Fiberglass 4" Honest John long build

[FlyBy01]

Don't ask me who made this rocket. I ordered it from Gloria at AMW who said she knew a manufacture. My best guess is that it is a Polecat kit but I still don't know so.... Finding a 4" all Fiberglass Honest John is not easy! So here it begins; my daughter that just turned 12 is interested in building a cool dual deploy rocket so here goes nothing. This is going to be my first dual deploy and fiberglass rocket I have done a lot of reading on this forum and several of my fellow club friends are on here and all have both fiberglass dual deploy rockets so when in doubt I'll borrow their experience/ knowledge. Let the build thread begin!

 

[FlyBy01]

The official dry weigh in at 7 lbs and 1.3 ounces.

 

[crossfire]

Nice kit. It's not Pole Cat. How long a go did you buy it?

 

[FlyBy01]

Nice kit. It's not Pole Cat. How long a go did you buy it?

Just received it this week.

 

[FlyBy01]

No screw in the assembly so the plan is to use 80 grit, forged 1/4" in. eyebolt with nuts and washers all roughed up and sealed in with Rocket Poxy. Please feel free to offer any other methods.

 

[FlyBy01]

The most important thing is the wager of the final weight:
Daughter's guess: 10 lbs.
Mine: 14 lbs.

 

[Sandy H.]

Nice kit. It's not Pole Cat. How long a go did you buy it?

Based on what other threads are saying, if it shipped USPS and he got it this week, I'd guess 1978? (total joke, obviously, no offense intended.). Looking forward to seeing who wins the final weight wager!

Sandy.

 

[Tim51]

Cool looking project. Interested to see how you configure DD with the HoJo. Subscribed!

 

[FlyBy01]

Composite Warehouse Inc., Greensburg, PA, was on the shipping label.

 

[Theory]

then its likely a composite warehouse kit ; - )

all kidding aside, i am looking forward to this one.

FWIW, i am not a fan of roughing up FG with high grit sand paper. there is a fantastic thread on here specific to bonding composites and that is the method i use. lots of cleaning with denatured alcohol, 220 grit paper, more cleaning, and a good epoxy.

--- https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...our-government-doesnt-want-you-to-know.58389/ ---

my guess for the final weight is 10 pounds 6.35oz.

for finishing, are you going with olive drab green, or the white / orange / black?

have fun!!!

 

[Ez2cDave]

Composite Warehouse Inc., Greensburg, PA, was on the shipping label.

aka . . . Curtis Turner

https://www.compositewarehouse.com

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/composite-warehouse-hey-guys-is-this-a-new-curtis-turner-website-business-or-does-someone-else-own-it-now.160932

Dave F.

 

[Brent]

The kit was a Madcow kit a few years back. Curtis made the kits for Madcow.

 

[FlyBy01]

The kit was a Madcow kit a few years back. Curtis made the kits for Madcow.

Correct; Gloria at AMW was able to motivate Curtis to deliver. Thank you again Gloria if you read this!

 

[FlyBy01]

Looking for opinions/ ideas for mounting the harness mount/eyebolt into the nose cone. My idea is listed below:

1. Rough up the area with 220 grit
2. Clean the area with 91% Isopropyl and lint free shop towel
3. Use 1/4X20 welded eyebolt with nuts and washers (sanded for adhesion)
4. mix 20 ish grams of RocketPoxy
5. Goop up the eyebolt washers and nuts stack and sink it into the nosecone tip

 

[Theory]

Going to want more of a mechanical anchor than the tried and true molecular bond there.

John Coker has a video where he used metal rods. That was a plastic nose cone and shot, but the same principles would work well here.

 

[teepot]

For a mechanical hold I use 1/16th brass rod. I put the rods in first, then the shot/BB's . Then the eye bolt. Shake to settle the bolt then add the epoxy.

 

[FlyBy01]

Going to want more of a mechanical anchor than the tried and true molecular bond there.

John Coker has a video where he used metal rods. That was a plastic nose cone and shot, but the same principles would work well here.

I saw that one and will have to work this into the plan. I'm thinking about building this as a mock L3 build just for the experience minus the official TAP approval and I only plan to fly on L1 and L2 motors. Nose weight and stability are not an issue so lead shot I have mixed emotions on. I was thinking mechanical rods you guys mentioned with the nuts and washers that intersect the nuts and washers locking in the eyebolt mechanically and molecular.

 

[FlyBy01]

It's been awhile due to work travel and moving to a new house etc. I have told the kids that this is the only rocket on the build pile and I cannot buy a new rocket until this one is complete.

Step 1 this week is to clean my build area and give the Honest John a bath. Look for pictures by Friday or leave me a Where's the rocket p@$n below

Step 2 will be parts inventory

 

[FlyBy01]

3,978 grams or 8 lbs 12.32 oz total not including electronics.
Step 1 Complete
a. Clean work area
b. inventory parts on hand

Parts on hand:
1. Honest John Rocket
2. Strato Logger altimeters and hardware
4. fresh 9v batteries
1. complete Level 2 Parachute system from Rocket-Man (7ft. main; 2 ft. drouge; kevlar harness; all other hardware)
5 yards of tubular kevlar for rocket harness
1. Lab Rat dual switch pin activation
Plenty of Rocket Poxy

Items needed:

1. motor retainer
2. rail buttons
1. stainless eyebolt
2. Avbay lids
1. Sticker shock set

 

[Theory]

Good to see this build back up and moving forward

 

[FlyBy01]

Measured 300 times and cut once. Probably not 300 times but fewer mistakes are better. Thank you Theory for talking over the addition of a third centering ring to this rocket. After grinding rocket poxy last time I was much more conservative on bonding the Kevlar harness to the motor tube.

 

[Theory]

Cool deal

 

[FlyBy01]

I got the COVID for Christmas so rocket building on new year's eve.

1. Used a small hobby file on the fin slots and with a little work the fins fit nicely. I also number the fin slots to each fin to keep things consistent.

2. I tapped the fin area to protect it from epoxy; I learned the hard way with a the use of a dremel tool once on why to tape.

3. This step was to just secure the centering ring and ensure the epoxy is secured to the kevlar harness above and below the centering ring. I used a square to ensure the a level centering ring.

 

[user 35280]

Don't ask me who made this rocket. I ordered it from Gloria at AMW who said she knew a manufacture. My best guess is that it is a Polecat kit but I still don't know so.... Finding a 4" all Fiberglass Honest John is not easy! So here it begins; my daughter that just turned 12 is interested in building a cool dual deploy rocket so here goes nothing. This is going to be my first dual deploy and fiberglass rocket I have done a lot of reading on this forum and several of my fellow club friends are on here and all have both fiberglass dual deploy rockets so when in doubt I'll borrow their experience/ knowledge. Let the build thread begin!

Is it this kit?
https://www.fusionrocket.biz/store-2/?model_number=HOJO

 

[FlyBy01]

The two micro-switches are from Lab Rat Rocketry and the X-Sled was a print from thingiverse.com. 3D Print avionics sled is 100% infill PETG.

 

[FlyBy01]

Is it this kit?
https://www.fusionrocket.biz/store-2/?model_number=HOJO

No; the SBR is not a fiberglass kit.
This is a custom Composite Warehouse kit that use to be sold through Madcow Rocketry. I ordered it through AMW and Gloria was able to get this kit made for me by composite warehouse.

 

[Brent]

No; the SBR is not a fiberglass kit.
This is a custom Composite Warehouse kit that use to be sold through Madcow Rocketry. I ordered it through AMW and Gloria was able to get this kit made for me by composite warehouse.

It is also listed on the Composite Warehouse Site now. Pretty sure it was one of the Black Friday specials.

 

[FlyBy01]

It is also listed on the Composite Warehouse Site now. Pretty sure it was one of the Black Friday specials.

Mine didn’t come with all that is listed! It would be nice if it did and is the reason I do not recommend this kit. I have had to order a lot of the items listed on the Composite Warehouse website that are supposed to come with the kit. I personally like wildman kits better.

 

[Highpowerrocketyahoo]

Based on what other threads are saying, if it shipped USPS and he got it this week, I'd guess 1978? (total joke, obviously, no offense intended.). Looking forward to seeing who wins the final weight wager!

Sandy.

Lololol

 

[Highpowerrocketyahoo]

Looking good!