What size bulkhead to in the nosecone of an Estes Big Daddy?

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Bill S

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I've got an Estes Big Daddy that I plan to modify the nosecone bay removing the rear of it, and installing a plywood bulkhead w/eyelet. As I haven't yet cut up the nosecone, and I'm making an Erockets order soon, I was thinking maybe they have something of a suitable diameter so I don't have to cut one out by hand (I have basically only hand tools) and spend a lot of time sanding and fitting it.

Anyone know what the diameter is, and who might have one, even if not Erockets?
 
A 3" plywood bulkhead is fine.... Sand it down a bit though and push it little further up the nosecone (not much, just a little)... This will give an extra 3 inches for recovery gear..
 
Techrat, thank you. I appreciate the info.

After some searching, I am not having much luck finding a 3" bulkhead.
 
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Bill, I don't know when I'll be at a NARHAMS launch next, but if you figure out what size you want I'll cut one for you and mail it.
 
I was at home depot not that long ago, and picked up a scrap of thin plywood that just happened to be lying by the cutting table. As it was a scrap, home depot did not charge me for it (I made other purchases, so do not make any comments!),... And then with some hole cutters from Harbor Freight Tools that work with a common drill, I've been making my own bulkheads for some time now.

It ain't that hard, and I use an Amazon box as my work area (since I have to drill the hole to keep the circular cutter centered).

Makes some wood dust on the basement floor, but I vacuum once a year, it's OK.
 
My notes say the ring I installed in my most recent Big Daddy nose cone was 73.6mm in diameter. I'd designed it at 73.4mm (since I measured the cone at 76.4mm OD and the thickness of the shoulder was about 1.5mm, which I guessed to be close to the thickness of the cone proper), but the laser cut it a tiny bit bigger, and since it fit, I didn't sand it further.
 
I did 2.5" with my holesaw kit I bought for doing this years back. Surprisingly I found it after getting g back into this, worked out well. But bought some 3" ones from Rocketryworks.
 

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Newbie here. Just build my stock Big Daddy with the exception of the kevlar to motor shock cord. Decided to modify the nose cone as you have all mentioned. What kind of epoxy should be used for the bulkhead to nose cone installation?
 
Newbie here. Just build my stock Big Daddy with the exception of the kevlar to motor shock cord. Decided to modify the nose cone as you have all mentioned. What kind of epoxy should be used for the bulkhead to nose cone installation?

Any “name brand” - Devcon, Loctite, JB Weld, Bob Smith - will work fine. Only thing I’d avoid is the cheap stuff from discounters like Harbor Freight - the quality can be hit or miss. Even the “5 minute” type is strong enough but if you’re concerned about strength go with a longer cure time type.

Scuff the inside of the cone up a bit with some sandpaper, lay in a bead of epoxy, insert your bulkhead and let it cure standing point up - make sure you slide the bulkhead into the cone enough so you can lay in another bead of epoxy with the cone pointed down after your internal epoxy sets up. Regardless of the cure time on the package I’d wait a day between the first (internal) and second (external) bead of epoxy.

Incidentally, IMO the bulkhead mod is unnecessary - recovery failures with that style cone are more about how fits than how it’s shaped, too loose and it can cock sideways and hang up. I do a “fit test” before every flight - with the rocket in ready to launch configuration I lift it by the cone, if it doesn’t separate until it clears the ground it’s ready to go - if it’s too loose I add some tape, too tight remove tape and/or sand. I do this before every flight since plastic and paper expands/contracts at different rates depending on temperature.

But there’s nothing wrong with the bulkhead mod - it’s probably stronger than the plastic cap on the cone shoulder and it looks pretty nifty!
 
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Any “name brand” - Devcon, Loctite, JB Weld, Bob Smith - will work fine. Only thing I’d avoid is the cheap stuff from discounters like Harbor Freight - the quality can be hit or miss. Even the “5 minute” type is strong enough but if you’re concerned about strength go with a longer cure time type.

Scuff the inside of the cone up a bit with some sandpaper, lay in a bead of epoxy, insert your bulkhead and let it cure standing point up - make sure you slide the bulkhead into the cone enough so you can lay in another bead of epoxy with the cone pointed down after your internal epoxy sets up. Regardless of the cure time on the package I’d wait a day between the first (internal) and second (external) bead of epoxy.

Incidentally, IMO the bulkhead mod is unnecessary - recovery failures with that style cone are more about how fits than how it’s shaped, too loose and it can cock sideways and hang up. I do a “fit test” before every flight - with the rocket in ready to launch configuration I lift it by the cone, if it doesn’t separate until it clears the ground it’s ready to go - if it’s too loose I add some tape, too tight remove tape and/or sand. I do this before every flight since plastic and paper expands/contracts at different rates depending on temperature.

But there’s nothing wrong with the bulkhead mod - it’s probably stronger than the plastic cap on the cone shoulder and it looks pretty nifty!
Thank you for all the helpful information. I did search epoxy threads and didn't find much. I think I'll do the mods whether it's needed or not. My stock nose cone is very loose. I can see how this could be a disaster if you don't know about the issue. Think the nose cone mod will throw off my center of gravity on a stock build?
 
Incidentally, IMO the bulkhead mod is unnecessary - recovery failures with that style cone are more about how fits than how it’s shaped, too loose and it can cock sideways and hang up. I do a “fit test” before every flight - with the rocket in ready to launch configuration I lift it by the cone, if it doesn’t separate until it clears the ground it’s ready to go - if it’s too loose I add some tape, too tight remove tape and/or sand. I do this before every flight since plastic and paper expands/contracts at different rates depending on temperature.

I find humidity makes a bigger difference than temperature, even with the ends of body tubes soaked with CA. Going from A/C indoors to Johnson Space Center humidity or the dryness of Lake Lucerne all gives widely varying results. As you note, the fit can also vary throughout a day.

Think the nose cone mod will throw off my center of gravity on a stock build?

I'd expect it to add weight to the front, which will only help things.
 
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