Some months ago I made these as desk trinkets at work:
The body tubes are heavy duty toilet paper and paper towel tubes from the industrial bathroom, about 2 mm thick. The fins and nose cones are printer paper and Scotch tape, taped on. The smaller nose cone was colored with a highlighter. (The fins originally got pink highlighter, but they faded.)
After staring at them for months and musing over making a flying version, I now have a plan. I'm going to make a complete, flyable rocket out of nothing but office supplies. The only thing that will not come from my own workplace is some white glue; I consider that a legitimate office supply, I just don't know anybody here who has some.
I will be using non-office tools, just not materials.
Watch this space.
The body tubes are heavy duty toilet paper and paper towel tubes from the industrial bathroom, about 2 mm thick. The fins and nose cones are printer paper and Scotch tape, taped on. The smaller nose cone was colored with a highlighter. (The fins originally got pink highlighter, but they faded.)
After staring at them for months and musing over making a flying version, I now have a plan. I'm going to make a complete, flyable rocket out of nothing but office supplies. The only thing that will not come from my own workplace is some white glue; I consider that a legitimate office supply, I just don't know anybody here who has some.
I will be using non-office tools, just not materials.
- The airframe will consist of two of the paper towel rolls. (I've already collected a good few of each size roll in anticipation of some sort of rocketry use.)
- A third tube will be cut to make two couplers.
- The nose cone will be printer paper and glue, with one of the couplers for the shoulder.
- I will make some two layer laminations out of corrugated cardboard, with the corrugations running at right angles. The plywood-like structure is not for strength but rather for stiffness. This will be used for the fins and rings. I'll probably close off the fin leading edges with tape.
- The MMT will also be printer paper and glue. 24 mm, because this tube is pretty heavy.
- The engine hook and launch "lug" will be made from paper clips. ("Lug" is in quotes for reasons that will be made clear in due time.)
- Recovery will be by splitting in half to guarantee tumbling. Perhaps I'll find something in the office to make a streamer out of, but I think it will survive without that.
- Shock chord holding the halves together will be rubber bands.
- It will fly naked, to make the material choices plain.
Watch this space.