Alternative flame retardant fabrics

[RocketSquirrel]

I want a discussion for and against treating heavy fabrics like denim to be fire resistant vs buying the fire resistant fabrics. Would it be cheaper to cut up a pair of old jeans and soak them in a solution (there appears to be several) or buy the pre treated fabrics?

I came across a National Fire Protection Association formula- mixing borax, boric acid with water and soaking fabric in it. Seems legit. If im going to treat the fabric and use it right away i dont see it needing to be fire resistant forever and it might save some money!

Im an amateur trying to fight what i normally do by just F-ing around and finding out. im taking this hobby more seriously for safety reasons. I love being told im wrong and learning something!

 

[jderimig]

How about some thing fg weave with a stitching around the edge to contain the fibers?

 

[tfish]

I want a discussion for and against treating heavy fabrics like denim to be fire resistant vs buying the fire resistant fabrics. Would it be cheaper to cut up a pair of old jeans and soak them in a solution (there appears to be several) or buy the pre treated fabrics?

I came across a National Fire Protection Association formula- mixing borax, boric acid with water and soaking fabric in it. Seems legit. If im going to treat the fabric and use it right away i dont see it needing to be fire resistant forever and it might save some money!

Im an amateur trying to fight what i normally do by just F-ing around and finding out. im taking this hobby more seriously for safety reasons. I love being told im wrong and learning something!

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/deployment-sacks-not-bags.178030/
Tony

 

[rharshberger]

I want a discussion for and against treating heavy fabrics like denim to be fire resistant vs buying the fire resistant fabrics. Would it be cheaper to cut up a pair of old jeans and soak them in a solution (there appears to be several) or buy the pre treated fabrics?

I came across a National Fire Protection Association formula- mixing borax, boric acid with water and soaking fabric in it. Seems legit. If im going to treat the fabric and use it right away i dont see it needing to be fire resistant forever and it might save some money!

Im an amateur trying to fight what i normally do by just F-ing around and finding out. im taking this hobby more seriously for safety reasons. I love being told im wrong and learning something!

Ive done the borax and boric acid treatment experiment myself, it works for a short time (I dont know exactly how many flights in a year) then one day you will be watching a rocket descending and if using binoculars you might notice its leaving a smoke trail too, and if it lands close enough you might get there in time to still see the cloth glowing red. Thats why I quit using that method and started buying nomex material and making my own chute protectors. No longer taking chances in the wildfire prone nortwest where I live.

 

[tsmith1315]

This one by @Sooner Boomer is linked in Tony’s thread, don’t skip over it:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/use-of-denim-in-recovery-protectors.168397/#post-2180879

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/use-of-denim-in-recovery-protectors.168397/#post-2180879

 

[Handeman]

I got a used air bag from a junk yard and stitched that into chute protectors with aramid thread. They've held up for years now.

 

[mh9162013]

Even if denim-treated parachute protectors don't last as long as the nomex ones, they might be a cheaper option for many of us, right?

For example, imagine a nomex parachute protectors lasts 30 launches but costs $15, that's $0.50 a launch. Now assume a treated denim parachute protector lasts 5 launches, but costs $0.50. That's only $0.10 a launch. I made these numbers up, but I think you all get my point.

My perspective is limited to LPR applications, so maybe for you HPR guys out there, the extra cost per launch is worth not having to change out your parachute protector as often?

For the record, I use straight-up denim to protect my LPR parachutes (Mylar or plastic). But I also use baffles, so the denim parachute protectors are more to keep the parachutes clean.

 

[Handeman]

Even if denim-treated parachute protectors don't last as long as the nomex ones, they might be a cheaper option for many of us, right?

For example, imagine a nomex parachute protectors lasts 30 launches but costs $15, that's $0.50 a launch. Now assume a treated denim parachute protector lasts 5 launches, but costs $0.50. That's only $0.10 a launch. I made these numbers up, but I think you all get my point.

My perspective is limited to LPR applications, so maybe for you HPR guys out there, the extra cost per launch is worth not having to change out your parachute protector as often?

For the record, I use straight-up denim to protect my LPR parachutes (Mylar or plastic). But I also use baffles, so the denim parachute protectors are more to keep the parachutes clean.

Interesting idea, but this is a hobby and people are seldom rational on how they spend their disposable income, or even what income is disposable.
Some people consider certain items "must have" things while others feel they are a waist. I'm sure this is the same.
How about putting baffles in all your rockets and using <$0.01 worth of dog barf above the baffle? Even cheaper than denim. Just saying....

 

[mh9162013]

Interesting idea, but this is a hobby and people are seldom rational on how they spend their disposable income, or even what income is disposable.
Some people consider certain items "must have" things while others feel they are a waist. I'm sure this is the same.
How about putting baffles in all your rockets and using <$0.01 worth of dog barf above the baffle? Even cheaper than denim. Just saying....

Point taken, although I would like to state that dog barf isn't cheaper than denim for me, as I'd have to buy the dog barf and I already have scrap denim laying around.

Also, I don't like the idea of my rockets ejecting materials that are exposed to flame and can land on the ground in a way that some Karen might view as litter or a potential fire starter (no matter how small the risk).

 

[OZRoc]

I've used treated undies as a drogue in a 54md. It's what's called "hanging out the washing"
Cheers,
Mark

 

[RocketSquirrel]

Ive done the borax and boric acid treatment experiment myself, it works for a short time (I dont know exactly how many flights in a year) then one day you will be watching a rocket descending and if using binoculars you might notice its leaving a smoke trail too, and if it lands close enough you might get there in time to still see the cloth glowing red. Thats why I quit using that method and started buying nomex material and making my own chute protectors. No longer taking chances in the wildfire prone nortwest where I live.

Safe is always a good bet