101 Uses for Spent Motor Casings

[MarkII]

49. Glue a large bundle together and use it on your desk at work or in your workshop as a pencil/pen/paintbrush holder.
50. Accumulate a large pile of them and use them as a a unusual, one-of-a-kind wall covering, or as thermal or sound insulation.
51. String up several strands of them and create a bead curtain.
52. Zipper pulls.
53. Rocketeer's moth balls and shoe deodorizers.
54. Handles for barbecue forks, skewers, etc.

 

[stardust]

54.5 A spent 24mm cleaned out can hold a friction fit 18mm into it...sometimes I like to fly an 18mm in one of my 24mm eaters. 24mm spent motors cut into like long engine blocks can be glued to the ends of 18mm motors to adapt them into a 24mm mount .

 

[MarkII]

55. Glue one onto the end of a dowel and use it as a ram to push out (or pound out) friction-fit motors. (Bond an appropriately-sized rubber stopper into the forward end and then use epoxy putty, such as JB Stick, and regular epoxy to help fill in the rest of the motor and to hold the dowel in.)
56. If you have one that the aft end of the rocket will fit over while the motor tube fits inside (IOW, the spent motor fits in between the rocket's motor tube and the airframe), you can use it in combination with #55 as an anvil or block when you push or pound out a stubborn friction-fit motor. It can help to avoid getting a tweaked airframe.
57. When thoroughly cleaned (remove every speck of corrosive propellant residue), it can be used as a craft knife blade cover.
58. Use one as a handle for a file.

 

[kuririn]

Necroing this thread instead of starting a new one.
59. Adapters for rocket display stands: 13mm stand to 18mm, 18mm stand to 24mm, 24mm stand to 29mm.

 

[kuririn]

C'mon folks, the title says 101 uses and we're only up to 59.
Laters.

 

[kuririn]

60. Make a spent motor lei. Your grad will love it. Ah, the smell of BP residue. Sweeter than ginger.

(Wouldn't you rather have that instead of this?)

 

[Alan15578]

A D12 casing is the essential part for repairing a Centuri Sky Track. If you don't have a clean unused casing, take a good flown motor case and clean it out. The nozzle is most easily cleared by tapping on the side of the case with a hammer. A short ring cut from an Estes mailing tube is also used.

 

[Red7Fifty]

Don't know what number.....49?
Remove Horse from 4H trophy.....bolt to trophy to make rocket display stand. Time to hit up the garage sales if you can't source from your own garage.

 

[Ez2cDave]

Reload them with "Rcandy" propellant . . .

 

[beeblebrox]

Put on the launch rod as a standoff, a mini engine casing is just enough usually...Keeps the motor nozzle off of the blast deflector.

 

[Matt_The_RocketMan]

Don't know what number.....49?
Remove Horse from 4H trophy.....bolt to trophy to make rocket display stand. Time to hit up the garage sales if you can't source from your own garage.View attachment 393933 View attachment 393934

I have a feeling that you guys ie. older people like Der Red Max, I have yet to figure why that is, but i like the multi colored versions though.

 

[kuririn]

A D12 casing is the essential part for repairing a Centuri Sky Track. If you don't have a clean unused casing, take a good flown motor case and clean it out. The nozzle is most easily cleared by tapping on the side of the case with a hammer. A short ring cut from an Estes mailing tube is also used.

That's #61

Don't know what number.....49?
Remove Horse from 4H trophy.....bolt to trophy to make rocket display stand. Time to hit up the garage sales if you can't source from your own garage.

#62.

Reload them with "Rcandy" propellant . . .

#63.

Put on the launch rod as a standoff, a mini engine casing is just enough usually...Keeps the motor nozzle off of the blast deflector.

Ah, beeble, that was already listed as #3.
And your suggestion of using as an ejection well canister on another thread was #19.
Good try, though.

 

[Mugs914]

# 64 - Glue 'em to and old CD rom to use as a stand. Also protects the fins on smaller rockets during transport.

 

[kuririn]

Guys, how about numbering your suggestions.
Mugs, that was #64.

PS. Make sure you number your post!!!

 

[Lynn McCall]

Don't know what number.....49?
Remove Horse from 4H trophy.....bolt to trophy to make rocket display stand. Time to hit up the garage sales if you can't source from your own garage.View attachment 393933 View attachment 393934

Wow!?!?!?!?!?
Somebody is a Max Junkie.
.... Hey buddy, I can see your in need of a fix. I gotta package in the trunk of my car.

 

[prfesser]

#65: When cutting paper motor-mount tubes, a used casing makes a nice stiffener. Add a layer or so of paper for a tight fit.

 

[kuririn]

#66.
Use a spent 13mm casing to sheathe your #11 hobby knife.
Remove propellant residue.
Cut a BT-4 tube to length to act as a liner.
Voila! Instant sheath protection.

Edit: Already mentioned in #57.

 

[Ez2cDave]

Use them as a tool for inserting engine blocks during gluing.

Dave F.

 

[fyrwrxz]

cigarillo holder, leave the burnt residue in, gives it that 'fresh launch day breath' every rocketeer craves. Don't use the grape flavoured ones, that's just nasty. Disposable after each use. More reasons to fly more.

 

[kuririn]

cigarillo holder, leave the burnt residue in, gives it that 'fresh launch day breath' every rocketeer craves. Don't use the grape flavoured ones, that's just nasty. Disposable after each use. More reasons to fly more.

That's #66. That'll fly. Need to plug the nozzle.
Vanilla vodka and Tampa Jewels work.
Probably need a 29mm for a big Stogie.
Heh.

 

[5thDay]

#67

Use them as mandrel to roll your own body and mmt. Can't believe that wasn't mentioned yet.

#68

18mm casing ID fit the rather obscure FX motors from the 90s for NAR certified smoke effects before launch.

#69

arrange them into the numbers six and nine as large as you can and giggle at how juvenile you feel!

#70

Take a photo of the above and make a meme out of it for everyone to giggle at how juvenile they feel.

#71

Use them to prop up the high speed corners of Hot Wheels banked corners for your child's track.

#72

Another Hot Wheels use if your child is into the monster trucks or Monster Jam variety; use them as crash able barricades.

#73

One very challenging DIY Jenga game?

#74

His and Her toothbrush holders. Start a new thread with a competition to see how can have it there the longest. Bonus points if you have houseguests and your significant other doesn't think it is funny!

 

[kuririn]

One very challenging DIY Jenga game?

#75
Ha! That made me think of Lincoln Logs. Anybody remember those?
Cut notches and make your own log cabins.
Glue a string of them together and make the logs as long as you want.
Balsa sheets for roofs.


EDIT: Criminy, already mentioned in #37.

 

[mh9162013]

#75: Use it as a container to create a 1 oz. payload weight for NAR Payload-Altitude competitions.

#76: Remove a fair amount of layers from the interior, sand the inside somewhat smooth, then use as the outer "shell" (in place of a standard coupler) for an ejection baffle.

#77: Keep in a sealed plastic bag which you can open up and smell to relive one or more past memories.

#78: Keep at least one spent casing of each engine you've ever flown to create a collectable record of your launches. Kind of like how people collect momentos from countries or states they've visited.

 

[lakeroadster]

#65: When cutting paper motor-mount tubes, a used casing makes a nice stiffener. Add a layer or so of paper for a tight fit.

That ^^^ is #42

42. Glued together to make mandrels for cutting tubes and for rolling cardstock tubes.

43. Plugs to keep paint from going on the inside of the tube.

44. Dummy motors when launching a cluster with less than a full motor complement (so that ejection works properly).

 

[kuririn]

#79
If you're a ninja being pursued by the enemy, use these instead of caltrops to trip them up.
More humane.
Heh.

 

[DeeRoc29]

Umm, reload them. AP motors anyway.

 

[kuririn]

#80
Ream them out, attach a spindle and two handles.
Voila! a mini dough roller for making mini croissants.
Thank you, thank you.

 

[lakeroadster]

#80
Ream them out, attach a spindle and two handles.
Voila! a mini dough roller for making mini croissants.
Thank you, thank you.
View attachment 532922

I love the smell of black powder in the morning.....

 

[smstachwick]

I’ll have to do some consolidation, but I’ve got another use: Commemorations. Maidening specific airframes, motor types, repair jobs, people, whatever makes the flight special.

EDIT: Oops! Looks like this is been suggested. I hope you guys like the picture anyway.

 

[smstachwick]

I did my best to consolidate while also differentiating uses when appropriate. Only 8 entries ended up being duplicated and deleted.

Maybe going forward we can copy-paste the list and add to it like in the Newton tally threads.

1. Motor adapter
2. Engine block
3. Launch rod stand-off
4. Launch rod storage case
5. Painting wand
6. Painting stand
7. Display stand (“spike”)
8. Micro-hybrid fuel grain
9. Cat toy
10. Motor mount ballast
11. Motor design visual aid
12. Rod cap
13. Fin attachment jig
14. Nose cone shoulder
15. Flashlight casing
16. Fire starter
17. Battery storage
18. Landing pads
19. Ejection charge canister
20. Engine block spacer
21. Christmas tree ornament
22. Fillet shaper
23. MicroMaxx rod adapter
24. Body tube
25. Floating-head piston head
26. Air freshener
27. Cluster mount spacing gauge
28. Multistager display coupler
29. Retention system tester
30. Staging ballast
31. CTI reload instructional aid
32. Wind chimes
33. Lincoln logs
34. Tube couplers
35. Payload section ballast
36. Tube rolling guide
37. Painting plug
38. Cluster dummy motor
39. Wasp block
40. Motor fairy payment
41. Pan flute
42. Table leg shim
43. Range box lid prop
44. Staging coupler
45. Pencil/pen/paintbrush holder and organizer
46. Wall covering
47. Bead curtain
48. Zipper pull
49. Shoe deodorizer
50. Barbecue fork handle
51. Friction-fit motor remover
52. Stuck motor removal stand
53. Craft blade knife cover
54. File handle
55. Display stand adapter
56. Theodolite repair
57. Rocket candy casing
58. Cigarillo holder
59. FX motor mount
60. 69 joke
61. Meme
62. Hot Wheels track prop
63. Toy monster truck crashable barricade
64. Jenga game
65. Toothbrush holder
66. Competition payload
67. Ejection baffle
68. Olfactory time machine
69. Collectible commemoration
70. Caltrop alternative (don’t laugh, I’ve almost broken my neck stepping on one of these things)
71. AP casing
72. Dough roller