Our first father/son rocket build

[Kehoes23]

I've been waiting a long time for this day and it finally arrived. I'm putting the big daddy kit together and my son is putting the other two together. Even though it was only an hour of rocket building, it was the greatest hour, just me and my son building and talking rockets. I have photos of the build and will post when I have a chance.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Awesome to hear.

 

[Kehoes23]

Reading the instructions to see what's next. The big daddy is all dry fit, nothing glued yet.

 

[Kehoes23]

He opted out of filling in the tube line and sealing the fins, I think it's the excitement of his first rocket build and doesn't have the patience yet to do the extra steps yet.

Reading the instructions to see what's next. The big daddy is all dry fit, nothing glued yet.View attachment 554357

 

[Kehoes23]

Got the tube line filled in and two of the four fins sealed. First time using wood filler for this, have to wait and see if it does the job.

 

[bjphoenix]

View attachment 554360
Got the tube line filled in and two of the four fins sealed. First time using wood filler for this, have to wait and see if it does the job.

That will work but you have to be careful sanding it off. It is too easy to sand all the way through and into the balsa. As you sand the filler will appear in spots to become transparent, that's the time to stop sanding. It may be hard to see how smooth the fins are unless you use a magnifier and light from a point source coming from the side, or spray primer on it. I've had a little better luck putting the filler on and then wiping it smooth using an old credit card or gift card.

 

[BABAR]

great That you guys are doing something outdoors and together.

Big Daddy is a very popular and cool rocket with a design flaw (that angled nose cone base) that is fairly easily remedied. It seems to be the most well known for lawn darting of any kit out there.

here is one solution I shamelessly steal from @Back_at_it

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...ow-of-hands-please.131851/page-6#post-2344719see post 160.

if making a bulkhead is too tough for you with equipment at hand, do the same cut off the angled part of cone as above. Leave as much “normal” shoulder as you can.

Now take say a 1/4 or 3/8 inch Dowel or even a regular number 2 pencil. Sand the inside othe nose cone where you will make your holes. Drill two holes straight through from one side of cone to other, just large enough to get the dowel or pencil across. Glue it inside at both holes, no glue outside (if you use a dowel and the fit is snug, polyurethane glue will work, if the fit is loose it may sneak into the crack and get outside surface. Kind of a pain in the butt, but not a huge deal.)

once inside glue is dry, cut off the outer piece as close to plastic as you can, then sand the remaining protuberances until flush. Use wood filler or gap filler of choice to make it smooth.

use this for your shock cord attachment.

hope you get great flights.

 

[Kehoes23]

Thank you for the advice and tips. Been really busy with work and my son has been busy with school, we are planning more rocket building this weekend.

 

[Paul Howard]

That's pretty cool you and your kid making rockets together!

 

[Paul Howard]

great That you guys are doing something outdoors and together.

Big Daddy is a very popular and cool rocket with a design flaw (that angled nose cone base) that is fairly easily remedied. It seems to be the most well known for lawn darting of any kit out there.

here is one solution I shamelessly steal from @Back_at_it

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...ow-of-hands-please.131851/page-6#post-2344719see post 160.

if making a bulkhead is too tough for you with equipment at hand, do the same cut off the angled part of cone as above. Leave as much “normal” shoulder as you can.

Now take say a 1/4 or 3/8 inch Dowel or even a regular number 2 pencil. Sand the inside othe nose cone where you will make your holes. Drill two holes straight through from one side of cone to other, just large enough to get the dowel or pencil across. Glue it inside at both holes, no glue outside (if you use a dowel and the fit is snug, polyurethane glue will work, if the fit is loose it may sneak into the crack and get outside surface. Kind of a pain in the butt, but not a huge deal.)

once inside glue is dry, cut off the outer piece as close to plastic as you can, then sand the remaining protuberances until flush. Use wood filler or gap filler of choice to make it smooth.

use this for your shock cord attachment.

hope you get great flights.

Just curios, I have an Estes "Doorknob" kit waiting to be built, I'm guessing it's the same nose cone? Is the Doorknob known for the same problem?

 

[BABAR]

Just curios, I have an Estes "Doorknob" kit waiting to be built, I'm guessing it's the same nose cone? Is the Doorknob known for the same problem?

Dunno, never built it, but i suspect someone will chime in.

 

[CoolRockets]

My first rocket kit was the tandem x launch set, and I still have both rockets (amazingly) I hope your son has both rockets far into the future as well

 

[BDB]

I love everything about this post. Rocketry is a great activity to do WITH your kids.

 

[neil_w]

Got the tube line filled in and two of the four fins sealed. First time using wood filler for this, have to wait and see if it does the job.

Generally I would say that is a very thick layer of filler, and it's gonna leave you a lot of sanding. Try for a thinner layer... I usually squeegee off excess with my fingers after applying.

 

[Kehoes23]

Unfortunately I had to work this past weekend, so we didn't get a chance to do anymore rocket building.

 

[CoolRockets]

Oh so unfortunate, having to work a weekend AND not build rockets with anyone is a very sad feeling

 

[Kehoes23]

Using 220 sand paper, got everything sanded smoothly.

 

[Kehoes23]

Using a scrap pice of balsa wood, I was able to glue the motor tube inside the airframe.

 

[Kehoes23]

Shock cord is ready to be glued in place. I'm going to mix the woodfiller dust (from the sanded fins) with the glue to make fillets.

 

[Kehoes23]

Got all 4 fins tacked on using a thin layer of wood glue. Next will be internal fillets and aft centering ring.

 

[Kehoes23]

Got all the internal fillets done, the aft centering ring glued on. Now would be a good time to think about the color scheme.

 

[CoolRockets]

Very cool, my own big daddy won’t fly anymore but it still looks awesome! Even though it has survived multiple nose dives