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Wow - It has been a while since I first posted this thread. But I've had some interest in paper rocketry over on Facebook, and I thought I'd return to this thread. Yes, I'm still tinkering with paper rockets and I might just get back to this project soon. We'll see how it goes. Oh, and a teaser...

Anyone else have the experience that HL will not honor the 40% off coupon on these rockets because all of them have the "Your Price" stickers on them? Bought three rockets Saturday and all three were not eligible for the discount.

In case no one else knows this trick/tool, for each motor size, I glue a 1/4 inch strip of paper around the rear end of an expended motor - when dry it is now a thrust ring positioning tool. Simply apply the glue inside your motor tube using the methods listed above, insert the thrust ring into...

I use the blunt end of a bamboo skewer. I put a blob of glue on a card, measure on the stick how deep the glue should go into the tube, place my thumb there and apply the glue at that depth. Once you’ve used the stick a few times, the glue residue builds into a blob that makes putting the glue...

A couple things to add here. If you build the rocket with a 1/8” gap betweet the trailing edge of the fins and the end of the body tube, you can wrap a piece of 1/4” tape around the BT and back of motor - this will hold the motor in securely. Best tape for holding the motor in is either frog...

I am very sad to hear this. I never got to meet John in real life, but I had quite a few discussions with him here, and I learned a LOT from him. He had a lot of knowledge about many aspects of rocketry, and not just about micro models. He will be missed in these rocket circles. My condolences...

I don't remember what the issue number is, but there is an issue of Apogee's newsletter that tells how to make slanted tube cuts that might help. Also, if you can wrap a piece of paper around the shaped tube and trace the cut (or find the template), these things scale up and down perfectly. Just...

Thin CA and baking soda works well as a putty as well - once the CA sets, it is about the same hardness as styrene, so it is easy to sand or file into shape. Then I would coat with fiberglass epoxy to give it a nice smooth surface and repaint.

You guys seem to be assuming that rods/rails have to go throught the gaps between tubes. To use a tube fin rocket on a standard launch rail, you can align the buttons with the center of a tube fin as well. Just use a piece of scrap tubing (the same thickness as the tube fin) as a spacer under...

I roll my own - just use a piece of music wire a bit larger than your launch rod as a mandrel, strips of paper about 1/4” wide or so, and some white glue thinned with water. Wind them spirally, applying the glue with a brush as you go. Let dry and cut to length while still on the mandrel.

The only fruitcake I will eat is Claxtons - unlike all the rest, it is moist and full of fruit. Even better if you spread a bit of butter on each slice to add a savory note.

If you want to watch something roar off the pad, build a Big Daddy with a 3 E cluster - comes out to the equivalent of a small G!

I have one other weird suggestion - You might try using a cheap airbrush to paint your model with liquid paints rather than rattlecans. The reason is that you can mix your paint before using it. And, a little trick I discovered years ago when painting Star Trek starship miniatures, is to mix in...

I use Sharpie Magnum markers to color the underside of wings and rotors black, and the top surface red. But, of course, I am not coating these as they are contest models. I have also used the Sharpie Magnum markers to color plastic and balsa nose cones as well. The tend to streak, but if you...

Another technique you might consider is using white glue on both the body tube and the back side of the printed wrap. Smooth the glue as thin and smooth as you can get it and let both dry. Once dry, you can take advantage of a really nice aspect of white glue - it can be thermoset. Tack the wrap...

I recommend making a small chute (6” dia) from a Target sack. Unlike the plastic sacks from most other retailers, Target sacks are soft polyethylene like the Estes chutes. With some carpet tread or very light kevlar thread for shrouds, you can make the chute for pennies. As others have said, if...

Back to your question about stripping the paint - since it is enamel, I'd try oven cleaning foam. Simply spray on a healthy layer of foam and let it sit a half hour or so. Then wash off the residue using dishwashing detergent and a toothbrush to get into crevices. Repeat if needed. The oven...

Back in the late 70s or early 80s, Larry Niven wrote several short stories in which a character used a Gyrojet. This was my introduction to this unique weapon. And they are SUPER collectible (and correspondingly pricey) today!

Like your regular range box, I suggest having a small first aid kit with you.

Yeah, and if I had burned my finger on the hotplate, the response from my folks would have been either "You knew it was hot, why'd you touch it?" or "You'll know better next time, won't you?". Also had the related Thingmaker with the hot metal molds.