What did you do rocket wise today?

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Just ordered a gallon of West Systems epoxy, 105/206. My existing stock is well past its use-by date and almost empty anyway.
WEST Systems makes great epoxy products. I've been using them for 35 years now. The interesting thing about WEST System is that it was developed by the Gougeon Brothers, who were wooden boat builders. They developed an epoxy that has the least toxicity since they used it every day.
 
Took a break from software and worked on the engine test stand. Thank you Richard Nakka!

Only broke two old vices in the process…who knew 3/4 inch emt would be that hard to flatten.. I’m exhausted!

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Finished up my Estes Crossbow SST. I checked the mail and I had a nose cone from eRockets. It's a BNC-55EX for my Estes Ranger clone (#1955). Now that I finally have it all together I can get started. This is the only rocket I ever lost when I first got into rocketry in the mid-80s.

I also had a package on the porch from ACSupply - an Estes Mars Longship! This is a replacement kit for one I ordered a couple of weeks ago that arrived damaged. Kudos to Doug at ACSupply who sent out a new kit. That one will take some time to work on.
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Dude, the way to flatten tubing like that with a vise is to put in on the flat anvil portion on the vise behind the jaws, and smack it with a BFH. One hit and it's flat.
Cast vises will not flatten it well without breaking, btdt. A forged steel vice will, but last I looked they were >500 bux.
after looking. a 20 ton press is cheaper. and more useful. :)
 
Dude, the way to flatten tubing like that with a vise is to put in on the flat anvil portion on the vise behind the jaws, and smack it with a BFH. One hit and it's flat.
Cast vises will not flatten it well without breaking, btdt. A forged steel vice will, but last I looked they were >500 bux.

I agree! And the one I bought to replace them did have the anvil and I did get my “big“ hammer out to help out.
 
I found a short piece of railroad rail that had broken off a few years ago, and made it into an anvil, for shaping various metal parts.
Vevor sells cast steel anvils for outrageously low sums. I got an 88lber for about $1.70/lb or so. Not as hard as a Kohlswa, but vastly superior to a vise or cast iron anvil. A sledge head makes a decent small anvil in a pinch.
 
Vevor sells cast steel anvils for outrageously low sums. I got an 88lber for about $1.70/lb or so. Not as hard as a Kohlswa, but vastly superior to a vise or cast iron anvil. A sledge head makes a decent small anvil in a pinch.
Please dont use a sledge head as an anvil, if the two hammer heads strike together they can spall off splinters of steel causing injury dont ask me how I know. Hammers in most cases have hardened faces.
 
Please dont use a sledge head as an anvil, if the two hammer heads strike together they can spall off splinters of steel causing injury dont ask me how I know. Hammers in most cases have hardened faces.
Anvils have hardened faces. You're supposed to strike the squishy metal, not the anvil 🙃
 
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