Tangle Free shock cord packing

[bill2654]

Here is the second test of my shock cord coiling method. I should add that I used a long 29mm coupler to coil or wind my shock cord around to get it to the round shape. After wrapping 4-5 wraps around the coupler, I take a long dowel and tuck the shock cord all the way down as I go. Heres a pic.

This is the second ejection test. .4 gram BP this time seems just right.
[video=youtube;_4eya5D0Os4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4eya5D0Os4[/video]

 

[bill2654]

I know this method isn't fool proof and someday it might bite me but it seems to be the only way when I only have 1.5" of space to work with.

 

[JTH28890]

+1 on the crocheting approach. It works well for me.

 

[iter]

[video=youtube;ETiB_V-_SGs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETiB_V-_SGs[/video]
Apogee video of crocheting shock cords
Crocheting starts at 3:30
Once you get the hang of it you can do it reasonably quickly.
Keep it loose as you go for easier deployment.

I omit the crochet hook and use my fingers.

Ari.

[video=youtube;EiKJ3ukNcJs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiKJ3ukNcJs[/video]

 

[vance2loud]

I omit the crochet hook and use my fingers.

Ari.

[video=youtube;EiKJ3ukNcJs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiKJ3ukNcJs[/video]

I also omit the hook and that is a lot easier video to explain the process.
I had never considered doing the parachute shroud lines, if the shock cord knots from the crocheting it might damage my rocket but if the shroud lines knot it might damage whatever it comes down on.
What are other people's thoughts on this?

 

[K'Tesh]

My initial coiling test worked great. Think of the way the rope of a crab pot on Deadliest Catch gets coiled up, that's how I did my shock cord.
I only have 5 inches of space in a 38mm airframe and probably 3.5 inches of that is my chute and nomex protector and a pinch of dog barf. It's kinda tedious but easier than
crocheting. The first test I used 1/2 gram of BP. I think it was a tad on the "energetic" side. It stretched the shock cord just fine but should I back off a touch?
[video=youtube;kVchIbuNDzc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVchIbuNDzc[/video]

You're a braver man than I Bill...

I'd never ground test a rocket where there's a chance that the nosecone would come down on what looks like concrete or asphalt. The risk of damage to the components (even just scratching it) would be too much for me.

 

[Banzai88]

I omit the crochet hook and use my fingers.

Ari.

Yep, that's it!

Two things I never do, though: I never pull the first loop tight (I've gotten too many times where it'll knot on ejection, but the rest of the chain comes undone fine) and I NEVER put my shroud lines in any position where they could potentially friction heat weld or tangle. If crocheting shroud lines works for you, cool, but to me it introduces another possible catastrophic failure point.

YMMV

 

[Ravenex]

If crocheting shroud lines works for you, cool, but to me it introduces another possible catastrophic failure point.

Do you mean coiling?

 

[vance2loud]

Do you mean coiling?

No, If you watch the video in post #34 with the pink Der Max in it you will see what we mean. I think crocheting shock cord is great but shroud lines might be a bit too risky.

 

[bill2654]

You're a braver man than I Bill...

I'd never ground test a rocket where there's a chance that the nosecone would come down on what looks like concrete or asphalt. The risk of damage to the components (even just scratching it) would be too much for me.

It's hard to see in the video but I aimed the rocket so the NC was pointed away from the slab.
With a 1/2 acre of property I could have picked a better spot to test.

 

[iter]

No, If you watch the video in post #34 with the pink Der Max in it you will see what we mean. I think crocheting shock cord is great but shroud lines might be a bit too risky.

With a 30" chute like I use in my video, I normally just wrap the lines around the chute. I was too lazy to unpack my 80" parachute, so I used a small one to demonstrate. The 80" chute has 12' lines. Those tangle every time if I try to wrap them around the chute burrito, and take 1,000' to unfurl fully. When lines get this long, I crochet them.

Ari.