Can plasticine be used for NC weight?

[snrkl]

Anyone here had any experience using plasticine as NC weight? I'm 15g light for a model I want to fly this weekend and I'm having trouble finding non hardening modelling clay at the local hobby/craft/art supply stores.

 

[ksaves2]

Anyone here had any experience using plasticine as NC weight? I'm 15g light for a model I want to fly this weekend and I'm having trouble finding non hardening modelling clay at the local hobby/craft/art supply stores.

If the rocket is so light, why do you want a temporary nose weight solution? What is the rocket configuration? Balsa NC? Hollow plastic?, Hollow FG?
Use some heavy washers behind the eyebolt on a Balsa NC and I do epoxy and shot inside of a hollow nosecone of other materials.

A quick tip on stubby rockets with 2.5" diameter or greater diameter tube size. Cut a bulkhead for the NC shoulder say 3/8" or greater thickness but first drill
a 1/2" hole or greater in the center before you cut the outside diameter. Think of it as a "centering ring" of sorts for a nosecone. Now leave enough web distance so you can screw in an eyebolt off to the side of the "bulkhead with a hole in it, centering ring like thingie". That's to attach your harness cord. Next epoxy the
bulkhead in the NC shoulder. So now you have a secure bulkhead with an eyebolt off to the side with a hole in it. Through this hole you can dump shot and epoxy for noseweight for short, stubby rocket. Do a best guess and you can always pour more. As a side benefit on REALLY short rockets, you can stuff in some of the shockcord into any left over space in the nosecone. Leaves more space for "chute" in your shortened stubby rocket tube. I'll do a picture of my small
Wildman Jart when I get home.

The other thing is if the rocket has a hard landing and "jars" your weight mass loose, you just dump a little laminating epoxy in again, slather it around and keep the thing nose down till it cures. Now it's secure again! Kurt

 

[Lowpuller]

Try Walmart they always have clay. Sculpey from the craft store will work as well, just don't bake it.

 

[snrkl]

Try Walmart they always have clay. Sculpey from the craft store will work as well, just don't bake it.

I would but the $3000 return airfare to the US might be a little hard to explain to my partner!!

😜

 

[Steve Shannon]

I don't think that Walmart exist in Australia. Plasticine should be just fine. I always thought it was modeling clay but it looks as if some plasticine hardens by drying. Once it does, if it's the correct mass, just epoxy the dried clump back in place.


Steve Shannon

 

[rharshberger]

Yes, plasticine (non-drying/hardening modeling clay) can be used and is the same stuff or at least similar to the stuff Estes uses.

https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...gglMAE&usg=AFQjCNGEcol5KmVdqDWUa2I8nQ1QusUVBw

 

[snrkl]

Thanks all - having a brand name to search for like "sculpey" also helps. I've tracked some of that down at a local craft shop...

 

[rharshberger]

Thanks all - having a brand name to search for like "sculpey" also helps. I've tracked some of that down at a local craft shop...

The cheap block of non-drying modeling clay found at most craft stores that has several bars of different colors is great for nose weight, I have used the same block for many years (only some of it for rocketry) mostly for plugging screw hole while glass bedding gunstocks.

 

[gpoehlein]

Sculpy is polymer clay - designed to be shaped and then baked. Plasticine is your classic oil based modelling clay that never hardens even if heated. Plasticine is essentially what Estes has included in their kits for nose weight when heavier weights were not needed (I have a Colonial Viper kit that came with a couple of lead washers). Not sure, but I suspect that polymer clay is not as dense as plasticine, which would require less clay, plus polymer clay is a lot more expensive. Go with the plasticine clay - if worse comes to worse, you can even embed a foshong sinker or two in it if more weight is needed.

 

[Zeus-cat]

I would but the $3000 return airfare to the US might be a little hard to explain to my partner!!

��

Just say its for rockets; you really shouldn't need any more explanation than that. :flyingpig:

 

[snrkl]

Just say its for rockets; you really shouldn't need any more explanation than that. :flyingpig:

Roflmao...

 

[snrkl]

Sculpy is polymer clay - designed to be shaped and then baked. Plasticine is your classic oil based modelling clay that never hardens even if heated. Plasticine is essentially what Estes has included in their kits for nose weight when heavier weights were not needed (I have a Colonial Viper kit that came with a couple of lead washers). Not sure, but I suspect that polymer clay is not as dense as plasticine, which would require less clay, plus polymer clay is a lot more expensive. Go with the plasticine clay - if worse comes to worse, you can even embed a foshong sinker or two in it if more weight is needed.

I bought some sculpey and discovered all the things you mentioned. More expensive and not as dense.

Once I've used up 50g I bought, I'll try plasticine next time.