What did you do rocket wise today?

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Cut and glued 200mmx200mm sheets of 12mm and 6mm ply together from off-cuts, mainly because the smallest sheet of 18mm ply costs like A$50 and I need a bit to make a new fwd ring to repair the Thales Starstreak from its Mar'22 flight.
Will leave them overnight with lots of weight on top to see how it turns out.

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Bus Landing Damage pic3.jpg
 
Big Bertha build. I got 2 of the 3 decals on. It's been a LONG time since I used water decals and I ended up destroying the "big bertha" words decal. But Estes is awesome! I contacted them and I'll be sent replacements!

I had a small problem with the lower decal. It had to fit between the top of the fin fillet and the launch lug and that wasn't much room at all. In fact, the decal covers the fillet (and paint on the fillet) just a little bit. I didn't anticipate this. Next time I would move the launch lug up about an 1/8'' to have enough room.

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To prepare a balsa surface for painting, do not use this:
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Use this:
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The first one is much harder to sand, especially on a thin fragile part.

After covering my Thunderbird fins with the first kind of filler and sanding them, I'm now using the second kind. So much easier to work with. I had forgotten just how different the two products were. Had to go back to an old build thread of mine to remember how I did it last time.
 
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I would like to put home made/custom decals on my rockets.
Has anyone made vinyl type ones on a Cricut machine & what do you suggest as an adhesive ?
My daughter has this type machine that i could make my own from.
 
To prepare a balsa surface for painting, do not use this:
View attachment 519546
Use this:
View attachment 519548
The first one is much harder to sand, especially on a thin fragile part.

After covering my Thunderbird fins with the first kind of filler and sanding them, I'm now using the second kind. So much easier to work with. I had forgotten just how different the two products were. Had to go back to an old build thread of mind to remember how I did it last time.
Do you know if the difference is tub vs. tube, or neutral color vs. white, or interior/exterior vs. interior?
 
I've been trying to consolidate all my rocket, RC, and 3D printing stuff downstairs. The three hobbies have a big overlap. I'm unpacking and organizing my rocket stuff from last year's disaster as a side project. Yesterday, I moved things around and wrestled a heavy duty church table downstairs. I think it was made in the '50s and it has some major timber in it. I leveled it with a bullseye level and 3D printed coasters. I moved the two running 3D printers to it. Today I wrestled the other heavy duty church table down there.

Does anybody besides me call a bullseye level a Centuri level? The first one I ever saw was from their Goodie Box. And it was the only one I that ever saw for about two decades afterwards.

A Thrift World computer desk that had been doing 3D printer duty has been moved upstairs. It's even doing computer duty! I set up the first of two computers, a Mac Mini connected to a big A3 scanner. Now there's a contrast!
 
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Do you know if the difference is tub vs. tube, or neutral color vs. white, or interior/exterior vs. interior?
The one in the tube is smooth and can be squirted out like tooth paste. The one in the tub is chunky looking, thicker, and more like mud.

Its indeed ”interior” vs “interior/exterior”, but I wouldn’t know if chunkiness or viscosity is the only defining factor.
 
Does anybody besides me call a bullseye level a Centuri level? The first one I ever saw was from their Goodie Box. And it was the only one I that ever saw for about two decades.
I just call it a round level. I had to Google "bullseye level" to verify you were talking about what I thought you were talking about. (You were.)
 
The one in the tube is smooth and can be squirted out like tooth paste. The one in the tub is chunky looking, thicker, and more like mud.

Its indeed ”interior” vs “interior/exterior”, but I wouldn’t know if chunkiness or viscosity is the only defining factor.
I use the neutrally colored interior stuff from the tub. It varies from a kind of foamy texture like bread dough before enough flour has been added to a thicker, sludgeier texture, but it can be thinned with water. I've mainly used it for spot filling so far. Not having tried any of the others, I don't have a basis for comparison. I really wish companies would give better descriptions and advice about their own products. Elmer's website is useless and seems to contain only a fraction of the products they make.
 
PXL_20220521_184058472.MP.jpgthe gizmo is rebuilt and getting clear coated after it's lawn dart escapade. Thought people might be interested in the paint stand too. Old cat litter tub with hole cut in the lid, mine is full of brass from reloading hobby but gravel or just kitty litter should also work. Shaft from dollar store broom with a few holes drilled crossways to slide a bolt in for rocket support.
 
I use the neutrally colored interior stuff from the tub. It varies from a kind of foamy texture like bread dough before enough flour has been added to a thicker, sludgeier texture, but it can be thinned with water. I've mainly used it for spot filling so far. Not having tried any of the others, I don't have a basis for comparison. I really wish companies would give better descriptions and advice about their own products. Elmer's website is useless and seems to contain only a fraction of the products they make.
I haven't tried that one, only the two I've posted. I got another one of those tubes of interior white, because I've have success with that in the past.
 
Got in a couple nice flights here in CT today
Nice warm 90 degrees lol
PAC3 rocket 38mm H225 went very well got up to around 1300ft
Also launched cool spool on G77 red always fun
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Today was club launch day, Despite the weather prognostications to the contrary, the winds were light and it didn't rain. I squeezed out about a dozen launches, as usual. It looks like the Majestic and the Super Chief will be the workhorses at NSL. The Majestic will burn the remaining E16s and the Superchief the D16s. I am looking forward to getting some F reloads and maybe some 29mm SUs and lofting them to greater heights.
 
Prepped some rockets to fly at club launch tomorrow. This month's launch theme is clusters and staged rockets...so of course I must abide! (3x13mm, 3x18mm, 7x18mm, 7x18mm w/24mm, 3x24mm, 4x24mm, 3x29mm, and staged 29mm/29mm ready to fly, plus a couple of other 38mm birds, just because)
 

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Assembled recovery anchors for both rockets currently under construction and the retainer for one of them (the other uses an Estes retainer). Printed fin marking guides from OpenRocket and printed and cut fin alignment jigs from Payload Bay. I could probably get one or maybe both ready to fly by the Texas Shootout next weekend, but haste has never rewarded my builds, so I won't rush.
 
Prepped for launch on Sunday. I added positive motor retention for the 7X Fat Boy (3 4-40 all thread between motor tubes, washers/nuts), tape is OK, but I want something better. I also prepped the motors. Our launch system can't handle clusters, and the relay box got lost, so I made sure the nozzles were clear of obstructions and doped them with igniter mix. I'll use a flash pan in hopes of finally getting all 7 to light off. I located all the parachutes and motors for the 4 rockets I plan to fly.
 
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