What did you do rocket wise today?

[Overeasy123]

Finish-sanded the America and applied the Peel 'n Cuss Stickers with the help of Windex.

I'll see if the warped main sticker will set down after the Windex dries more.

Oh, Poop. Art Card indicates doublin' up the stars on 2 Fins.

This'll be my first Clear Coat Job.

I'm gonna try 2X Gloss Clear.

 

[RocketFeller]

We installed vent tubes and switches in the NC of our upscale Dragonfly. It was more work than you might think, thanks to a 4" thick nose cone wall....

 

[RocketT.Coyote]

Applied primer to Estes 1.6" HoJo.

 

[Cl(VII)]

Cut all the materials to T2T vacuum bag two layers of CF on the Mongoose 54. That 4' x 8' work bench really helped out since most of my materials are on rolls.

 

[TopRamen]

Made a bunch of templates for things by printing things at whatever scale I wanted on 110# cardstock from PDFs amassed over the last three years. I cut them out and soaked them with CA, making them sand-able and quite rigid.
I will CA another layer of an even heavier 146# Bristol Board, then use them to create unique items of curious aspects on my hot wire foam cutter.
A also went to the hardware store and got 30$ worth of goodies from the agro bins as my birthday present to myself. I don't get a discount on "Misc Hardware", which is how the agro Bins get priced, but I don't really care, as spending time in the agro bin isle is like a little slice of heaven, and ignites my imagination in so many ways!

Anyhow, I got a lot done rocketwise today, and even did things for real people and animals, so I'm pretty wiped out now.
Also got my digital IR Thermometer and a couple different sizes of cutting wire. Peel Ply showed up today too.
There are not enough hours in the day to create everything I want to create everyday.




The machine may be ugly and heavy in it's prototype configuration, but when it replicates itself for the first time out of foam, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, Kevlar and metal bits of varying aspects, it will all make sense.
There are some pretty bad-ass scratch built Hot Wire Cutter out there, and some folks have even gotten theirs marketed!
I may be a newb, but I'm loving this foam cutting situation. It links in nicely with my desires for composite construction techniques, and will give me positives to freehand material onto. My fingers are actually quite dexterous, and I imagine that if I give it a shot, I should find creating things to mold from my imagination quite like I find everything I approach with an analytical mind.
The more I build rockets, the more I want to build the tools that build the rockets.

 

[Wayco]

Made the first flight this morning at LDRS. Not exactly a large, dangerous rocket, my dual deploy Argent flew to 2432 ft on an H115 dark matter. Also flew Duke Nukem on an I366 Redline and Rapiditty on a K540 Metalstorm.

 

[Cl(VII)]

Woke up at 3:30, and couldn't get back to sleep. Slipped out to the shop and vacuum bagged the Mongoose. Terribly stressful doing all three fins at once. Don't know that I will ever do it that way again. Getting the bleeder layer to stay in place was the biggest problem...stupid gravity. Fortunately, The bagging film held it well enough that I was able to get it all straight under mild vacuum (900 mbar). Once everything was straight, and I chased down a few leaks, I set the pump at 350 mbar for the day (No scientific reason behind that pressure, just was squeezing out a good bit of epoxy and not stressing the pump much).

I took a few pics I'll post this evening.

 

[Overeasy123]

The Sizzler was my first rocket; a birthday gift in the Big Foot Starter Set.

This kit was a Ebay score, and I'm hoping against hope that the vintage decals will snuggle down. I've used the proper conditioners.

 

[noffie79]

Had five launches on 3 birds. All successful. Estes Der Red Max, Patriarch and Patriot with a 24mm MMT. A reminder that a C or E motor can be just as much fun as a J.

 

[RocketFeller]

I glued in the vent tubes and switch assemblies on our big Dragonfly. We also wrapped a piece of 38mm phenolic tubing with a layer of carbon fiber. There are a few small wrinkles but it should sand out fairly well - I only need about an inch of it to protect the lens of our onboard camera.

 

[TopRamen]

This month is full of "Real Life", and today was no different.
I did manage to CF a 24mm tube, but did not start til' like 6:00pm and it is not very warm today, so it will be tomorrow til I know if I made a good thing or just wasted materials.

 

[ActingLikeAKid]

Yeah, that "real life" is going around. My candle is currently burning at both ends and I'm trying to light the middle.
I've resigned to not getting my Eggtimer installed for Sunday's flying. But I got all the parts today, and HOPE to get some soldering work done over the weekend.

 

[ActingLikeAKid]

Woo hoo!

 

[TopRamen]

This month is full of "Real Life", and today was no different.
I did manage to CF a 24mm tube, but did not start til' like 6:00pm and it is not very warm today, so it will be tomorrow til I know if I made a good thing or just wasted materials.

Thank goodness! I made a usable tube!
It weighs 32g., but I have not sanded all of the excess epoxy off yet. The West Systems 879 Release Fabric left an incredibly thick layer of epoxy. That's fine though, as I can check everything dimension-wise with my caliper and make sure she's perfectly tuned.
I wrapped the living daylights out of the thing to compress it against my mandrel, and it came out nice.
Yes, I know, I need to build a vacuum machine now too. Til' then it's old fashioned compound leverage of multiple wrappings of multiple things.





Also got some packages mailed out.

 

[TopRamen]

Sort of rocket related, when I was knocking the high spots off of that 24mm tube, it attracted this doe to my backyard, who stared and stomped and coughed at me. I had not even noticed her showing up since I had my hat and respirator on, and she even let me go inside to get my camera.
I have to wonder if the sound of sanding the tube made her come into the yard?
She kept bowing her head and stomping her right hoof.
Perhaps she approved of my building technique? Maybe she hated it? Who knows, but it was cool of her to come watch me play with rocket stuff.




I made a point of not speaking or making any shrill sounds or threatening gestures, but she eventually was just another piece of real life getting in the way of my building rockets, and I'de had enough, so I spoke up and she turned and walked back into the woods, then started coughing at me again.

Life is so strange.


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

 

[TopRamen]

Today I'm going to re-machine an ACME Rail Guide into a small T-bar section that will fit Makerbeam rail.
I had about enough of the bickering about what makes a good solution to Makerbeam Rails.!!!

 

[Cl(VII)]

Over the last two days: Un bagged fins, Cussed a blue streak over the wrinkly craptastic job I did, Sanded (one of the layers of CF essentially end up as a partially sacrificial sanding layer, which is ok, two was overkill), applied a thin coat of laminating resin, placed in curing oven (Prius with the windows up parked in the TX sun).

Tonight it will get a second coat of resin, and then the finish sanding and polishing should start Sunday evening after an afternoon in the curing oven.

 

[TopRamen]

Finally! Aluminum Rail Guides for Makerbeam:




I have to make one more, and I'll use them on the 24mm CF Star Trooper. This one slides freely to and fro when you stick it in a section of rail and tilt the rail back and forth. I anticipate it will practically float after I polish it up nice, as you can plainly see the rough draft finish.
It may require an anodized finish too, to harden the surface and prevent odd types of wear like galling from occurring, but we'll cross that bridge when it becomes necessary. Small scale anodizing is actually quite simple and there are many tutorials that show how it is done.
Or so I've heard in some of the knife and gun making forums.
I suspect there is a correctly sized aluminum "T" hiding in the frames of certain screen doors, that would require much less work to get at than chopping the ACME Rail guide apart and sanding it to shape. I do intend to find that "T" as well.

 

[noffie79]

Finally finished my Wildman Demon. This thing is sweet. Can't wait to fly it. Maiden will probably be a sparky of some sort. Maybe an AT K456DM.

 

[dhbarr]

Battery electrolyte ( sulfuric ) and a discarded PC power supply, 12v rail has plenty o' amps. Aluminum wire from electric fence, 1lb lead surf weights from the bait shop.

 

[KenRico]

I did ny Level 3 today @ LDRS 35 !

Kenny

 

[rharshberger]

I did ny Level 3 today @ LDRS 35 !

Kenny

Congratulations and Well Done!

 

[RocketT.Coyote]

Began work on SL2 Estes Nike Smoke.

 

[o1d_dude]

Packaged some rocket kits (Big Daddy, Executioner, and Mega Mosquito) and building materials for shipment to someone who will put them to good use.

Hooah!

 

[TopRamen]

Awakened by back pain at 3AM, I needed a project I could do sitting in my computer chair with a cutting board on my lap, and with inspiration from Frank's(burkefj) amazing foamcraft, ended up with this:



I once asked if it was possible to make a 4" Martel and stay under the weight limit for needing a waiver.
I now believe it is, seeing as how all this only weighs 2.45oz.!!!
Still needs a few things frame wise, but I'm going to make the nose cone hold the recovery gear and bring the main tube right up into the tip like a piston, so I won't need much nose weight.

I'm loving foam right about now!!!

 

[RocketFeller]

Yesterday we ground-tested the ejection charges for our upscale Dragonfly. Last night I worked on the avionics. Today we are launching across the road from my house.

Good weekend for rocketry!

 

[Nick@JET]

I did ny Level 3 today @ LDRS 35 !

Kenny

Congrats Ken!!

 

[Igotnothing]

Thank goodness! I made a usable tube!

My first carbon tube was 24mm and about the same length. Extra epoxy on the outside is just insurance for sanding!
What cloth did you use? You got a nice spiral pattern from the weave.

 

[Igotnothing]

Made a new nozzle for the 60mm case and glued it into the carrier.
The horizontal band saw is working away on a 3.25" bar to make a bulkhead. Next to cut off about 3" of the same bar for a nozzle carrier. My first 75mm EX hardware.

 

[bill2654]

Tested out my fly-away rail guides today on my Go Devil 38. I just wonder about the friction they cause before leaving the rail. Flight was 200' short of sim. They worked flawlessly and were off within 5' of clearing the rail.