Busted launch

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JSvolfan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
236
Reaction score
1
Me my 9 year old and 5 year old son went to launch rockets in the local soccer field. My 9 year old was so excited. I gave him his rockets and the launch rod. He took about ten steps into the field and fell and when he did he broke the roll pin that holds the two sections of Estes rod together. I think I am lucky he did not poke his eye out. I think next time I will buy a rod at home depot and carry it myself. The kids were upset but I smoothed it over by telling them I would take them out tommorow after I get a new rod. Boy kids are fun.

Have any of you guys had a similar experience?
 
a snug fit!
i got mine together, but it doesn't want to come apart

hope you have a bette routing tomorrow!
 
Originally posted by JSvolfan
Me my 9 year old and 5 year old son went to launch rockets in the local soccer field. My 9 year old was so excited. I gave him his rockets and the launch rod. He took about ten steps into the field and fell and when he did he broke the roll pin that holds the two sections of Estes rod together. I think I am lucky he did not poke his eye out. I think next time I will buy a rod at home depot and carry it myself. The kids were upset but I smoothed it over by telling them I would take them out tommorow after I get a new rod. Boy kids are fun.

Have any of you guys had a similar experience?

I'm glad everyone's okay! You got me scared when I was reading " He took about ten steps into the field and fell and when he did he broke ..."

Phew.
 
Glad to hear no one was hurt. My estes rod required quite a bit of sanding to make the two sections line up very well. It's still not perfect but just ok. The larger maxi rod however for c11's and d's has a much better finish.
 
Glad no one was hurt!

Rods are so cheap that it's worth having some around the house for reaming out motors.

Always good to see when parents bring out their kids!
 
I thought this was going to be an ATF story by the title. Glad your son is OK.
 
Originally posted by JSvolfan
next time I will buy a rod at home depot and carry it myself.

Glad no one was injured!

While you're at Rocket Depot, swing by the PVC section and look in the
scrap bin for a 5 foot piece of 1/2" Schedule 40 pipe. Then grab two matching
caps. Makes a great launch rod storage / transporter / eye protector.

Even if you don't score with a scrap piece and have to buy a full 10' pipe, the
total cost is less then $2.50!

If want to splurge, go for a threaded cap on one end. :)
 
I like the eye protector idea, I think I will do that. Better safe than sorry.
 
O.K. we tried to launch again today. I went down to home depot and got a piece of 1/8"x 4 feet rod to replace broken launch rod from yesterday.

We launched many rockets, here's a list.
Quest rockets: aerobee high, penetrator, nike smoke.
Estes rockets: shuttle express, fat boy, 220 swift, patriot.

I took my two sons plus one of the neigboor kids. The last time I took the neigboors son he liked so much that he got a rocket of his own and shot it this time.

Here is a photo of new launch rod and eye protection device.
Thanks for the advice.
 
I took my two sons plus one of the neigboor kids. The last time I took the neigboors son he liked so much that he got a rocket of his own and shot it this time.

That's what creates little rocketeers!!! The neighbour's son took hook, line, and sinker!!! :D
 
Glad fun was had by one and all. Sounds like you are starting a nice fleet.
 
Originally posted by JSvolfan
I took my two sons plus one of the neigboor kids. The last time I took the neigboors son he liked so much that he got a rocket of his own and shot it this time.

Here is a photo of new launch rod and eye protection device.
Thanks for the advice.

Oh man, that neighborhood kid is *very* fortunate to be a part of your rocketry excursion! Most kids will never see anything other than the T.V. screen and a video game controller! That's cool that you brought another young one along.
 
JSvolfan,
I will join the chorus of folks who have said they are glad no one was seriously hurt.
Those Estes launch rods are handy for packing into small boxes. And that's about it. They break if you bump the rod the wrong way, sometimes if you just look at it wrong.
Go to your local hobby shop (one that is fully stocked with balsa, spruce, and model airplane building supplies) and look for a piece of 'music wire'
Music wire is tempered steel and is much stronger/stiffer than the soft iron rod that the hardware store sells ('round rod'). It comes in three-foot lengths and in many diameters. You should be able to find 1/8th inch with no problem. While you are at it you should get a piece of 3/16 and 1/4 too.
Since it is in one piece, there is no weak spot in the middle. There are no edges to align, or to snag a launch lug. Being hard-tempered, it may have some burrs at the ends----you will want to use a file to trim them off.
Mostly, if you have kids at your launch, you should seriously consider buying/making/adapting a launcher that stands up off the ground (like on a tripod). There are several advantages, like it is easier to hook up igniters without crawling around on the ground. There is a big reduction in the hazard of motor sparks spitting off into the grass and causing a launch-site fire. Mostly, a launcher base that is three or four feet off the ground means that the tip of a three-foot launch rod is over the heads of just about everyone.
Otherwise, with a launcher on the ground, when kids get excited and run back to the launch site, the rod tip is dangerous. It is forgotten (momentarily), nearly invisible, and at the perfect height to poke into a child's face. I won't tell you how many times I have bent over a launcher, knowing the rod was there, and poked myself anyway.
 
I have never had a problem with the rods coming apart. I didn't realize this is why people dont like the 1/16th rods. I thoughti t was because the two sections didnt line up perfectly. I had a hell of a time getting them together, and they sure arent coming apart!! :) The maxi rod is much more finely machined, but was still hard to get together.
 
Back
Top