What did you do rocket wise today?

[cichlidgoob]

I repaired a rocket that was damaged by a motor failure. While I was at it I decided to sand and rinse my unbuilt fiberglass kits - one of which is my L3 project (Performer 150). Now I have absolutely no excuses left…

 

[OverTheTop]

You rinse them outside? I thought most people got in the bath with them .

I assume you are aware of this thread discussing prep and bonding?

Properly bonding composites and what your government doesn't want you to know.

How to bond like a pro. I promised to write this article a few months ago after some conversations in this thread: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?56789-Sanding-Fiberglass-Tube I didn't start this thread to call out every one who has there own way of bonding. Bonds in rockets...

www.rocketryforum.com

 

[cichlidgoob]

I assume you are aware of this thread discussing prep and bonding?

I did read that thread, and found it very informative - thanks for mentioning it. Reading that thread changed my process from using the most aggressive sandpaper to something more reasonable. I was a bit skeptical at first so I did my own experiment on some non-rocketry fiberglass and I didn’t find much difference between rinse-only, 60 grit, 100 grit and 200 grit. It was not overly scientific but all of them performed about the same, which was significantly better than no prep at all.

 

[berlinetta]

I finished painting my Bullet Bobby XXL. Decals will be put on this weekend.

 

[cichlidgoob]

I finished painting my Bullet Bobby XXL. Decals will be put on this weekend.

I think the forum bylaws require pictures with a post like this…

 

[tsmith1315]

Doin the best i can w that joint

Just don't Bogart it.

 

[Cape Byron]

Just don't Bogart it.

And why is it called 'Possession of Marijuana' and not 'Joint Custody'?

 

[bjphoenix]

I put a 2nd coat of orange on 2 of my recent builds using one of my few working cans of Rust-horrible product-Oleum.

 

[Imaknow]

Put final white coat on the Broadsword lower section. It is now ready for color. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy. <sigh>


(And again the pictures highlight flaws I tend to miss when looking at it... I think I am going to start photographing all sides and doing photo analysis. <reaches for sandpaper...>)

 

[GrouchoDuke]

Built a motor. Made it halfway to Seymour.

 

[Joekeyo]

Truck packed for weekend launch. Will camp on site tonight

 

[tsmith1315]

Built a Hi Flier kit for our son to take along to a rocket event of some sort at college tomorrow. I get to go, too! I think they're just planning to fly some model rockets on the front lawn. I hope they have interest beyond a single launch. Maybe I can generate some recruits. We'll get some other colors, decals on the and finish it up this afternoon. Bought some A8-3's for the launch, but it may see a D20 when we get back home!



We meet at 10:00 AM, thunderstorms forecasted to begin around 11:00...

 

[dmaaero]

Yes, i have some little fins to skin. I love skinning fins for some reason. Maybe its all that pipe, 90*"s T"s and valves i covered in canvas when i was industrial insulating years ago. Upgrading to a D motor so ran to Hobby Lobby an picked up a starship octavius for the BT. It seemed to be the stiffest tube of all the .98 inch 25mm rockets they had.

 

[Imaknow]

Picture of molding flaws
Notice that it is closed fore and aft of the gap.

View attachment 570502

Sorry for the quality of the pic, still not good at macro with the phone.

Did some research and decided to use a common nose cone fix: Medium CA to fill and then sand.

Here is what it looks like after fill and wet sanding:

Final filling and sanding to come.

 

[gdjsky01]

Loaded the vehicle for a launch tomorrow.

 

[bad_idea]

Drove three hours to a launch. Realized the one thing I'd forgotten was a box with some of my most critical components. Drove three hours home. Drove three hours back. Now need to find time to sleep and do 2-3 hours work on rockets. Good thing the wind forecast pushed the launch window later tomorrow than it would otherwise be.

 

[cwbullet]

I finished painting my Bullet Bobby XXL. Decals will be put on this weekend.

Mine is still decalless.

 

[teepot]

I sanded the Evercoat Ever Glaze putty off a body tube I used it on to fill spirals. Not a fan. It didn't sand easy. It didn't stay in the spirals. 4" tube scraped. I had to use 60 grit to get the stuff off and then 150 grit. I'll use the tube to do a distressed looking rocket. The GoodFilla that I usually use is easier to sand. I start with 220 and go down from there. I tried it because I have seen some nice fillets that were done using it. I probably used to much. Now that I have tried it I would clean the excess of right away. I'll try it on some filets and see how that goes. I have another body tube and will start over.

 

[cls]

... This sat on the bench for 9 months... Cut out and glued upper fins for GFs Fliskits Tres. Feels like progress!

Sheesh, talk about procrastinating...

Next stop, shellac on balsa parts, final sanding, primer. Still talking about final finish pattern, we'll have to do some tests on scrap pieces.

 

[GrouchoDuke]

Made it once to the launch that @bad_idea made it to twice. Met up with some old friends. Met some new friends. The wind in the morning isn’t looking great, but if nothing else there will be great hanging out with fellow rocketeers.

 

[Lugnut56]

Got primer on the Starlight F-32 and hoping to get it painted tomorrow. There is a club launch scheduled for next Saturday so I picked out several rockets I'd like to take but will thin the selection down to around 6 to fly. Taking mostly newly built not flown rockets, but am taking 1 or 2 of my older rockets to blow the dust off of them. Have also spent quite a bit of time working with Rocksim and ThurstCurve to get a better handle on motor selection and how the differences in motor specs affect rocket performance and which motors I can justify keeping in my inventory based on the rockets I have built so far.

 

[rbelknap]

So yeah- had a small problem with my blast deflectors. A couple of them still had rust remover on them, (from before I got smart and used the wire wheel.) and the place I had them stored temporarily got dripped on from the wet garage door while open for parking/bike retrieval.

Soooooo I had to take the wire wheel to them all again today.

Got started early enough that I was also able to get the rust reformer primer on one side as well.

View attachment 569328

Will flip and paint the other side tomorrow. If this doesn’t work, Anyone have in idea of a coating I could use to protect these?

(Or maybe I should just get/cut some aluminium plates. Would make the launch system boxed lighter too. These things are heavy!)

Got a break in the weather that coincided with a day off, so I shot the blast deflectors with the engine enamel rattle can. Still no idea how this product will hold up to motor exhaust. I guess there’s really only one way to find out.

Quick before:


And after:

 

[bad_idea]

Had decided to sleep, then work on rockets, but couldn't sleep. So instead, sanded out filler, installed rail buttons, made more looped wire loops, sorted shock cords (and made a few), installed swivels.

 

[lakeroadster]

Yetserday... shot some clear on the Saturn V. Alice will be ready for decals soon.

"To the moon, Alice, to the moon— You're going soon, Alice, to the moon."

 

[berlinetta]

Mine is still decalless.

I cut the decals yesterday. I feel these will be easier than the smaller kit.

 

[berlinetta]

I ordered from Everdon Rocketry as it's their birthday....10% off today with the code: birthday!

I bought another LOC Aura and a 29mm retainer in white. By getting the white that'll force me to go outside my comfort zone as far as painting.

 

[billeblurzz]

Assembled Aster 15?

 

[billeblurzz]

 

[hobie1dog]

View attachment 570826

Aster 15 from Rocketarium, hopefully returning soon after the changes are made in the booster section.

 

[Imaknow]

The weather cooperated so I was able to put the color on the bottom portion of the Broadsword and painted the pods, antennae, and nozzle shroud for the Interceptor.


Marked the Interceptor tube, sanded the fin mounting points and re-marked the tube.