What did you do rocket wise today?

[Jerry F.]

Shot Duplicolor White Sandable Primer on my LOC Goblin yesterday. Later today, I will be doing some sanding.

I’m really beginning to like Duplicate-Color paint…it might be more expensive, but I like it…the sandable filler primer works pretty good…still plugs up your sandpaper, but not as bad as most…and you don’t have to wait forever to do a gloss coat like Rusto (in my area)

 

[Donnager]

Turned to the dark side.

Painted my first rocket (4" PML Andromeda) with Createx Acrylic for airbrushes, but I used an HVLP touch-up gun.

Have to say that I like it. Very little smell and it dries visibly, and quickly (recoat window is very easy to deal with). Cleanup of the gun after each color is a little messy, but it doesn't stink.

I may have made a permanent change. We'll see how the masking goes.

 

[HonestJohn]

Turned to the dark side.

Painted my first rocket (4" PML Andromeda) with Createx Acrylic for airbrushes, but I used an HVLP touch-up gun.

Have to say that I like it. Very little smell and it dries visibly, and quickly (recoat window is very easy to deal with). Cleanup of the gun after each color is a little messy, but it doesn't stink.

I may have made a permanent change. We'll see how the masking goes.

Welcome to the dark side! It's kind of nice to be able to do an entire paint job in a day, or weekend if you're feeling lazy.

 

[Antares JS]

Installed motor mount, tailcone retainer, and fins on Airstrike 3829.



Installed motor mount in Pink Lady.



Started building up the motor mount of my new Drago.



Painted the new fiberglass drogue tube for the Phoenix, to replace the damaged blue tube one.



Built a Loki G70, H125, and I377, all cocktail motors, for the weekend after next at the Sod Farm.

 

[hobie1dog]

cut out more mylar parachutes from party balloons.

 

[lakeroadster]

Installed the exhaust headers on the Warhawk.. and started applying CWF to the nose cone.

 

[DragonRocketry]

Cutting parts and filling orders.

 

[tsmith1315]

Painted my first rocket (4" PML Andromeda) with Createx Acrylic for airbrushes, but I used an HVLP touch-up gun.

Have to say that I like it.

Thanks for posting!

 

[gdjsky01]

I know the Rip-Roar, and all Dynastar mid-power kits, are meant to be very light weight. But I made a command decision to add TTW fin tabs (to the MMT) and cut the fins from 1/8 basswood. YES YES... I know that is heavy... But TVM does not launch on a rock hard clay desert. Indeed many kit makers are clueless as to where their rockets will survive. So it is up to the builder (as I guess it should be). I don't think basswood and TTW fin tabs will ruin the rocket or its performance. I would have used papered 1/8 balsa but I am plum out.

 

[Cape Byron]

More than usual. Cut this tube. Rejoice!

 

[kuririn]

Our little group participated in an event called the Geek Meet.
Gives more public exposure to the hobby.
I helped setup and breakdown.
And lent a US Rockets Hi Test 3100 for display.

 

[Lugnut56]

Put the finishing touches on the Dr Zooch Falcon heavy and started on a Rocketerium "Tri-dent T117-13" cluster.

Also discovered CA debonder will remove all the markings on a cutting pad

 

[smstachwick]

I know the Rip-Roar, and all Dynastar mid-power kits, are meant to be very light weight. But I made a command decision to add TTW fin tabs (to the MMT) and cut the fins from 1/8 basswood. YES YES... I know that is heavy... But TVM does not launch on a rock hard clay desert. Indeed many kit makers are clueless as to where their rockets will survive. So it is up to the builder (as I guess it should be). I don't think basswood and TTW fin tabs will ruin the rocket or its performance. I would have used papered 1/8 balsa but I am plum out.

I wouldn’t say clueless, more like designing to the most common needs. I’ve flown on some hard pack and asphalt, but I’ve also flown on grass and soft sand. I’ve landed them on those surfaces, on top of an RV, on car windshields, in bay water, in trees, and on the property of neighbors who kindly called to inform me that they found the rocket but didn’t leave a name or callback number. No rocket can be protected from them all.

 

[Cape Byron]

Put the finishing touches on the Dr Zooch Falcon heavy and started on a Rocketerium "Tri-dent T117-13" cluster.

Great to see people building Dr Zooch kits instead of hoarding them.

 

[Cape Byron]

Found Lamington in the office with his head in the parts bin I use for SPEVs muttering, "Low and slow" over and over.

He left this on the desktop. 600 ft on a D12 is certainly low, but he could have added a tailcone before he left. Maybe next time.



Edit: Fins are leftovers from multiples of an Estes kit cannibalised for their unobtainable (from Estes) nose cone. Bonus nerd points if you can guess which one.

 

[OverTheTop]

I got sick of the messy storage of heatshrink tubing at work so I organised it a bit better. Liked it so much I did it to my workshop too.


Just a bunch of mailing tubes glued together (they have bungs in the back end). Happy with that.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Our little group participated in an event called the Geek Meet.
Gives more public exposure to the hobby.
I helped setup and breakdown.
And lent a US Rockets Hi Test 3100 for display.
View attachment 539157

 

[OverTheTop]

Just been running through prep checklists for my launch next weekend. I ended up updating all my TeleMega/TeleBT/TeleDongle hardware to the latest firmware and putting it back on my usual channels after I had lent it to my USYD team as contingency hardware for the Spaceport America Cup. So telemetry is all good now and continuing with charging and working down the lists.

Also slowly working on my Antenna tracker, in particular the homing system for the pan mechanism.

 

[MikeT]

Ran the Space week launch Launched over 100 kids.

Mike

 

[jqavins]

Final coat of black on the nose cone of the 3" all-scratchbuilt-except-the-tubes WAC Corporal. Wait a few days to make sure, then clearcoat and done.

View attachment 539067

The shape says WAC Corporal. The paint says pencil rocket.

on the property of neighbors who kindly called to inform me that they found the rocket but didn’t leave a name or callback number.

 

[DigBaddy]

I got sick of the messy storage of heatshrink tubing at work so I organised it a bit better. Liked it so much I did it to my workshop too.
View attachment 539166

Just a bunch of mailing tubes glued together (they have bungs in the back end). Happy with that.

Ha! I did something very similar yesterday...but for rattle can storage.

 

[wsume99]

Started my education in EX....

 

[hobie1dog]

I cut seven more mylar parachutes out of party balloons that are gold on one side and silver on the other side. The paper punch that I was using naturally only punches out 3/4 of the hole, so then I have to take the Exacto knife and go around 1/4 of the hole. Which is a big pain in the butt. I got all of the ring reinforcements around the punched out holes, and now I will have to give them to my wife so that she can put the Shroud Lines on as I cannot tie knots anymore.

 

[Back_at_it]

Cleaning up and doing some repairs from my last outing. While going through the spare parts box I came up with parts and threw this together this weekend.

Alpha 3 fin can, remains of some smashed bt50 tubes, misc. 4 inch payload section and an old maverick nose cone.

I’m calling it junk parts.

 

[Jerry F.]

I cut seven more mylar parachutes out of party balloons that are gold on one side and silver on the other side. The paper punch that I was using naturally only punches out 3/4 of the hole, so then I have to take the Exacto knife and go around 1/4 of the hole. Which is a big pain in the butt. I got all of the ring reinforcements around the punched out holes, and now I will have to give them to my wife so that she can put the Shroud Lines on as I cannot tie knots anymore.

Try putting a couple of pieces of regular paper on either side of the Mylar…that should help with the hole punch…

 

[hobie1dog]

Try putting a couple of pieces of regular paper on either side of the Mylar…that should help with the hole punch…

I tried both paper punches that we had, although both of them were likely dollar store purchases, and they both punched 3/4 of the circle. I would have never thought to try the paper trick.

 

[Ladykate]

Printed a 24mm Snitch. Design was not mine - Rick Lingenfelter crafted it. Flying it tomorrow.

 

[hobie1dog]

Printed a 24mm Snitch. Design was not mine - Rick Lingenfelter crafted it. Flying it tomorrow.

now that's a unique design.

 

[tsmith1315]

I snuck in a little rocket work yesterday. Started going over the old EZI-65 with a DA sander, getting it ready for some new paint and a little personality.

The airframe wrinkle above the fin can is worse than I remembered, and there are a couple more forgotten ones. If there's not already a coupler inside there to shore it up, I may add a thin layer of glass over whatever it takes to get the wrinkle smoothed out. Epoxy, Bondo, etc. That's more than I wanted to do, but I guess the old dog deserves doctoring.





A prior repair to a cracked fin still feels strong. And the 54-38mm friction fit adapter still refuses to budge, just like it did 20 years ago.. Removing it looks like more work than necessary. There are no plans for a 54mm in there for the future, so it can be considered part of the ship at this point. I hate to take the old lugs off, they're a part of its DNA. But I don't want lugs and buttons on it.

The payload bay is already repainted with a white base, still trying to get a final coat on without rattlecan spit. It'll probably end up wearing something like one of these patterns:




Last but not least, after looking out for a year or more, I finally picked up a sewing machine. An old Kenmore. Very basic, but stout and $11.99 was the right price.

 

[gdjsky01]

I wouldn’t say clueless, more like designing to the most common needs. I’ve flown on some hard pack and asphalt, but I’ve also flown on grass and soft sand. I’ve landed them on those surfaces, on top of an RV, on car windshields, in bay water, in trees, and on the property of neighbors who kindly called to inform me that they found the rocket but didn’t leave a name or callback number. No rocket can be protected from them all.

Clueless was the word I meant to use. Period.