Your favorite Rocketry Tool

Something either designed specifically for building or flying a rocket or not a usually thought of tool for building rockets commonly.

Here is my favorite. It is a tube stuffer for shock cords and parachutes. It has 3 rounded wooden toothpicks, they are round enough they don't poke holes in the chutes, but they have enough grab to shove things down. The tape on the back keeps it "smooth" so it doesn't pull the cord back out.

Ingenious! I may just have to steal that concept!

Mine is my 22" Great Planes sanding bar. Not for sanding, but as a straight edge for marking body tubes.

My straight-edge for body tubes is either a 3/4 or 1.5 inch steel angle. Depends on the tube diameter for which one I use.

My favorite tool is either that or my calipers. Or the sand belt that I cut to form a Looooooooooooooong piece of sandpaper for beveling fins...

My straight edge for marking bt's is one of my kitchen drawers--really ---works great--by the way I checked it for square first!

Course like most it's my aluminum angels but I'm also very fond of my 6.00 digital scale.Might be my best deal off e-bay

Since, I am a artist, I guess I would have to say my favorite tools are hands and my mind. I see things in my mind, then my hands do the work.

By far my favorite is OpenRocket. Modeling the rocket flying on different motors gives a whole new dimension to the hobby in my eyes.

My rotozip.

cwbullet said:

My rotozip.

Click to expand...

Which type?

Has to be my Harbor Freight large oscillating sander (not a wimpy palm type). Kind of a love-hate thing really, as I despise sanding, yet love that I have that tool that makes it so much faster/easier.

One of my fav and oft used "tools" would be a credit card as a straight edge for cutting and drawing. I would LOVE it if the would make them with a scale along one edge.

jflis said:

One of my fav and oft used "tools" would be a credit card as a straight edge for cutting and drawing. I would LOVE it if the would make them with a scale along one edge.

Click to expand...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057RMAPO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

-- Roger

Those stickerS are a good idea. I use my sanding bar

jadebox said:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057RMAPO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

-- Roger

Click to expand...

That's a great idea!
Maybe I'll just print some ruler decals then cover them with clear tape after applying.

Thanks Roger!

jflis said:

One of my fav and oft used "tools" would be a credit card as a straight edge for cutting and drawing. I would LOVE it if the would make them with a scale along one edge.

Click to expand...

They are working on one. It is a logarithmic scalle.

$100
$1,000
$1,000,000
1,000,000,000
TOO BIG TO FAIL!

We gotta talk to NAR about making one side of the membership card metal with a 3" scale and 7cm on the other side

I'm thinking about getting something from stickershock that is a 4 foot ruler decal that attaches to the edge of my angle iron...

Definitely either my aluminum angle or my hobby knife. Openrocket is high on the list, too. Does a 24/40 RMS count as a tool?

The two tools I use most on my builds are the Estes fin marking guide (the one with the plastic fin marking discs) and my 7-grit finger nail file (found in the health and beauty section of most stores) which makes a great sanding tool.

Guillotine fin tool. It made it easier to build my Hornet5. https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?44776-Hornet5-with-booster-fin-pods

The Estes tube cutting guides are really nice too.

Definitely my little pocket knife, everything has a use to it! The blade works great when cutting out fins from balsa and slicing into the body tube when I can't find my x acto knife. The file works for sanding small parts, the scissors for cutting out decals, and then you still have tweezers and a toothpick for more use!
https://www.victorinox.com/us/product/Swiss-Army-Knives/Category/Classics/Classic-SD/53001

Calipers-100% Then my cordless drill, then alaly angle stock in diff sizes. This chair and maybe the remote.....

jflis said:

One of my fav and oft used "tools" would be a credit card as a straight edge for cutting and drawing. I would LOVE it if the would make them with a scale along one edge.

Click to expand...

Credit card is also great for smoothing out "Fill n Finish" on balsa fins

I just use my dad's (basically brand new) sheetrock putty knife. It does really well!

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Dremel! I have a cordless I charge up and take with me to every launch.

Rotozips are pretty similar. I have one, but it's too big for my rocketry needs.

I'm going to have to say my laser

Krusty

Krusty wins!!

Best tool?

TRF!

My 12 volt Dremel cordless. For some reason; I never brought it with me to a launch...


JD