desired finish, prime and sand. If you like the overall coating but lets say there's a few grain tracks showing in the nosecone or fin then use the Bondo and sand it down. Depending on the finish you can either prime again or go ahead and start the color coats, the Bondo is still at it's root primer.

Stopped at Lowe's and picked up a couple of stainless steel u-bolts and two packs of stainless 1/4x20 nuts and washers.

More av-bay work.

Surfed the net and looked at many many av-bay images.

Mailed some Launch Lugs and Stuff to Kirk G.