Pringles Can Help- One solution post 7

[BABAR]

Pringles canisters seem logical candidates for rocketry use. One problem I am having is that the inside coating is super slick. This is great for keeping a smooth surface to slide the parachute out the front, but makes it really hard to attach anything on the inside. I have tried sandpaper and a file to "rough up" the inside (I am using it as a ring fin, so attachments have to be inside.)
Any creative ideas?

 

[d11rok]

You can carve into the Pringles can all you want...but for the love of god and all things holy...DO NOT POP!! else you may be building for a long time and/or building multiple Pringles can rockets

Now to actually answer your question, although I have never been in this situation and likely dont know what I'm talking about. How about wrapping the inside with a heavy piece of paper? should provide the surface with a non-slick contact

 

[Gary Byrum]

I have a bunch of those and the cans are lined with some kind of aluminum/foil. When I use a Planter's P-Nut can for a build, it had that liner also. I cut that out down to the cardboard and relined it with some 110# card stock I had. Perfect! It's a PIA to do all that though. You're gonna need to strip that liner where you glue anything though.

 

[MCriscione]

I've got 4 cans lined up right now for a possible future build too. I'd be interested in knowing what you find works and what doesn't.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

I built a rocket from nut cans. For the areas where I needed to glue, I peeled out the liner. The cans were coupled with other cans slit and the outside shiny printed layer was peeled off.

 

[dk54321]

Could you slot the can for a thru-the-wall attachment? Just cut the fin/strut (the part that connects the ring fin to the body tube) with a tab equal to the can thickness so it's flush with the outside of the can.

 

[BABAR]

Through the wall might work, although would kind of mess up the smooth outer contour of the can.
I discovered that if you take a soldering iron, you can melt off the inside layer and expose the cardboard underneath. Surprisingly it doesn't really burn the cardboard (guess it would if you held it long enough.) I put a couple of piece of masking tape on each side of the "slot" I wanted to expose. It's a little slow, but it works well.

 

[AlfaBrewer]

I'll try to remember to post some pictures when I get home, but my nephew built a rocket using a Pringles can, CDs for the fins, and a Coke bottle for the nose. If I remember correctly, he did TTW fins.

 

[manixFan]

This is one I helped my son and his friend build. It had over 2 dozen flights on it before it pranged when the 'nose cone' stuck. All Elmers wood glue, foam core centering rings and foam core surface mounted fins. You can see the metallic liner is still there but is pretty sooty. It was a great flyer and always a crowd pleaser. None of the fins ever broke off but the plaster containers did a couple of times. It flew mostly on AT 24mm reloads - low F's.


Tony