What did you do rocket wise today?

[John Kemker]

Went to the hardware store and bought a can of white primer, some PVC, T-joints, 4-way joints, etc. for various rocket-related projects.

 

[John Kemker]

Well, this was over the span of a few days and is amazingly non-interesting, but here goes:

Went to buy threaded 8-32 nut inserts like you use in wood for my current project and was infuriated when I saw the price. 400-500% 'inflation' just aggravated me ($4.75 for 2 inserts).

Decided to buy on Amazon or similar, as its probably coming from all the same places and it was pretty pricey there too.

Guy mode kicked in (happens to both sexes, but when tools are involved, guy mode is my version) and I instead spent $70 on a RivNut tool with 150 pieces etc., and it arrived at my door on Monday.

It is typical Harbor Freight-like quality, instructions not functional and had to watch a video to figure out how to adjust it, but once I did all the right things, it does seem like a functional tool.

Installed 2 RivNuts for motor retention in the rear centering ring of my current build - literally the first thing accomplished since dry fit 2 weeks ago. DOH!

I won't say for fact that this is the best way, right method or even worth pursuing, but it seems semi-functional if you want to do it. Not at all a recommendation for buying the tool etc., but I do a few non-rocket projects that might find a use in the future, so I justified the spend in my own mind. Not sure it was worth it. We'll see.

Pics at least!!!

Sandy.

Just ordered one for less than $40 from Amazon. Not real fancy, but will do the job.

 

[martynouze]

Took a photo of this baby I varnished a couple of weeks ago:

Don't let the size fool you: this is indeed a skill level 3. I usually enjoy the water decals part, but those were a real pain to get on!

 

[lakeroadster]

Made a couple videos to study Magnus Effect on body tubes and fin cans... it's a @Dotini & @BABAR thing.

 

[Sandy H.]

Just ordered one for less than $40 from Amazon. Not real fancy, but will do the job.

If it is the AKKTOL brand, then the instructions on how to adjust the stroke are a bit counterintuitive, IMO. I thought mine was broken, but after watching a youtube video of someone explaining how to set it, I figured it out. Once you see how it works, it is a simplified version of the unit they copied (most likely), but it seems like a functional method.

Sandy.

 

[John Kemker]

If it is the AKKTOL brand, then the instructions on how to adjust the stroke are a bit counterintuitive, IMO. I thought mine was broken, but after watching a youtube video of someone explaining how to set it, I figured it out. Once you see how it works, it is a simplified version of the unit they copied (most likely), but it seems like a functional method.

Sandy.

Muzata brand. Video seems pretty straightforward.

 

[Sandy H.]

Muzata brand. Video seems pretty straightforward.

Ah. That is a different style than mine. Mine looks more like a bolt cutter mechanism than a rivet gun. I wanted a variety of sizes and wanted imperial inserts and the one I got had those. I bet the style you got will be great for smaller inserts like we would use in rocketry. The 8mm test I did (as I wanted to figure out the tool before ruining inserts I might want to use) took a good bit of squeezing force!

Sandy.

 

[krislhull]

Realized I never did deployment testing on my 3” LOC Sandhawk, or on my Frenzy XL… so I knocked those out today. I also went and inventoried all of my motor cases and reloads in anticipation of Sod Blaster next month

 

[tsmith1315]

When the primer dried it started to look like charred wood.

You've made some creative stuff, I bet you could use that to your advantage!

 

[prfesser]

Glued the motor mount into the Skylab Saturn body tube. To avoid the problem with white glue causing divots in the thin body tube, I used epoxy, which doesn't soak up moisture nor shrink significantly. Spread a layer over most of the inside of the body tube and on the centering rings and buttresses of the MMT. No shrinkage, no problem.

As Chris M has mentioned in his blog, the centering rings are slightly too small for the body tube. I rubbed glue into a length of shroud line and applied it to the edge of each centering ring. That gave a uniform increase in size.

 

[GrouchoDuke]

Worked on the paint job designs & avbays for a couple new rocket designs. Submitted a texture-related issue to the OpenRocket Github.

 

[Bob in Phoenix]

I went to Lowes to get some gardening sheers to prune back my raspberry and blackberry bushes. While there I stumbled upon a can of "matte spanish moss" by Krylon which is the closest to matte Army green I've ever seen. I have a 2.6" Madcow Honest John that has been waiting for paint for almost a year. It'll work great on an Estes SA-2061 Sasha too. Now I just have to wait 3 months for the humidity to drop below 80%

Heada: Try an Internet search for spray enamel X34087. It is the same olive drab color the Army used on the actual missiles. I found some on EBay.
Bob in Phoenix.

 

[Pappy]

i have several builds going currently, so today i put a second top-coat of gloss blue (behr) on a an estes thunderhawk i got in an old launch kit i purchased on ebay, also broke open an estes star trooper i've had for a bit (i think i got it from estes direct on some cool promotion) and started it with the intention of posting a build thread. sanded a bit of first primer coat on a semroc mmx orb trans, which is so freaking cool i can't believe it. (really neat kit. highly recommend if you're not afraid to work really small). got lots of other stuff going on rocketry wise, pics soon. have a great day

 

[teepot]

I moved the Big Big Bertha off the work table and into an out of the way corner. Until it cools down painting is on hold. It was 102F during the day and it is 82F with 40% humidity at 12:46 am. When your used to 5% humidity this is not good. I'll just stay in my air conditioned garage and start a new build. Just as soon as I think of something.

 

[lakeroadster]

I spent several hours the last two days sanding the primer off of the upscale Big Bertha. I used a black automotive primer. Never again. When the primer dried it started to look like charred wood. I had to sand down to the paper on most of the rocket. It doesn't look like I'll be able to re-prime tonight. It is still 82 degrees at 11:42pm and a horrible 45% humidity.

What brand was the herpes primer? Might save one of us a trip to the Dr.

 

[martynouze]

I went to Lowes to get some gardening sheers to prune back my raspberry and blackberry bushes. While there I stumbled upon a can of "matte spanish moss" by Krylon which is the closest to matte Army green I've ever seen. I have a 2.6" Madcow Honest John that has been waiting for paint for almost a year. It'll work great on an Estes SA-2061 Sasha too. Now I just have to wait 3 months for the humidity to drop below 80%

Krylon has a line of camouflage spray paint, about six colours, ultra flat.

I used the olive one for my PML Stryker. Now that's not close to Army green: it *IS* army green.

 

[jqavins]

Glued the motor mount into the Skylab Saturn body tube. To avoid the problem with white glue causing divots in the thin body tube, I used epoxy, which doesn't soak up moisture nor shrink significantly.

Oh, no! Glue thread, glue thread! Back, back, oh foul and vile thing!

No, actually that makes sense.

I rubbed glue into a length of shroud line and applied it to the edge of each centering ring. That gave a uniform increase in size.

The same epoxy, or as a separate, earlier step. I guess that could have been done earlier with wood glue.

 

[prfesser]

Oh, no! Glue thread, glue thread! Back, back, oh foul and vile thing!

No, actually that makes sense.The same epoxy, or as a separate, earlier step. I guess that could have been done earlier with wood glue.

The shroud line was attached with TBII and allowed to dry before installing the motor mount.

Epoxy stiffened the tube a bit, which was desirable. Undoubtedly it also increased the weight significantly but that's okay, just use a bigger motor.

 

[NateB]

I had a 3D Printer delivered today as a birthday gift. Now I get to assemble it and figure out how it works so I can make some useful things.

 

[jqavins]

"Bigger motor". Oh, thank you, my chemist friend. Mere moments before reading the above, I was compelled to write this post in another thread.

 

[John Kemker]

Sanded down spirals on the 4" LOC Goblin. Covered in red dust. /sigh

 

[Ulexis]

I built something at my skill level. These New Way kits a very nice. Includes sanding stick, cotton swabs and tooth picks for assembly tools. Top notch kits with nice instructions.


Three sets of decals too!

 

[Doug Holverson]

I worked on the some pop-pods, RC Condor, Caliby, Arcie, and Starto-Blaster this afternoon.

 

[Adam3836]

Custom back pack used a iron and removed the under armor decals and my wife was kind enough to sew on these decals added flight tag and now much better looking lol

 

[Jerry F.]

Unpacked my recently arrived SBR 4" Thor kit....very excited to get started on it
Started on my Super Big Bertha to complete the Big Bertha family - Baby Bertha, Big Bertha, Boosted Bertha and soon, Super Big Bertha
My recently completed, but not flown yet…and my custom rocketry hat (b-day gift)

 

[Rex R]

Unpacked my recently arrived SBR 4" Thor kit....very excited to get started on it
Started on my Super Big Bertha to complete the Big Bertha family - Baby Bertha, Big Bertha, Boosted Bertha and soon, Super Big Bertha

Looking at your list of Bertha's, there seems to be an omission... No mini Bertha ( it is a mini brute).

 

[Doug Holverson]

Here's the Caliby, which is a work in progress of a proof of concept. It's also sort of Doug Holverson's Arcie II, even if it's a clean slate design, although a really cook-booked one. Now to figure out how to mount an aileron servo, two ruddervator servos, receiver, lipo, and a 3D printed cowling to slip over that.

 

[BrendanH69]

Prepping a couple of rockets for tomorrows QRS launch, including the 54mm "Fright of the Concordes". Made another 38mm to 24mm motor adaptor for it as I've got a few CTI Pro24 6G reloads I can use on it.

Raining today, but weatherman says we'll be ok tomorrow.

Sanded then filled some surface rough spots on the Tin Tin rocket with epoxy/West 411 Fairing Filler and will have to sand it once it cures. It sands easily enough.

 

[OverTheTop]

A bit more work on my magnetic umbilical for the Vertical Trajectory System.
Completed wiring inside the charger that will attach to the launch rail. Cable entries via glands to keep any exhaust fumes out:


The connection to the battery box on the ground will be via regular extension lead cable. Nice and robust. The window of the battery charger is visible for monitoring the situation. It is sealed to prevent ingress of exhaust gases:

Battery box will be 3D printed and completed next week.

Next up was to glue the umbilical interface into the airframe. Ran a little CA into the gaps to hold it in place:

The charging system was also tested and works as advertised.

Also fitted the bearing and stepper motor to a bearing support I printed during the week. Looks like I got it mostly right :

That shaft is the altitude axis for my Automatic Antenna Tracker. 19mm diameter carbon fiber tube. I am trying to keep inertias of the moving parts down to make the whole assembly easier to rotate by the two steppers. Still need to make a clamping collar so the large pulley can drive the shaft.

Next up will be printing another bearing support and starting to put the whole altitude axis on top of the azimuth axis drive. All the relevant antennas and electronics need to be clamped to it. Still designing and printing suitable clamps.

 

[teepot]

What brand was the herpes primer? Might save one of us a trip to the Dr.

Rusto Automotive primer black.