Old K185 reloads

[maddmaxx11]

I picked up an Aerotech 1706 motor locally and got 3 K185 reloads that were in motors ready to fly for 4 years. i have not taken the grains out of the liner yet but the top and bottom looks fine (no swelling) but has some light oxidation on them. I guess my question is if I scuff these lightly with sand paper will they be ok to fly? What about the O-rings? Below is a picture of an end. I put them in an airtight bag with the air pulled out for storage.

 

[mikec]

That's completely typical for White Lightning of that age and should be fine.

 

[J Blatz]

100% good to go.

 

[rcktnut]

Don't believe the guys that tell you they are ok. They are shot. Immediately send them to me for proper disposal.

 

[cls]

I call second in line for the disposal team...

Yeah, WL does that. If the white spots bother you, scrub gently with a nail file. Especially clean up in the fwd notch where the igniter head goes.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

They will work but will be difficult to light. Paint top of grain with your favorite pyrogen or put a few slivers of Blue Thunder propellant on top of the grain. You need a flat phenolic washer and the regular 2 O-rings, 1 between the nozzle and rear closure and 1 on the phenolic washer and the forward closure. You need an extended forward closure as the delay grains are longer. There should be a thin O-ring around the nozzle shoulder then the liner. The reload kits should have all the necessary parts. Read the instructions. These go together slightly different from the Bates grain reloads (K550). I just flew a J135 last weekend but couldn't get the other one to light. Since disassembled and added propellant.

 

[cls]

They will work but will be difficult to light. Paint top of grain with your favorite pyrogen or put a few slivers of Blue Thunder propellant on top of the grain.

Difficult to light... Hence my suggestion to scrub the white stuff.

Any pyrogen will help. Personally I like using pyrodex pellets, they burn hot and pressurize the interior volume of the grains. And cheap. And don't overdo it like thermite

 

[StreuB1]

Slivers of blue thunder propellant in masking tape wrapped around the normal AT ignitor will light that baby up no problemo.

Planning on flying a K185W in my Mach 2 this Saturday at Midwest Power!

 

[StreuB1]

Difficult to light... Hence my suggestion to scrub the white stuff.

Any pyrogen will help. Personally I like using pyrodex pellets, they burn hot and pressurize the interior volume of the grains. And cheap. And don't overdo it like thermite

Careful with pyrodex pellets in a c-slot. The slot is far less volume than a bates grain and can be a little too energetic for them. Agree on NO thermite. I still to this day do not understand peoples need to use thermite. I have never used it and can light 2" ports with nothing more than normal pyrogen ignitors augmented with blue propellant (BT or my own).

Pyrodex pellets in a big core bates, yep, no problem there. @rfjustin has had great success with this method on big bore K2050ST's.

Potassium nitrate slow flash also works really well but again, I have never had the need to go this exotic.