Full Balsa Rocket

[CoachSteve]

I have not done a build thread in a while so I thought I would try something a little different.
Its probably been done before but I am enjoying the project

3" 24mm low power rocket made from as little cardboard as possible.
Here is goes

First is the airframe
start with this

Use this to make a bunch of perfect 3" circles from 1/4x3 balsa

Ending up with these

Then make a jig to cut 9 notches in each ring

So now I have these

Very carefully with a hole saw

Dang that was a of of work but now I have these

More to come

 

[neil_w]

 

[SecondRow]

Subscribed. I can't wait to see the main “body tube”.

 

[mbeels]

Cool! This looks like a fun project, looks very nice so far!

 

[K'Tesh]

I'm in...

 

[lakeroadster]

Model Airplane Meets Model Rocket... way cool!

 

[CoachSteve]

did a bit more work tonight

cool

 

[CoachSteve]

looking like its going to be pretty light too

 

[SecondRow]

Oh, this is going to be cool.

 

[CoachSteve]

since the nose cone was in the last pict - here is the build of that

 

[Hobie1dog]

In some of my old rocket magazines, there was a husband and wife team that made all Balsa Rockets but I cannot remember what the name of the company was

 

[lakeroadster]

I wonder how well the rocket would fly if you just flew it in the "bare bones" configuration, just the nose cone, the spars and some fins?

 

[Scott_650]

I wonder how well the rocket would fly if you just flew it in the "bare bones" configuration, just the nose cone, the spars and some fins?

Rocketarium has different versions of their Rebel rockets - pretty much a motor tube with a balsa or light ply frame

https://www.rocketarium.com/index.p...dvanced_search_result&search_in_description=1

 

[lakeroadster]

I saw this today... and thought of this build. It's a 1917 Roland D.VI.

Speaking of which.. @CoachSteve ... are you planning to use something like a spar urethane as a coating?

 

[CoachSteve]

The current plan is 1/32 Balsa skin - the nose cone above is done this way
I think I will stain and then clear coat for a unique look.

 

[Rktman]

This is going to be good! Subscribed.

 

[CoachSteve]

Built the internal "laundry chute" today - hoping this will add strength to the airframe, allow the chute to slide out easy and help contain the PB blast from possibly blowing out the outer skin.

Nose cone shoulder, outer skin and Fins to go.
Finished rocket wll be ~3" x 37" tip to tail

 

[neil_w]

Impressive. How hard was it applying the skin to the interior?

 

[SeanW78]

Impressive. How hard was it applying the skin to the interior?

Inquiring minds want to know. I'm assuming dampen thin balsa sheet, roll, glue, slide in.

 

[CoachSteve]

so - I measured the inner diameter and overall length needed - glued 1/32 balsa sheets together - curled the dried sheet into a 3.5" mailing tube - rolled up a sheet of posterboard - put it inside the packing tube to "unroll" and press against the balsa over night (I was going to wet it if this didn't work). 24 hours later I removed the balsa from the mailing tube, it now had a descent curve to it - gently rolled it up, slid it into the frame, used a smaller mailing tube to press against the sides (inside the now inner balsa tube) until the seam no longer overlapped (said in my head "I cant believe that worked" ). then glued the seam and around each frame ring. To be honest, I had to remove the balsa sheet 3 times trimming the width of the sheet ever so slightly until I had the diameter right so the seam would not overlap. bit tedious but cool now

 

[CoachSteve]

I just noticed that one of my 1/32 sheets for the outer skin is damaged, going to have to see where I can get some more (I ordered all the wood from Balsa Machining Service, love those guys, but i dont want to pay $12 shipping for 2 $3 sheets of balsa - hope somewhere local carries it). This will delay the outer skinning. but I need to make a nose shoulder and fins too so more to come.

 

[JohnCoker]

Very cool project; it reminds me of old school R/C airplane construction.

 

[Daddyisabar]

When you just use spars you tend to get silly oddrocs like rack rockets or things with all the motors up front.

 

[lakeroadster]

I just noticed that one of my 1/32 sheets for the outer skin is damaged, going to have to see where I can get some more (I ordered all the wood from Balsa Machining Service, love those guys, but i dont want to pay $12 shipping for 2 $3 sheets of balsa - hope somewhere local carries it). This will delay the outer skinning. but I need to make a nose shoulder and fins too so more to come.

Our local True Value has balsa and basswood sheets and blocks... you might check yours to see if they carry them?

Your rocket "visually" remind me of old school water pipes that were made from wood... don't know if you've ever seen those before?

 

[SecondRow]

Our local True Value has balsa and basswood sheets and blocks... you might check yours to see if they carry them.

You can also try Hobby Lobby. I picked up a 1/32” sheet from there and used it to replace the cardstock skins on my Estes shuttle.

 

[lakeroadster]

You can also try Hobby Lobby. I picked up a 1/32” sheet from there and used it to replace the cardstock skins on my Estes shuttle.

No Hobby Lobby in my neck of the woods..

 

[mbeels]

Your rocket "visually" remind me of old school water pipes that were made from wood... don't know if you've ever seen those before?

Random, un-related diversion (with apologies to CoachSteve), the Chase logo comes from wooden pipes laid in the 1800s to supply water to Manhattan. There is some interesting history and controversy around those wooden pipes.

https://aqueduct.org/article/historic-wooden-water-pipes-unearthed

 

[gerbs4me]

Very cool project!

 

[Senior Space Cadet]

Holy crap! You are ambitious. Skilled too.
I bought materials for an all balsa rocket, a while back, but it's going to be far less complicated than yours.
I got as far as cutting out the main panels, then put all my building on hold.
Really looking forward to your finished rocket.

 

[CoachSteve]

bits for home made 3-ply balsa plywood (1/32x1/8x1/32) should make for some stout light weight fins.