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Bat-mite

Bat-mite

Rocketeer in MD
Joined
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I built my G-Force stock, back before I had ever even heard of high power. I was buying Estes G80s at Hobby Lobby before Estes stop selling them. Now, at my launches, the only vendor is AMW, and I have no place to buy At motors without paying the HAZ.

I was wondering if anyone has a solution for clipping off the forward end of the motor retainer clip. It's about six inches deep inside a 29mm motor mount. With it in there, I can use AT Su motors, or a CTI 1-grain, which isn't big enough for the rocket.

Thoughts? Are there needle nose tin snips?
 
get a pair of long needle nose or pelican pliers and bend the **** out of it or maybe a screwdriver.
 
I tried a screwdrive, but there is nothing solid to bend against, and I don't want to crimp the cardboard motor tube.

11-inch dikes look promising.
 
it might take awhile but you could try a hacksaw blade, wrap some duct tape around it as a handle and cut half way on each side (or as much as possible)
you should be able cut enough of it to brake it off. then glue some course sand paper to a dowel and sand, sand, sand.

Or try a long drill bit, make a hole or two so you can brake it off then sand, sand, sand :wink:

or both!! :cool:
 
Buy another G-Force. Leave out the motor hook. :duck:

(or I'd probably follow JJSR's advice)
 
How about going the other way, and cutting off the exposed motor hook, and splicing in some extra 29mm tubing? or just friction fit and let the motor hang out the back? It's not pretty but it'll work... I think;)

Nate
 
Dremel with the flex extension. Don't have one..... borrow at your next launch. I'm SURE somewhere in your club a member has one.


Or a fairly long 1/2 round.........round file. And hog it out.
 
Last edited:
nute said:
How about going the other way, and cutting off the exposed motor hook, and splicing in some extra 29mm tubing? or just friction fit and let the motor hang out the back? It's not pretty but it'll work... I think;)

Nate
Click to expand...

That might work actually, considering the MMT on the G-Force is recessed quite a bit.
 
Why is CJ always on the money.....
Geeezzzzz already.............

Dremel with a flex extension for sure.....
Either a grinding wheel,,,
Or,, I bet you do better with a sanding drum......

Just keep it off the sidewalls.....

Teddy
 
Get a foot long piece of 3/4" dowel or pipe/tubing. Glue 9" of coarse sandpaper or emory cloth on it. Stick it down engine mount and either roll around or work back-and-forth untin end of engine hook is gone.
 
onebadhawk said:
Why is CJ always on the money.....
Geeezzzzz already.............

Dremel with a flex extension for sure.....
Either a grinding wheel,,,
Or,, I bet you do better with a sanding drum......

Just keep it off the sidewalls.....

Teddy
Click to expand...

I've done this, but with a cut-off wheel. Just cut through the tube and the hook somewhere near the top. Leaves a little cut in the tube itself, but that harms nothing.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions!

Yesterday I ordered some 11-inch, narrow, diagonal cutting pliers. If I can snip off the majority of it, I like the idea of a dremel and grinding wheel. The cut-off wheel is an interesting idea, too.

I now have some options!
 
Well, the "narrow" dikes were too wide to fit in the motor tube. So I borrowed my father-in-law's Dremel, but the rod is too short to reach the metal piece.

If I can't pinch it off, shear it off, or reach it with a grinder, is a had file my only option? Seems really labor-intensive.
 
Do you have the flex shaft attachment for the dremel...
That's very narrow and should reach far enough up the tube to grind it down....

Teddy
 
No, I would have to buy one, and at that point I'd be better off buying a new G-Force. :wink:
 
onebadhawk said:
Do you have the flex shaft attachment for the dremel...
That's very narrow and should reach far enough up the tube to grind it down....

Teddy
Click to expand...

Bat-mite said:
No, I would have to buy one, and at that point I'd be better off buying a new G-Force. :wink:
Click to expand...

But expanding your Dremel tool chest would be a good thing as well, no ? Maybe add to your Christmas list.
 
I borrowed the Dremel, so it would end up being a donation back to my father-in-law.

I will probably just stock up on AT G80-7Ts at Red Glare. Thanks, all.
 
I'm big on tools John..
Having the right one makes things so much easier,,
not to mention the work comes out better..
I'd have opted 10 times over to buy the right tool rather then another rocket and still not have the tool for the next time I need it...

Teddy
 
Do you have a (power) hand drill? You can make a rotary sander (hard roll) quite easily. Get a 6" length of 3/8" dowel. Use a saw to cut a slit in the middle of the dowel about 3" long. Chuck dowel in drill, cut end out. Insert a 3" wide x 4 or 5" long piece of coarse sandpaper in the slit and slowly spin drill so sandpaper winds around drill. This should be small enough for you to fit it inside the motor tube and grind down the nub of the engine hook. If you don't have a saw that can make that deep of a cut, you can glue the sandpaper onto the dowel (you only need to glue the first 1/4" or so. If the sandpaper tries to unroll before you get it into the motor tube, you can wrap it up in fine thread and this will hold it until it is in place. Don't have a drill? Use a longer piece of dowel and glue a longer piece of sandpaper onto it - instead of rotary action, move it down the length of the tube. I've used this trick literally hundreds of times when porting and polishing cylinder heads.
 
Hmmm ... two questions: does the other end of the sandpaper just flap? And, is sandpaper really able to grind down a metal motor hook? I would think it would just shred.
 
1) yes, it just flaps. The rolled up sandpaper *should* be small enough that it doesn't exert any pressure anywhere except where you press it against the engine hook. 2) I would use emery cloth or wet/dry sandpaper (80 grit or coarser) as they are a little tougher than garnet type, and, yes, it will eventually wear out and shred, but it is fairly hard because it is backed up by the dowel. You have to press it against the engine hook as it's spinning for it to have enough pressure to work, and there's enough length that you can work it in-and-out at the same time. I've actually used this method for a rocket that I decided to fly on RMS motors (Big Daddy?).
 
Last edited:
sooner.boomer said:
1) yes, it just flaps. The rolled up sandpaper *should* be small enough that it doesn't exert any pressure anywhere except where you press it against the engine hook. 2) I would use emery cloth or wet/dry sandpaper (80 grit or coarser) as they are a little tougher than garnet type, and, yes, it will eventually wear out and shred, but it is fairly hard because it is backed up by the dowel. You have to press it against the engine hook as it's spinning for it to have enough pressure to work, and there's enough length that you can work it in-and-out at the same time. I've actually used this method for a rocket that I decided to fly on RMS motors (Big Daddy?).
Click to expand...

That's a really good idea....

Teddy
 

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