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Edward Beauchemin said:
Hey everyone, So after being away from rockets for like 45 years I stumbled back into it after helping my 9 year old with his Cub Scout project.
So after going out and buying a new Estes starter kit I found out how expensive this has gotten. So being the really "frugal" guy I am, I went online to find some DIY alternatives.
I found some YouTube videos on rolling your own body tubes from copy paper and fins from card stock.
We built one and it flew great, and I didn't get all itchy about my 9 year old coloring an expensive model with magic markers. But now I'm hooked again on model rockets.
So I searched some more for other plans to build and found Art Applewhite and Chris Michielssen paper models and eventually JimZ and the OldModelRockets and this forum.
I started figuring out how to build the old models I remembered when I was a kid without spending a bunch of money.
I made the body tubes from scrap paper and the fins from layers of cereal box cardboard glued together and the nose cones from paper from some of the ideas I found on other sites.
So 1st I built a Mosquito,
View attachment 395065
Then some Centuri Akela 1s to launch with the Scouts,
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Then I gave myself a mission to try to build every single Centuri model. Why the Centuri's? I guess because they don't exist anymore.
So first the Lil Herc
View attachment 395067
Then I stumbled across kuririn's post about the Estes DIY pack so had to reply with what I was working on today.
The Centuri Twister and the Sea Killer #5331
View attachment 395068
Now remember this long post is your own fault for letting me do it. :)
Have fun guys
Click to expand...
Hi, Ed. From one BAR to another, welcome back to the fold.
Looks like you have the start of a great fleet going there.
My first rocketry mail order included a Li'l Herc. Back around '67 or '68.
The Centuri catalog seemed so much slicker than the Estes offerings.
Hoping you and your son have many straight flights.
Laters.
 
Started putting together some ejection charge containers. Going to MDRA this weekend and I'm hoping to fly three rockets.
1. Mach1 Black Hole
2. Wildman Darkstar Jr.
3. Mach1 Saberhawk
It will be a first flight for the Saberhawk. I think I'll go with a D9-4w in the 24/40 case. Rocksim says about 860ft.
 

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Launched my first rockets in 30 years.
 

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OverTheTop said:
Tweezer technique is the primary skill IMHO.

650-700degF (343-371degC) for soldering small parts? What is the rationale behind that? Normal lead solder melts at 183C. You need about 30C more to form the intermetallic bonds. You should not need more than 270C (530F) on a bad day to solder a PCB. The glass transition temperature of the FR4 is around 140C. Higher temperatures just melt the substrate and also weaken the adhesive that holds the tracks and pads onto the laminate. Bad idea to give that a hard time with high temperatures. Higher temperatures also give thicker intermetallic bonds which are more brittle. A good iron and/or as large a tip (chisel, not conical) as you can get away with assists with heat transfer, rather than higher temperature. Iron technique is also important. A fast joint (by using high temperature) is not a good joint.
Click to expand...
Maybe, But most electronic solder now is almost 100% Tin, not lead. Typical SAC (Tin, plus Silver and Copper) melting point is about 220C. Its very common to set soldering iron tip temperature thermostat to 260 or 280 C. 280 seems right to me, I think the thermal mass of the tip helps makes the work (pin and PCB barrel) ramp to the melting point quickly. A fast joint that is not well soldered is not a good joint, but the fastest joint that flows well is best. Keeping the device leads at the soldering temperature for a short as possible is best. With SAC alloy, you cannot expect bright shiny surface on the solder mass, even a well soldered joint will be smooth dull silver. Adding extra flux helps too, especially if the leads or board surface are not perfectly shiny clean. You can get flux in a felt-tip pen package, very convenient and (usually) not too messy.
 
You pretty much say what I said Barry. I agree with all your points. The only difference with SAC in lieu of lead solder is about a 30degC increase in tip temperature to account for the different melting point of the alloy. That, and also being patient for the solder to melt. It there is generally more delay in the solder melting with the SAC, but it is no reason to panic. Likewise if the joint isn't shiny.
 
I admit my experience is not with SMT parts, but I do have experience with other small items like fine wire with short stripped areas. I've often found that a tip with very high temperature and very low mass, one that has relatively little total heat but gets that heat into the work area fast, makes a hot spot sufficient for good flow and bonding without much heat being conducted up the lead.
 
Had a fun Saturday went out and launched 9 rockets

3 - C6-5 :2 Alpha's , 1-Flash (rockets)
3 - B6-4 : 1 Viking, 2 Wizards
3 - 1/2A6-2 : 3 Wizards
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Had 2 engines shot out the other end in my Wizard rockets, and lost my Viking rocket via. waterlogged
 
Went to a local low power launch with my local club DARS yesterday
Flew four rockets. All performed great and were recoverd. Small field, two B's, one C, all scratch built rockets. And one D in a modified Fat Boy. Had a lot of fun for an old guy.
On to the High power launch the 19th. [emoji41]
 
Screenshot 2019-10-07 at 21.09.50.png Slowly working on printed parts for my big long term rocketry project.
 

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Cool High Tec. I’ve got one half way done at the moment. Did you build it spec? I’m toying with the idea of glassing the fins to enable pushing it on a J.
 
TurbulentSphere said:
I found the rocket I lost in a soybean field over 3 months ago. By some miracle it survived the harvesters and is still flyable.

View attachment 395290


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Amazing recovery!!! Congrats.

----------------------------------------

Last night I cleaned up the papering job I did on the fins of my QCC Explorer. I used epoxy instead of carpenters glue as the balsa was really soft and I was afraid wood glue would cause severe warpage.
I also epoxied a threaded block for aft 1010 rail button to my Miss Riley rocket.
 
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Nick Hutton said:
Cool High Tec. I’ve got one half way done at the moment. Did you build it spec? I’m toying with the idea of glassing the fins to enable pushing it on a J.
Click to expand...

Pretty much stock, LOC makes some great kits to start with. I used to be LVL 2 Tripoli but was out of the addiction for 16 years. I'm back! Tripoli stated since it had been so long I had to start over. I wanted to purchase rocket to be able to fly on G motors as well as use it to reclaim my LVL1 to start and then on to bigger dreams.
 
Greg Furtman said:
Me too about the WiFi. That's why I bought it. :rolleyes:
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Definitely the most complex Eggtimer product I've built so far. A lot of soldering to do. Not really more difficult, just more connections to make. Next step for me is to attach the leads to the WiFi module.
 
tOD said:
Definitely the most complex Eggtimer product I've built so far. A lot of soldering to do. Not really more difficult, just more connections to make. Next step for me is to attach the leads to the WiFi module.
Click to expand...
Wait until you do a Proton.

I still think the Quark is a challenge. Smaller parts.
 

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