Good afternoon, one and all.
I've had "issues" with igniter retention when using Qjets. Older ones had a plastic tube, which seemed to only fit a few select motors. On others, the tube is much smaller than the nozzle throat. It just drops in, and then falls right out when the rocket is upright. But for a few of the smaller motors (18mm), the tube is too big and won't fit.
So.. enter the Q-pic. I'm not having much better luck with that either. On one motor (may have been an E26, don't quite remember..) the pic simply falls in, right up to it's shoulder. And then falls out. In smaller motors, I can only get just the tip in, and it doesn't stay in place.
What I tried this last Saturday: On the suggestion of others here, I got some 3M poster putty. Put a small 1/8" ball of it in the nozzle of a D16-4, just like how we all did with toilet paper in old Estes motors. Pressed the launch button and POW. Blew the igniter and launch leads quite violently out. And the motor didn't ignite. Installed a new igniter, this time retaining with some masking tape. It worked, but it seems that the tape was burning and singed the Estes 24/18 adapter I was using across it's entire bottom surface.
I'm now wondering if I should try to see if any of the Estes plastic plugs will fit.
Hans.
I've had "issues" with igniter retention when using Qjets. Older ones had a plastic tube, which seemed to only fit a few select motors. On others, the tube is much smaller than the nozzle throat. It just drops in, and then falls right out when the rocket is upright. But for a few of the smaller motors (18mm), the tube is too big and won't fit.
So.. enter the Q-pic. I'm not having much better luck with that either. On one motor (may have been an E26, don't quite remember..) the pic simply falls in, right up to it's shoulder. And then falls out. In smaller motors, I can only get just the tip in, and it doesn't stay in place.
What I tried this last Saturday: On the suggestion of others here, I got some 3M poster putty. Put a small 1/8" ball of it in the nozzle of a D16-4, just like how we all did with toilet paper in old Estes motors. Pressed the launch button and POW. Blew the igniter and launch leads quite violently out. And the motor didn't ignite. Installed a new igniter, this time retaining with some masking tape. It worked, but it seems that the tape was burning and singed the Estes 24/18 adapter I was using across it's entire bottom surface.
I'm now wondering if I should try to see if any of the Estes plastic plugs will fit.
Hans.