What did you do rocket wise today?

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
After painting my Interceptor's aft section yellow on Sunday, I went into the house to discover my beard was yellow, the hair on my arms was yellow, and most scary, there was yellow paint on the sides of my nose (in spite of the DYI, blue-shop towel, Covid mask).
So yesterday, I found a mask at our local welding shop. Got more yellow to shoot, some accent orange, and clear-coating, and don't need it inside my lungs. Done enough stupid stuff in my life.
Would have bought one earlier instead of paying my body shop neighbor to shoot the Eastwood Epoxy Primer, but at the time, mask panic was right up there with the run on toilet paper.
 
After painting my Interceptor's aft section yellow on Sunday, I went into the house to discover my beard was yellow, the hair on my arms was yellow, and most scary, there was yellow paint on the sides of my nose... Got more yellow to shoot, some accent orange, and clear-coating, and don't need it inside my lungs...
Fortunately, nose hair and mucous do a pretty good job of catching particles and droplets. That's their job. You'll be be blowing yellow boogers. But they certainly don't do a perfect job; masking is good.
 
Fortunately, nose hair and mucous do a pretty good job of catching particles and droplets. That's their job. You'll be be blowing yellow boogers. But they certainly don't do a perfect job; masking is good.
I've certainly had similar experiences. I made a living painting fire hydrants for a while. We wore good protection, but still ended up with Safety Yellow trying to permeate my very being. I wouldn't recommend that level of exposure, but I am really none the worse for wear. If that didn't get me, I'm not real concerned about painting rockets as long as I take basic precautions. Paint outdoors if possible, a light breeze can be helpful. Wear a particulate mask at a minimum. We used an airless on the hydrants. That tool is fairly dangerous and should probably be avoided by non professionals. I like conventional spray guns and airbrushes for models. A paint booth is awesome if you have one to use.
Jim
 
Not much happening as we clean up the farm for the impending fire season. 🤠

Got a cool review on Fleabay for the Gooney Vostok/Brumby:

"Awesome Goony Bird kit! Precision cut high-quality components. Very detailed instructions. Recommend Cape Byron Rocketry. 18mm power to the moon!"

So that was nice. :)
 
Should be a wetter Spring than we've had recently, although I watch the native animals more than listening to forecasters. As soon as the equinox passed birds started building nests, the pythons woke up and the gweela (brush turkey) has started on his mound again. All signs of early Spring weather.
 
I would guess many folks do a little rocketry work every few days. Maybe your work is not new thread worthy, but you might want to at least share with others.
If you feel like it, this can be a thread for that. On the arcade message board I visit they have a thread like that and it is nice.
Sanded the wood filler off of the six fins for the Custom Rockets “Apache” rocket. I think I sanded too aggressively. Got down to the grain. This wood filling and sanding skill is an art, not a science. Then I glued one fin on. Five more to go…
 
I started another rocket. I like my 2.6" Nike Smoke so much I decided to build a 3" version with a 38mm mmt. I cut out the fins from 1/4" 5 ply poplar plywood. I shaped them with my belt sander and then sanded them with an random orbit sander. Then I put on some thinned Elmer's CWF and then sanded again with the orbital sander. I decided to fill the tube spirals for a change. Someone here mentioned that they masked the tubes before the CWF. So I tried that. Worked pretty good. Started sanding with 120 then 220, pulled the tape off and sanded the whole tube with 220 and 400 grit. Came out good. I had forgotten how much work sanding spirals was. But the end result should be worth it.
 
I have always considered these small rockets to be offerings to the rocket gods, and are not meant to return to Earth...
Yeah….if I ever acquire another one of those I think I’ll leave it unfinished
 

Attachments

  • 499A9007-2681-44C0-A665-961050412A56.jpeg
    499A9007-2681-44C0-A665-961050412A56.jpeg
    48.3 KB · Views: 7
Finished repair on NCR Aerobee Hi Test #2. 43 inches long , 2.70 air frame . Ready for flight.:clapping:
 

Attachments

  • aerobee airframe crunch.jpg
    aerobee airframe crunch.jpg
    103.7 KB · Views: 14
  • DSCF4466.JPG
    DSCF4466.JPG
    100.3 KB · Views: 14
  • a1.png
    a1.png
    289.3 KB · Views: 4
  • a3.png
    a3.png
    290.4 KB · Views: 3
  • a5.png
    a5.png
    157.1 KB · Views: 4
  • a4.png
    a4.png
    270 KB · Views: 4
  • a2.png
    a2.png
    210.6 KB · Views: 4
Last edited:
Yeah, one of these.

"Weight 3g. Recommended engine... C6-7....."

Yeahright. Still hasn't come down...

View attachment 475863
Had one as a kid. followed the instructions for maximum apogee.
Split the nose cone, hollowed it out, reglued it back.
Carefully airfoiled the fins.
IIRC there was a choice of three fin shapes. Chose the maximum apogee one (popsicle stick shape I think).
Launched it on a C, lost sight of it going up.
Saw the ejection charge go off on the way down.
Never found it.
My friend said it blew apart.
BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top