An "R"-powered rocket build

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The guys on here have been instrumental on getting me to think more than one way about an issue.

And I’ll lay odds that those that have read this thread have picked up a lot of great techniques themselves.

In the peanut gallery there is a gent who even goes so far as to say I’m a danger to the hobby. Of course he stays out of the arena and lobs the rocks in. Don’t know about all y’all but I have seen some carnage and some beautiful flights out there on the playa. Black Rock is where we go to test our rockets and to push the boundaries of amateur rocketry.

This rocket was built with some outstanding input from the forum. Did I use every idea given? Of course not. But every post from each of you was read and evaluated. And the build on this rocket reflects what I think are the best practices for safety.

This rocket will be approved to fly at a TRA-sponsored event. There are several important gates to pass for approval and those gates will be satisfied.

Never let the naysayers try to bring you down. If I listened to those in the cheap seats hurling insults I’d never have had this outstanding experience. Thanks to all of you for participating in this thread.

And yes Pat G is right but yes there will be a larger rocket built lol.

This R rocket is a great stepping stone. Am having a blast.

Chuck C.
 
Got the painting scheduled for the 16th. They are going to need a week to do it. I'd love to paint this rocket myself but in the Texas heat and humidity we're just asking for trouble. The paint shop is going to fill in the slight airframe gaps and get her nice and smooth.

Have a question... when hauling this rocket on the Levi Seaton Mobile Launch Platform (LSMLP) there is shag carpeting on the 4 cradles that hold the rocket. Until this rocket flies I'd like to protect the paint from scuffing on the shag carpeting. Toss me some ideas on how to best accomplish this. I got some plastic sheeting for wrapping things during freight transport. Thought this might work to prevent road debris from scratching her up. Still thinking out loud.

Levi built the cradles rock solid. In fact there's a way to drop a spring into each stanchion to act as a shock absorber which is pretty cool. This rocket should ride very well during transport.

In a bit I'll post the final steps that need to be done to call this rocket complete. It's getting close.

Sure has been a fun ride and I appreciate everyone's involvement. Would like to see many of you at LDRS 38. Make sure to stop by and say hi.

Chuck C.
 
Rail Dawg said:
If big enough that material would work nicely. Good idea.

Chuck C.
Click to expand...
Yes, I just picked the first picture that came up on Google. Take a trip to your local box store. I'm sure there are bigger sizes. There is a slit in it, so just have to fit over exposed mounting segment on your trailer and tack it in with roofing nails (or a facsimile of such).
 
Rail Dawg said:
Got the painting scheduled for the 16th. They are going to need a week to do it. I'd love to paint this rocket myself but in the Texas heat and humidity we're just asking for trouble. The paint shop is going to fill in the slight airframe gaps and get her nice and smooth.

Have a question... when hauling this rocket on the Levi Seaton Mobile Launch Platform (LSMLP) there is shag carpeting on the 4 cradles that hold the rocket. Until this rocket flies I'd like to protect the paint from scuffing on the shag carpeting. Toss me some ideas on how to best accomplish this. I got some plastic sheeting for wrapping things during freight transport. Thought this might work to prevent road debris from scratching her up. Still thinking out loud.

Levi built the cradles rock solid. In fact there's a way to drop a spring into each stanchion to act as a shock absorber which is pretty cool. This rocket should ride very well during transport.

In a bit I'll post the final steps that need to be done to call this rocket complete. It's getting close.

Sure has been a fun ride and I appreciate everyone's involvement. Would like to see many of you at LDRS 38. Make sure to stop by and say hi.

Chuck C.
Click to expand...
Your painter will be give you all the info you need on this matter
 
Rail Dawg said:
Got the painting scheduled for the 16th. They are going to need a week to do it. I'd love to paint this rocket myself but in the Texas heat and humidity we're just asking for trouble. The paint shop is going to fill in the slight airframe gaps and get her nice and smooth.

Have a question... when hauling this rocket on the Levi Seaton Mobile Launch Platform (LSMLP) there is shag carpeting on the 4 cradles that hold the rocket. Until this rocket flies I'd like to protect the paint from scuffing on the shag carpeting. Toss me some ideas on how to best accomplish this. I got some plastic sheeting for wrapping things during freight transport. Thought this might work to prevent road debris from scratching her up. Still thinking out loud.

Levi built the cradles rock solid. In fact there's a way to drop a spring into each stanchion to act as a shock absorber which is pretty cool. This rocket should ride very well during transport.

In a bit I'll post the final steps that need to be done to call this rocket complete. It's getting close.

Sure has been a fun ride and I appreciate everyone's involvement. Would like to see many of you at LDRS 38. Make sure to stop by and say hi.

Chuck C.
Click to expand...

Chuck,

I suggest talking to the guys who will be doing the painting . . .

The paint will need to "cure", before it is fully hard . . . Are they baking it ?

I am afraid that, once you lay the freshly-painted rocket back down in the cradles, the pressure, bumps, and vibration, during transport, will leave you with "Cradle Marks" in the paint.

Dave F.

E%2BNike%2BSmoke%2B46.JPG


STEELY-EYED MISSILE MEN - AVATAR.jpg
 
Chuck I highly suggest you DO NOT HOT BAKE . Think of the expansion and thermal grow on a project this large. Yes , depending on the paint , it will take a couple weeks to fully cure , but imagine the heart ache if you pop a few glue joints . Your stringers will grow more then the G10 will .

Eric
 
3stoogesrocketry said:
Chuck I highly suggest you DO NOT HOT BAKE . Think of the expansion and thermal grow on a project this large. Yes , depending on the paint , it will take a couple weeks to fully cure , but imagine the heart ache if you pop a few glue joints . Your stringers will grow more then the G10 will .

Eric
Click to expand...

I hadn’t thought of that Eric.

Will make sure the paint isn’t baked.

Chuck C.
 
Chuck, when painting, if they are using automotive paints that need baking, do not hot-bake at the regular temperature if you have a choice. The fiberglass can outgass and create pinholes in the paintwork. I had it happen on my 1/2scale Nike Smoke. My mate, who has been a panel-beater for decades, gave it a quick respray and turned the oven down a bit. Came out well in the end, with very few pinholes in the final product. The problem is not so much the commercial airframe, but other glassed areas including molded parts that have an affinity for solvents.
 
Rail Dawg said:
Got the painting scheduled for the 16th. They are going to need a week to do it. I'd love to paint this rocket myself but in the Texas heat and humidity we're just asking for trouble. The paint shop is going to fill in the slight airframe gaps and get her nice and smooth.

Have a question... when hauling this rocket on the Levi Seaton Mobile Launch Platform (LSMLP) there is shag carpeting on the 4 cradles that hold the rocket. Until this rocket flies I'd like to protect the paint from scuffing on the shag carpeting. Toss me some ideas on how to best accomplish this. I got some plastic sheeting for wrapping things during freight transport. Thought this might work to prevent road debris from scratching her up. Still thinking out loud.

Levi built the cradles rock solid. In fact there's a way to drop a spring into each stanchion to act as a shock absorber which is pretty cool. This rocket should ride very well during transport.

In a bit I'll post the final steps that need to be done to call this rocket complete. It's getting close.

Sure has been a fun ride and I appreciate everyone's involvement. Would like to see many of you at LDRS 38. Make sure to stop by and say hi.

Chuck C.
Click to expand...

Chuck, I wonder if you could find several heavy duty inner tubes with an approx ID as the OD of your rocket, maybe a tad bigger. Slip them around the air frame staggered up to the nose cone, lay the rocket down on the cradles, inflate the "protective donuts", ratchet the rocket down and cover.

Pat G
 
I am not extremely knowledgeable with auto paint but I do have a little experience. What about a 2 part epoxy primer for your base which will dry and cure fairly quickly, then a layer of auto base coat with a 2 part clear coat. It should be cured in 3 days.. if you have 3 days?
 
Regardless of what you use for transport, before the launch button is pushed take a good last look at that perfect finish, take lots of pictures, cause it ain't going to look the same after recovery.
 
rcktnut said:
Regardless of what you use for transport, before the launch button is pushed take a good last look at that perfect finish, take lots of pictures, cause it ain't going to look the same after recovery.
Click to expand...

We've got it planned so it lands gently on the fin can and the payload section sets back into the booster.

Nice and shiny!

Chuck C.
 
it might be wise to look into some mnicrofiber blankets to lay on the shag to protect the finish.
im not sure it would be wise to completely wrap the rocket plastic sheeting. leave some room and opening for air movement maybe. i say that because ive read and seen moisture problems in paint on cars that were covered with plastic car covers( non breathable)during storage.
 
Steve Shannon said:
I would use the white heat shrink plastic they wrap boats in before shipping them across country.
Click to expand...


Negative . I tried this with laqure(sp) based paint . After almost 6 months of flying / drying , the plastic still "wrinkled" the paint in areas . Chuck , if this was my project , I would order some 12 inch ID tubes from Yazoo Mills. While it is not rocket related , I used to work for a large trucking company as a frame specialist. We used to get our trailers brand new from the factory , shipped via rail car . Every single wheel bearing needed to be replaced before we could send them out for service . Not because they where "used" , but because they where not strapped down with axle blocks. The trailers just sat on the rail car , bouncing 1/4 inch up and down on every bump the rail car hit ( every 75 foot track joint ) . The bottom of the bearings where flattened and outta round. I'm sure your G10 is tough , but it you have a assembled airframe section of say 250 lbs , sitting on say 5 sq. Inches , that's a 50 PSI hit every bump you hit.
Your millage may very.
 
There is still the problem of pressure being exerted by the weight of the rocket against the cradles . . . The finish can easily be damaged, even if wrapped.

Dave F.

STEELY-EYED MISSILE MEN - AVATAR.jpg
 
It seems to me that the only logical solution is either for the rocket to remain at the location it is painted at, until fully-cured or make arrangements for a painter to come to the location where the rocket is, currently.

Dave F.

STEELY-EYED MISSILE MEN - AVATAR.jpg
 
With a good clear coat you can compound out any shipping rashes or blemishes. Relax.
 
Ez2cDave said:
Do you know, specifically, what paint products they will be using ?

Dave F.

View attachment 390182
Click to expand...
No, but I know what they should be using.
1. Simple 1K primer, this rocket is not going to be outside in the elements for 10yrs
2. Base coat non-catalyzed.
3. PPG Omni quick-clear for very fast cure and put into service time (no oven needed)
4. Go heavy on the clear, this is a rocket, enable multiple compounding buffing cycles.
 
Worked on reinforcing the laid-fiberglass nosecone today. Got the drogue section fitted and done.

Just need to get the (16) 1/4" bolts in for the AvBay and the 1/4" bolts for the fin can. 3/8" bolts for the Delrin rail guides.

Attach the charge cannons and the 3/4" shock cords. There is a light at the end of this tunnel.

Heading to northern Nevada tomorrow to spend 5 days with my brother hunting for gold in the middle of nowhere. It's nice to simply get away at times isn't it? Forget about life for awhile.

Keep those hot discussions going! I read every word.

Stay safe.

Chuck C.
 
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