Lesson you have learned the hard way

[Huxter]

Yup, a few smokers have learned that lesson the hard way.

That's how I start camp fires! (High flash point)

Another lesson - gasoline melts (quickly) thru Styrofoam!

 

[Daddyisabar]

You will eventually push the envelope too far. Especially if the really tough RSO is on vacation in Europe. Eggs need some sort of stabilization. Power and nose weight don't solve all of your problems. School of hard knocks.

 

[DigBaddy]

When starting short nails, hold them with a pliers, not your fingers.

 

[Neutronium95]

Always, always, always make the backup charge larger than the primary when doing redundant dual deploy. Even if you ground tested and the charge size seemed plenty big enough.

This is the best explanation I have for why my Mach 2 came in ballistic at BALLS last year. My best guess is that the ejection charges weren't big enough, despite the same charge size providing a very vigorous separation in a ground test a few hours before flying. When I excavated the rocket from the playa, both apogee charges appeared to have fired, but it never separated.

 

[alexzogh]

Always, always check your snap rings for damage and proper seating....


or you may poop out your grains all over the field....

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

I neglected to double check the o-ring size! And then still put it on the wrong end, duh!
View attachment 562545
It was my favorite PML bull puppy. I was soo pissed I threw the rocket away. But whats worse is - look at the serial number.

Stupid me, I had flown that case many times. Why, why, why, did I not put it on a shelf???????????????????

 

[cwbullet]

Stupid me, I had flown that case many times. Why, why, why, did I not put it on a shelf???????????????????

I think we have all asked that question before.

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

Always, always check your snap rings for damage and proper seating....
View attachment 562600

or you may poop out your grains all over the field....

View attachment 562601

Ahrghhh, that sucks!

 

[terryg]

Always remove any shunts that you have used to test your altimeter.....

 

[MALBAR 70]

If you have a Firefly or P-nut altimeter, tie something large and bright to it. When they fall off the prep table, they are impossible to find in the grass.

 

[terryg]

Always check the parachute folding on that rocket that you ran out of time to launch at the previous launch ....

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Always put the tracker in the bird that you can never lose.

If you put it in, you won't need it. If you leave it out, that's when you need it. Found this out at the Rembert field on a flight only predicted to go
1500'. Whipped off the rail and went into the western trees. 4" fiberglass rocket and 38/720 case.

 

[Lugnut56]

Remember which rockets you've left the engine block out of because you're using a screw-on engine retainer and you'll be able to tell. First flight of my Super BB just made it off the rod and did extensive burn damage to the motor mount. I thought it got hung up on the rod and didn't discover what happened until several months later when I finally got around to repairing the damage. I think the MM tube was a little tight and I thought it had come against the engine block.

 

[Worsaer]

Riley’s law of inverse apparatus: When you need slotted, all you can find is Philips. When you need 7/16, all you can find is 1/2. It works on so many levels.

Application: when you think you need one at the pad, take both.

 

[KenECoyote]

When starting short nails, hold them with a pliers, not your fingers.

You know that hammers are variable speed, right?

Haha! Sorry, I couldn't resist and admittedly I've whacked my fingers before with a hammer, however I recently gifted my daughter a tool set for her first apartment and taught her to tap the nail gently to start it and then increase the impact as it sets.

 

[KenECoyote]

ALWAYS keep your mouth SHUT when...

• Seeing politics on a hobby forum that you like and is neutral.
• Cleaning a toilet.

You're welcome.

 

[crossfire]

That helps will all electronics.

Yes you are right forsure.

 

[Cape Byron]

JIS screwdrivers work on Phillips head screws.

Phillips head drivers will chew out your JIS screws.

That Suzuki carburettor from the 1970s you are working on does not have Phillips head screws. Check out the dimple.

 

[MALBAR 70]

JIS screwdrivers work on Phillips head screws.

Phillips head drivers will chew out your JIS screws.

That Suzuki carburettor from the 1970s you are working on does not have Phillips head screws. Check out the dimple.

View attachment 562712

Thanks, my curiosity got the better of me and I ended up going down a rabbit hole. I learned way more than I wanted to about fasteners.
It was fascinating.

 

[KenECoyote]

If you befriend someone and you start seeing warning signs ("I drop people from my life"; "I get really mad sometimes and I don't know why", "everyone (else) is an idiot", "can I borrow some more money", etc.), just don't.

 

[cwbullet]

A great deal often isn’t such a great deal.

 

[ed_w]

Always, always, always make the backup charge larger than the primary when doing redundant dual deploy. Even if you ground tested and the charge size seemed plenty big enough.

This is the best explanation I have for why my Mach 2 came in ballistic at BALLS last year. My best guess is that the ejection charges weren't big enough, despite the same charge size providing a very vigorous separation in a ground test a few hours before flying. When I excavated the rocket from the playa, both apogee charges appeared to have fired, but it never separated.

I remember reading on a couple of other threads about black powder charges not working well, or maybe not at all, at high altitudes, beginning somewhere between 20,000 to 30,000 feet and higher, due to low air pressure affecting the way the powder burns. These were threads about two or three stage rockets aiming for 100,000 feet plus. They also described problems with igniting the upper stages at these altitudes.

 

[smstachwick]

Double-check the delay. C6-7s are not for everything, as 10-year-old me found out several times.

Don’t use hot glue. I lost a Big Daddy to this one, the motor mount got shunted up into the nose and I was never able to get the rocket open again. Learned that one at about 12.

Do not rely on OpenRocket for your CG calculation.

I wish I had gotten video of this flight, which went on a B6-0 / B6-6 stack. Clearly my nose weight was insufficient, as the thing pitched to a shallow nose-down angle about 100 ft off the pad, staged, then became stable and shot itself south of the access road. I thought I had lost it until another attendee spotted it and helped me track it down.

View attachment 532727

It impacted at a moderate angle and a high velocity, possibly under power, hitting fin-first and also scraping up the nose. Only one small fragment of the impacted fin was recovered.

 

[cwbullet]

There is such a thing as too much 2-part foam.

 

[Neutronium95]

I remember reading on a couple of other threads about black powder charges not working well, or maybe not at all, at high altitudes, beginning somewhere between 20,000 to 30,000 feet and higher, due to low air pressure affecting the way the powder burns. These were threads about two or three stage rockets aiming for 100,000 feet plus. They also described problems with igniting the upper stages at these altitudes.

I'm really not entirely certain why it didn't work. It went to around 15k, or 19k above sea level, but I also flew a rocket higher than that the day before with the exact same style of charges and that worked fine.

 

[smstachwick]

*Bring a table. You can prep a rocket on the ground, but you’re inevitably going to step on it unless you can get it away from your feet.

*Reloads: Make sure the liner is loose. No amount of banging will get your grains in place. Peel the liner to get the fit you want, then grease it.

*Store your in-progress kits securely. Parts damaged or gone missing are always the ones that are a pain to replace.

*No F bombs on the forum

*Bring a binder and 3-hole punch to TARC qualifying. If you lose a scoresheet, that team will not be happy with you.

*Check the tailgate.

*Some ceilings are self-enforcing. If you’re breaking it, be ready for recovery to involve swimming, climbing, or trespassing.

*No, seriously, check the tailgate. Give it a good tug.

*Paint your rockets. The natural browns and whites of wood and paper can be excellent camouflage at some sites.

*Banging noise coming from the truck bed? That is not the range box sliding around and hitting the tailgate, that is the tailgate falling down. Get out and close it. Then double-check it.

*Take the shade tent down before leaving the range for the afternoon. The winds won’t stay in single-digits all day.

*Bring a shovel or a hand trowel. Do you really want to dig your vehicle out of the playa with your bare hands?

*Stay somewhere other than Motel 6.

*Call the vendor to see if they have the stock you want before placing your order.

*Bring some range snacks. Hunger can cut a flying session short if you don’t.

*Sand the rocket before painting it. Unsanded primer will make it looks bumpy or fuzzy.

*Spray waterslide decals with clearcoat. They’re way too fragile when they’re fresh out of the bag.

 

[JohnCoker]

Clean and rough up G10 parts where you're going to bond them.

 

[cwbullet]

Clean and rough up G10 parts where you're going to bond them.

Good tip. Thanks.

 

[ed_w]

I'm really not entirely certain why it didn't work. It went to around 15k, or 19k above sea level, but I also flew a rocket higher than that the day before with the exact same style of charges and that worked fine.

Plus, you said in your original post that both charges seem to have fired. Must have been due to something else, then.

 

[PatD]

Write down your altimeter beep codes. Know what ‘Good’ and ‘Not Good’ sounds like. Ground test some ‘Not Good’ scenarios, like only one initiator connected.

To add.... For me anyway, settle on one brand of altimeter so you know what the beep codes are instead of being mistaken. ☹