@kuririn Had a chance to check with local Fastenals on the SS rod?
Updates...
- Thread starter Ronz Rocketz
- Start date
Help Support The Rocketry Forum:
Not yet. Will take a look today. The website seems geared more for contractors.
It is geared for contractors, but anyone can walk in & buy something.
Whoops, website says only open Mon-Fri.
Grainger also has SS rods, free shipping if you pick up at the local store.
A few years ago I picked up a 1/2" 8 ft. aluminum rod from them. Free shipping!
They must have really eaten it on the postage.
Laters.
Grainger also has SS rods, free shipping if you pick up at the local store.
A few years ago I picked up a 1/2" 8 ft. aluminum rod from them. Free shipping!
They must have really eaten it on the postage.
Laters.
Google says it’s distribution only, no store. Maybe parts can be ordered and picked up there for free.
They have a store on Paa St. in Mapunapuna.
I also picked up a 6 ft. 1010 rail from them a few years earlier than the rod.
Also free shipping with customer pickup at the store.
Don't see how they can make money.
Grainger Honolulu, Hawaii - Branch #561 - Find a Branch - Grainger Industrial Supply
Would a 4’ stainless steel rod 1/8” be less whippy than regular steel?
I’m cleaning the steel rods I have with the Ballistol and sand paper. It seems like it’s mostly carbon scoring from the exhaust.
Exhaust and BP residue is corrosive so it's a good idea to wipe down launch equipment after a launch.
Like cleaning your guns after a day at the range.
Don't know if SS is stiffer than carbon steel or not.
But SS should be more resistant to corrosion.
Like cleaning your guns after a day at the range.
Don't know if SS is stiffer than carbon steel or not.
But SS should be more resistant to corrosion.
Doesn’t seem like a lot of corrosion, mostly guck. Probably mix with the talc I use. I don’t think it messes up too much the accuracy of my rockets. 
Rather than talc-ing the rods, consider giving them a good wipe with wax paper. Makes them nice and slick. I confess I do not know the long-term effects of doing this, although obviously the wax won't hurt the steel.Doesn’t seem like a lot of corrosion, mostly guck. Probably mix with the talc I use. I don’t think it messes up too much the accuracy of my rockets.
Can't remember who originally posted this trick.
I use stainless rods and clean and wax them with car polish after (almost) every session. Most are ~20 years old now...
I’ll try that. I’m trying to avoid oils and liquids.
I haven't had hang ups with the talc. I am fastidious about cleaning my rifle barrels after each trip to the range. Like a glue thread, a common question is how many rounds can I fire before the residue starts affecting the accuracy? Also, how many miles between engine motor changes? The quiklubes say 3000 miles or 3 months but new motor oils say 10000 miles. I split the difference at 5000 (because the math is easy) or wait until the dashboard in my Civic tells me it's time.
Quinstar is done. I had to wait until Estes mailed me a replacement kit because the original was missing a balsa sheet. I coulda papered the panels but sealed instead.
18 or 24 mm?
18mm. I didn't think to make it 24mm.I guess I could pull out the 18mm and leave the BT-50 tube. Next time...
Put a Q Jet D in there and it'll fly like a 24mm.
Father's Day Launches with 1 Astrocam and 3 Altimeters
Check out toward the end of the video for the Ronz Rocketz Giveaway. The t-shirt from the last video is also available.
Happy Father's Day. My son started a new weekend job not far from the park, so myself, wife and son got to the park at 6:45 in time to meet his new boss who lives across the street. This was a unique day where the forecast said 8mph wind but was actually 4mph. I was pointing the rockets too much into the wind and got some close calls. My main regret is that I forgot to bring the new Quinstar that I recently finished. Next time...
I have three sets of steel rods plus the Estes rods. I wiped them with Ballistol oil and used fine sandpaper. Afterwards, I wiped them with wax paper to remove the post launch residue. This should keep them nice and shiny. It's difficult to find a source of 4' stainless steel rods on the island. For whatever reason, I was pointing the Handycam too far left in the zoom shots.
I was having several issues with the starters today. Turns out the 9v batteries were actually 8v. I used up my first batch of gun powder dipped starters and made more but they weren't lighting. I tried the Estes controller and that didn't work either. Of course, it all works fine at home, especially after replacing the 9v batteries. I also have a pack of Startech starters that I keep forgetting to bring with me.
I finally got a great flight video of the Starship Nova using the Astrocam camera. I used the Thomas Viking Special to test the wind but tilted too much and landed in the tennis court. Fortunately, no one was using it. For the Texas Twister, I have the pink layer down before the yellow top coat. I had the rear clip on lightly because I was afraid it would get stuck on the new paint. The rocket tumbled for a bit so needed to add more NC weight. I cut the tube, drilled the end of the cone, and packed in clay so should work better next time. Fortunately, I had a BT-20 coupler available.
When I glued on the hinge material which was a light mesh on the Texas Twister, I applied it to the wrong side on one of the fins. The kit didn't have extra so I used party streamer material instead. After the initial launch, I discovered the streamer material worked better than the mesh so I glued more streamer over the mesh. I made the Citation Patriot into a four fin clone with through the wall (TTW) fins. The OR sim predicted 271ft on the C5-3 and 554ft on the D12-5 so not bad. I might try an E12-4 or E20-4 next time. I also tried Duffy's styrene technique for the fins. This produces a really nice surface. I applied thin CA along the edge. We'll see if the styrene stays on the balsa. The Diamondback and Flip Flier worked well. Fortunately, the Diamondback landed between the canal and the trees.
00:00 Intro
00:05 Starship Nova 5pts
01:01 Flight video
01:53 Thomas Viking Special 3pts
02:56 Texas Twister 3pts
03:48 Citation Patriot clone 190ft 5pts
05:02 Citation Patriot clone 542ft 5pts
06:13 Diamondback 469ft 5pts
07:25 Flip flier 4pts
08:30 Total 30pts
Check out toward the end of the video for the Ronz Rocketz Giveaway. The t-shirt from the last video is also available.
Happy Father's Day. My son started a new weekend job not far from the park, so myself, wife and son got to the park at 6:45 in time to meet his new boss who lives across the street. This was a unique day where the forecast said 8mph wind but was actually 4mph. I was pointing the rockets too much into the wind and got some close calls. My main regret is that I forgot to bring the new Quinstar that I recently finished. Next time...
I have three sets of steel rods plus the Estes rods. I wiped them with Ballistol oil and used fine sandpaper. Afterwards, I wiped them with wax paper to remove the post launch residue. This should keep them nice and shiny. It's difficult to find a source of 4' stainless steel rods on the island. For whatever reason, I was pointing the Handycam too far left in the zoom shots.
I was having several issues with the starters today. Turns out the 9v batteries were actually 8v. I used up my first batch of gun powder dipped starters and made more but they weren't lighting. I tried the Estes controller and that didn't work either. Of course, it all works fine at home, especially after replacing the 9v batteries. I also have a pack of Startech starters that I keep forgetting to bring with me.
I finally got a great flight video of the Starship Nova using the Astrocam camera. I used the Thomas Viking Special to test the wind but tilted too much and landed in the tennis court. Fortunately, no one was using it. For the Texas Twister, I have the pink layer down before the yellow top coat. I had the rear clip on lightly because I was afraid it would get stuck on the new paint. The rocket tumbled for a bit so needed to add more NC weight. I cut the tube, drilled the end of the cone, and packed in clay so should work better next time. Fortunately, I had a BT-20 coupler available.
When I glued on the hinge material which was a light mesh on the Texas Twister, I applied it to the wrong side on one of the fins. The kit didn't have extra so I used party streamer material instead. After the initial launch, I discovered the streamer material worked better than the mesh so I glued more streamer over the mesh. I made the Citation Patriot into a four fin clone with through the wall (TTW) fins. The OR sim predicted 271ft on the C5-3 and 554ft on the D12-5 so not bad. I might try an E12-4 or E20-4 next time. I also tried Duffy's styrene technique for the fins. This produces a really nice surface. I applied thin CA along the edge. We'll see if the styrene stays on the balsa. The Diamondback and Flip Flier worked well. Fortunately, the Diamondback landed between the canal and the trees.
00:00 Intro
00:05 Starship Nova 5pts
01:01 Flight video
01:53 Thomas Viking Special 3pts
02:56 Texas Twister 3pts
03:48 Citation Patriot clone 190ft 5pts
05:02 Citation Patriot clone 542ft 5pts
06:13 Diamondback 469ft 5pts
07:25 Flip flier 4pts
08:30 Total 30pts
Last edited:
Ballistol is great stuff. I learned about it years ago from a bait and tackle shop in the Outer Banks. It cleans, lubricates and does not leave a sticky residue - ideal for fishing reels if dropped on the beach - the sand does not stick. It's replaced WD-40 in my shop.
Successful recovery of Saturn 1B…
Tree eats Saturn 1B on a light wind day
It was a low wind day. Unfortunately, the rockets weren't going straight up. We were supposed to meet someone at 6am, but he didn't show up. We packed up at 7am just in time for Gary (@kuririn) to surprisingly arrive. He helped us try to retrieve the Saturn 1B from the tree. However, we weren't successful because it was too high and needed a different tactic.
We ended up returning the next day with Gary in the morning, then returned in the evening to successfully rescue the rocket from the tree (which is documented in the follow up video). This video got a little messed up because I wasn't sure if I wanted to combine both trips or release in separate videos. I mostly edited and rendered to check the quality. The next day when I went to edit the second day, I stupidly deleted the first day. I subsequently edited in the photos into the rendered video and called it good enough.
The Viking #1 continues it's successful recovery streak (7th time) with a C18-6W no less. The streamer got singed a bit, but the rocket survived the semi-lawndart. The freshly painted Texas Twister worked the way it was supposed to with more NC weight. However in the ejection, the MM broke out and one of the fins broke off (easily repaired).
I'm not sure why the Saturn 1B sustainer landed in the tree. It went straight up but seemed to catch a draft. The ground cam was beautiful as it passed into the sunrise. It also had the Estes altimeter which was connected to the capsule and didn't register. The rocket gets an extra point for the dual deploy to work but one off for landing in the tree.
The Antar is a rather heavy rocket and only got 221ft on a C6 motor. The Sidewinder went sideways but easily recoverable. When I cloned the rocket, I forgot to cut the balsa perpendicular to the direction, so I'm wondering if the fins are worn out from too much booster experimentation. I might replace the fins or maybe I'll redo the entire sustainer and use a 24mm instead.
The Quinstar was awesome with a B6 so tried it again with a C6 motor. I used the Vortico and Hex-3 to "dispose" of bad C18 motors. I think the Vortico didn't leave the rod because the rod was too gummed up with the residue from the other Quest motors. Afterwards, I wiped the rods with wax paper to remove the residue.
00:00 Intro
00:05 Viking #1 2pts
01:00 Texas Twister 3pts
01:46 Saturn 1B 4pts
02:55 Antar 221ft 5pts
04:07 AIM-9 Sidewinder 282ft 5pts
05:11 Quinstar B6-2 3pts
05:53 Quinstar C6-3 3pts
06:29 Vortico 0pts
06:44 Hex-3 2pts
Total 27pts
It was a low wind day. Unfortunately, the rockets weren't going straight up. We were supposed to meet someone at 6am, but he didn't show up. We packed up at 7am just in time for Gary (@kuririn) to surprisingly arrive. He helped us try to retrieve the Saturn 1B from the tree. However, we weren't successful because it was too high and needed a different tactic.
We ended up returning the next day with Gary in the morning, then returned in the evening to successfully rescue the rocket from the tree (which is documented in the follow up video). This video got a little messed up because I wasn't sure if I wanted to combine both trips or release in separate videos. I mostly edited and rendered to check the quality. The next day when I went to edit the second day, I stupidly deleted the first day. I subsequently edited in the photos into the rendered video and called it good enough.
The Viking #1 continues it's successful recovery streak (7th time) with a C18-6W no less. The streamer got singed a bit, but the rocket survived the semi-lawndart. The freshly painted Texas Twister worked the way it was supposed to with more NC weight. However in the ejection, the MM broke out and one of the fins broke off (easily repaired).
I'm not sure why the Saturn 1B sustainer landed in the tree. It went straight up but seemed to catch a draft. The ground cam was beautiful as it passed into the sunrise. It also had the Estes altimeter which was connected to the capsule and didn't register. The rocket gets an extra point for the dual deploy to work but one off for landing in the tree.
The Antar is a rather heavy rocket and only got 221ft on a C6 motor. The Sidewinder went sideways but easily recoverable. When I cloned the rocket, I forgot to cut the balsa perpendicular to the direction, so I'm wondering if the fins are worn out from too much booster experimentation. I might replace the fins or maybe I'll redo the entire sustainer and use a 24mm instead.
The Quinstar was awesome with a B6 so tried it again with a C6 motor. I used the Vortico and Hex-3 to "dispose" of bad C18 motors. I think the Vortico didn't leave the rod because the rod was too gummed up with the residue from the other Quest motors. Afterwards, I wiped the rods with wax paper to remove the residue.
00:00 Intro
00:05 Viking #1 2pts
01:00 Texas Twister 3pts
01:46 Saturn 1B 4pts
02:55 Antar 221ft 5pts
04:07 AIM-9 Sidewinder 282ft 5pts
05:11 Quinstar B6-2 3pts
05:53 Quinstar C6-3 3pts
06:29 Vortico 0pts
06:44 Hex-3 2pts
Total 27pts
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Messages
- 11,594
- Reaction score
- 6,214
Interesting on Quinstar motor choices. I think @neil_w has some experience With this rocket so maybe he or some other people who have built it will chip in. Classically saucer rockets are supposed to fly with a zero delay. You were flying with a two second delay on the B and a three second delay on the C and I think your flights were absolutely perfect. I think the zero ejection would’ve actually stopped those flights prematurely.
I understand the reason for the zero delay recommendation is to make sure that the engine is completely inert before the saucer hits the ground, obviously having the saucer come in upside down and then the ejection charge fire off in the ground could start a ground fire.
I wonder if Estes should rethink its motor recommendations for the Quinstar
https://estesrockets.com/product/007241-quinstar/
@JumpJet. ?
I understand the reason for the zero delay recommendation is to make sure that the engine is completely inert before the saucer hits the ground, obviously having the saucer come in upside down and then the ejection charge fire off in the ground could start a ground fire.
I wonder if Estes should rethink its motor recommendations for the Quinstar
https://estesrockets.com/product/007241-quinstar/
@JumpJet. ?
I normally fly mine with 0 delay motors.... however, those flights clearly had plenty of margin, with the ejection charge firing much closer to apogee than to the ground. Seems fine to me.
In fact, based on that video, I probably wouldn't hesitate to fly it on a D12-3 in the future. I use plenty of D12-3s, easier to stock up on those then maintain two different motor supplies.
My only question is whether the more energetic ejection charge would cause heavier wear on the front ring aperture, which is made of balsa.
In fact, based on that video, I probably wouldn't hesitate to fly it on a D12-3 in the future. I use plenty of D12-3s, easier to stock up on those then maintain two different motor supplies.
My only question is whether the more energetic ejection charge would cause heavier wear on the front ring aperture, which is made of balsa.
I should stock up on more C6-0 motors. It's more about what inventory there is at the time. I have a D20-4W waiting for the next flight. Should be interesting to see if it stays in one piece. Fortunately, I have a fire extinguisher for just such an emergency.
Booster motors with 0 delay are probably safest but.....
I flew the Cinco with an E9-4 with plenty of room to spare.
Estesdoesn't didn't make E9-0 motors.
Put a little wadding in front of the motor to stifle the charge a little.
I flew the Cinco with an E9-4 with plenty of room to spare.
Estes
Put a little wadding in front of the motor to stifle the charge a little.
Three caught rockets during blue sky Hawaiian morning
We successfully rescued the Saturn 1B from the tree during yesterday's launch. We had to use a mix of pulling ropes and using poles to snag the shock cord. There was superficial damage, especially to the blow mold parts. Fortunately, we were able to lower it down without dropping, so it's good as new again.
Gary (@kuririn) joined us this morning and launched several really awesome rockets like the Applewhite Cinco (made from USPS boxes) and the NewWay Big Bessie. We started at 6:30am, and a softball team was preparing for a league game that started at 8am. We eventually left after one of the outfielders started giving us the "stink eye" about launching in his position.
The Thomas Viking Special went exceedingly high on the C18. During its descent on the streamer, it kept waving back and forth before landing on the street. Eventually, the winds calmed down for the subsequent flights. The Super Neon had a weird flight with the Quest D16. Perhaps the quick thrust motor was too much for the tube fins. I could add the fins to the tubes but think it looks ridiculous.
The Antar still didn't go very high on the C5-3. I was hesitant about using a composite. Looks like it's time. We caught both rockets, so they get an extra point each. I also gave myself an extra point for catching Gary's Big Bessie plus an extra 5 points for launching with a friend.
I've launched the CC Express before on the C11-0/B6-6 but was too hesitant to use the altimeter. This time, it worked great. The fins tend to go askew afterwards. I fix them straight using thin CA. The Gild Navigator previously suffered a crinkled tube from going ballistic last time. I haven't had much luck with dog barf as a wadding. Perhaps the humidity affects the insulation and doesn't push the laundry out or cause other problems with the ejection.
One of the DIY controller alligator clips broke off, probably from corrosion. We switched over to the Estes controller which was having trouble igniting the E12 motor. We eventually got it working (suddenly). I measure 5.8v so not sure what the issue was. I'm currently working on a 12v system. The Jolly Logic Chute Release worked like a charm. Gary was able to rescue the rocket from a pack of exuberant kids.
00:00 Rescuing Saturn 1B from tree 1pt
00:37 Gary's Semroc Sprite
00:46 Thomas Viking Special 4pts
02:02 Gary's Mini Fat Boy
02:28 Gary's rocket
02:53 Super Neon 5pts
04:00 Antar 266ft 6pts
05:29 Gary's Applewhite Cinco
06:06 CC Express 613ft 6pts
07:38 Gary's Big Bessie 1pt
08:08 Gild Navigator 5pts
10:18 Total 28 + 5 = 33pts
We successfully rescued the Saturn 1B from the tree during yesterday's launch. We had to use a mix of pulling ropes and using poles to snag the shock cord. There was superficial damage, especially to the blow mold parts. Fortunately, we were able to lower it down without dropping, so it's good as new again.
Gary (@kuririn) joined us this morning and launched several really awesome rockets like the Applewhite Cinco (made from USPS boxes) and the NewWay Big Bessie. We started at 6:30am, and a softball team was preparing for a league game that started at 8am. We eventually left after one of the outfielders started giving us the "stink eye" about launching in his position.
The Thomas Viking Special went exceedingly high on the C18. During its descent on the streamer, it kept waving back and forth before landing on the street. Eventually, the winds calmed down for the subsequent flights. The Super Neon had a weird flight with the Quest D16. Perhaps the quick thrust motor was too much for the tube fins. I could add the fins to the tubes but think it looks ridiculous.
The Antar still didn't go very high on the C5-3. I was hesitant about using a composite. Looks like it's time. We caught both rockets, so they get an extra point each. I also gave myself an extra point for catching Gary's Big Bessie plus an extra 5 points for launching with a friend.
I've launched the CC Express before on the C11-0/B6-6 but was too hesitant to use the altimeter. This time, it worked great. The fins tend to go askew afterwards. I fix them straight using thin CA. The Gild Navigator previously suffered a crinkled tube from going ballistic last time. I haven't had much luck with dog barf as a wadding. Perhaps the humidity affects the insulation and doesn't push the laundry out or cause other problems with the ejection.
One of the DIY controller alligator clips broke off, probably from corrosion. We switched over to the Estes controller which was having trouble igniting the E12 motor. We eventually got it working (suddenly). I measure 5.8v so not sure what the issue was. I'm currently working on a 12v system. The Jolly Logic Chute Release worked like a charm. Gary was able to rescue the rocket from a pack of exuberant kids.
00:00 Rescuing Saturn 1B from tree 1pt
00:37 Gary's Semroc Sprite
00:46 Thomas Viking Special 4pts
02:02 Gary's Mini Fat Boy
02:28 Gary's rocket
02:53 Super Neon 5pts
04:00 Antar 266ft 6pts
05:29 Gary's Applewhite Cinco
06:06 CC Express 613ft 6pts
07:38 Gary's Big Bessie 1pt
08:08 Gild Navigator 5pts
10:18 Total 28 + 5 = 33pts
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Messages
- 11,594
- Reaction score
- 6,214
Yeah, he said the fin bonked him on the head. I'm still counting it.Not sure the second was truly a catch, looks more like the rocket landed on him!
The rocket at the 2:28 mark is the Fliskits Tumbleweed, FWIW.
Smaller version of the Estes Astron Sprite.
Smaller version of the Estes Astron Sprite.
For such a small rocket, it went really far. That's about 130 meters.
I'm still marveling at the Cinco on the E9-4.
I decided I need to redo the Sidewinder. I was lazy when I made the original fins, no TTW, parellel grain. I decided to remake them properly but with styrene instead of paper. I’m really happy with it so far. I’ll need to trim the tabs because I’m thinking of going 24mm instead. I’m keeping the old NC but will likely add more clay.
Similar threads
