My worst noob mistake yet... motor retainer in backwards. Help!

[Igotnothing]

Keep that as your worst mistake and you will make everyone else a fool.

OK. Not everyone, but most of us.

Some of us?

Just a few.

Fine. Me and one other dude to be named later.

 

[cerving]

The first time you forget to put BP in the charge wells and watch your rocket plummet to an early grave you'll realize that any correctable error that you make during assembly pales by comparison...

 

[AfterBurners]

I don't know about the rest of you, but everything I do is perfect!! :roll:

 

[Steve Shannon]

The first time you forget to put BP in the charge wells and watch your rocket plummet to an early grave you'll realize that any correctable error that you make during assembly pales by comparison...

Or forget to arm electronics... [emoji35]

 

[K'Tesh]

Or forget to arm electronics... [emoji35]

Or forget to securely tape the nosecone on a zipperless design, only to see it, and the recovery bay both pop off, leaving the parachute stuck inside. I got lucky on that one though. At the last possible second the parachute managed to pull out and deploy just before the rocket would have impacted.

Which reminds me... When I get back to the US, I need to verify if I still need to tape that nosecone in place.

 

[michigander]

or forget to glue the retainer on , and loose a loki 38/480 case

 

[gerbs4me]

Here's a couple of cheap torches that I keep around the shop for small detailed projects.
View attachment 292742View attachment 292743

Those torches work great!

 

[AlfaBrewer]

Or forget to arm electronics... [emoji35]

...and lose a rocket, two altimeters, and a motor case (Loki 38/480).

 

[ActingLikeAKid]

You know, this thread has inspired me. I can't decide where I want to put this post - maybe in the watering hole, maybe in Techniques .... but here's a thought: I think there should be a thread of "I MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE....and here's what I did, here's how you can avoid it, and here's how you can try to recover if you do something similar."

This is the second "big screwup" I've done. The first was putting lacquer over enamel. Obviously, the "I forgot to arm/pack/attach/etc" stuff is often less recoverable and more "what a lovely pile of fiberglass and kevlar". But I think it would be great for there to be a "Learn from my mistakes" thread...

Thoughts?

 

[neil_w]

Yes, that would be a good thread. I had a similar thought.

 

[DEmery]

or forget to glue the retainer on , and loose a loki 38/480 case

I resemble that remark. I lost a 3 grain 54 CTI casing this last weekend from this. Caught it on video, too. I just say the "scientific payload" was ejected.

 

[glenbo]

Great thread. Should call it Confessions of a Rocketeer. Last week at NYPOWER 20 I loaded my Madcow AGM 33 Pike 5.5 with a CTI M1830 C Star & took it to 8528ft. Everything looked great until I saw my booster free fall to the ground while everything else came down by chutes. Then I saw the closed quick link on my shock cord & realilized I forgot to connect the drogue harness to the booster. Popped a fore fin & sheared an aft fin. Surprised there was not more damage after a free fall like that.Duh, I felt so stupid. But the good news is I will only do it once.