What did you do rocket wise today?

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I sanded the plywood fins on my LOC 4" BBX. Hugh pieces of plywood so I used my mouse sander and 80 grit to give it a fairly sharp leading edge profile. I lost about 22g in the process. The mouse sander was a great investment when I moved up from balsa to plywood fins as my models are getting larger. Loosing the extra weight and lowering the CD are both pluses.

Tonight I will build the fin/motor can outside the tube which will be a new technique for me. This thing has a 54mm Ø x 432mm engine tube for up K motors.
 
There was a suprise break in the weather, so I did a raft of paint touchup work on Project Venn, using the "spray into a cup and then brush it on" approach.

After using several cans of the paint I had on hand, including a couple of no-name store brands, I can confidently say, with all consideration and maturity, that Rusto rules, Krylon drools.
 
The last couple of days, I’ve gotten back to rolling paper body tubing.
The first one is in the right - it always seems to take one or two to regain the touch.

FYI: 3.44" body tube that I originally made to match the tubing in the Estes 1/35 scale Mercury Atlas so I could make an Atlas Agena and a Gemini Titan to the same scale. But's it's proved really useful as the External Tank for a 1/100 Space Shuttle, and Terrier sounding rockets the same scale (~) as the Estes Pro Series II Nike Smoke.

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Finished up last minute touches on my Interceptor - E before moving on to another kit, Estes Photon Probe (#3026). The balsa in the kit was extremely weak so I papered the main fins and did the engine mount. I have a launch this weekend with our local group and I am working on picking out what I want to launch, especially since my wife and daughter may be there to watch awhile.
 
Finished building a QCC Explorer yesterday. Can't paint for a few months because its too cold. Pulled a Goblin and Doorknob out of the build pile and decided to go with the Doorknob. I'll build this one stock and upgrade the next one with a 38mm mount.
 
on Nov. 7th I sent a kid $80 for some rocket motors but never received them yet, so trying to get someone at the bank to answer the phone after being on hold for 17 minutes 🤬
 
But you'd have burned more calories with hand sanding. How much mass came off the fins?

I can't imagine sanding that by hand, it would take forever. 17+ grams off the main fins and 5 grams off the upper fins (although with those I also chamfered the trailing edge. I also made tiny chamfers where the fins meet the centering rings because of the little bit of epoxy at the edge of the CRs takes up some space..
 
Sat down, picked up a fin. Looked for the other three. Gave up. Picked up the proto type build pieces for next rocket but couldn't decide on 29 or 38mm. Put it down and picked up the latest build 90% complete. Couldn't find the custom bulkhead for the av bay. Got up, went to the iPad and here I am.
 
I went to a launch on my 61st birthday. 48 years after I got that first Estes starter kit. I flew my AstroCam and the RC Apogee Condor. I crashed the latter. Which gives me an excuse to attempt to build a better one.

BTW, is there a thread about keeping the Condor from suffering Red Barons so much?
 
Prepped rockets for this weekends three day launch. Thursday is low/mid power, but Friday, Saturday and Sunday are high power waivered to 50,000 ft. Yesterday I prepped my Fire Flyer with an L1000 White Lightning, and "Fast Freddy", which is a 3" Punisher going up on an L935 Imax, and the Big Bad Dog with a 75mm MMT flying on an L1040 Dark Matter. I also glued the grains on a CTI M840 moon burner which is going in my carbon fiber Mongoose 75. Last time I flew that motor the Mongoose was naked and made it up to 28,905 ft. Now it has a slick epoxy paint job...

I'm calling this launch my "send it" launch.

Today I prepped "Slick Willy", a 4" Punisher with a 75/6000 Not Your Wimpy Red M2047, which flew to over 18,000 ft. last time on that motor. I also loaded the M840 in the Mongoose and finished it up.
Sharon came down to the rocket room around 2:30 pm and we started prepping avbays for her flights. She is taking eight high power rockets this weekend, if we can get them all ready. We worked for about three hours and quit for dinner. I had to take this picture, because just this once, my side of the work table was cleaner than hers:

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I read several issues of "Rockets" magazine that are posted on the web for back issues. I love looking at old rocketry magazines and reading about the launches and pictures so if anybody wants to get rid of their old magazines send them my way.
I took one of the extra level 2 study guides and went through with a black marker and marked out all of the incorrect answers so that only the correct one is shown, that seems to work with me and taking tests.
 
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