What did you do rocket wise today?

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Can is clogged. Before use, I pre-warm and keep spray cans next to a hot water dispenser (it's not hot on the sides and it's insulated, so it's nicely warm).

I have a bunch of older cans and if they clog in the can, I'll put it aside thinking that one day I'll put on a hazmat suit and punch a tiny hole in its top to vent it and salvage the paint (or direct on some household project).

I keep some good nozzles to reuse after I empty a spray can and this cleared the above clog for a bit, but then it clogged for good. I also tried heating the can in hot water.

Once or twice I've written to Rustoleum about the clogged can issue when I got the can new and they sent me a coupon for another can, but these are pretty old by now since I probably got them around 2015 before I took a break and may have even frozen in storage.
I have a bunch of old cans. And most clog after very few minutes. Once they do, they are junk. I've tried many many remedies. Most remedies target the nozzle. With my old cans, that is never the issue. The issue is the dip tube. Nothing, once it is clogged, seems to fix that. I guess some people use a compressor to blow back into the can. I don't have one. I do my best to mitigate the issue by placing the can in what amounts to a drill as a centrifuge. But that is a hit or miss. I guess the lesson is use it or lose it.
 
Found 30 2012 vintage Quick Burst Slim Gems. SCORE right?
Wrong. 21 tested open. Three tested > 20 ohms. Six tested under 10 ohms.
Guess they do not age well. :(
PLS: This has NOTHING TO DO with a commentary on Quick Burst. I am a customer of theirs to this day. Maybe in 10 years, the chemicals destroy the electrical properties of the wire? I don't know. And yes I tried THREE DVMs.

I guess the brightside is I have LOTS of lead wire!
 
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Is that a stable design? Looks way cool, but appears over finned for a model rocket.

I saw a fellow on FB who did an outstanding job of finishing his RR F-104, it looked a lot like an Estes Interceptor. But the RR design has the "wings" way more far forward than an Interceptor.

My mindsim says the rocket will weather cock and ground hit.
You know, I thought the same initially, but @BigMacDaddy tests his designs and works them until they fly pretty well.

Definitely NOT for the beginner, but really great for those that have a lot of experience imho.

Here's my test flight this weekend where it earned its paint...

Going to start a quick build thread on this, but for now I wanted to post my launch this morning on a C5-3. Epic!

View attachment 559943
(Wanted to test it before tackling the paint job.)

~15` flame? :D
View attachment 559944
View attachment 559945
I set it up for a separate chute for the nose cone and a triangular fish line attachment to the tail so it would come down flat to protect the parts and future paint.

It did come down flat; however, the lines got tangled. Will work on that.

Video of the launch!

 
Found 30 2012 vintage Quick Burst Slim Gems. SCORE right?
Wrong. 21 tested open. Three tested > 20 ohms. Six tested under 10 ohms.
Guess they do not age well. :(
PLS: This has NOTHING TO DO with a commentary on Quick Burst. I am a customer of theirs to this day. Maybe in 10 years, the chemicals destroy the electrical properties of the wire? I don't know. And yes I tried THREE DVMs.

I guess the brightside is I have LOTS of lead wire!
It can happen a lot quicker than 10 years. Nichrome is not corrosion-proof, especially when it's fine-gauge and in the presence of an oxidizer.
 
You know, I thought the same initially, but @BigMacDaddy tests his designs and works them until they fly pretty well.

Definitely NOT for the beginner, but really great for those that have a lot of experience imho.

Here's my test flight this weekend where it earned its paint...

Textbook awesomeness.... thanks for the 411
 
I finished assembly on my Estes Scorpius. (Oh wait, forgot launch lugs!)

Now comes the long wait for nice weather, so I can shoot some paint. If we get a day that is sunny and no wind, I’ll do the dash outside and back in, to do a quick primer coat.

44C3D77F-E7FC-4EDB-8FF4-D94445060104.jpeg
 
Started out to paint the Harpoon this afternoon even though it was cold, but once the snow started falling that plan was scrapped. Decided to start on the Laser-X. After checking the parts I thought using the 1/16" fin balsa was just asking for breakage somewhere down the line. Checked Chris Michielssen's blog for his build of this rocket and he replaced the lower fin material with 3/32" balsa. I thought about papering the 1/16' balsa for the lower fins but was concerned warpage would be an issue. So, I spent the afternoon cutting out and shaping 3/32" the parts for the lower fins. Also glued the two sections together for the upper fins (using the original 1/16" balsa).


Fins.jpg
 
I updated our sections name, contact info, logo, website address, and general information with NAR. I also changed the same information on our Facebook group, and our GroupMe chat. Not as glamorous as building a rocket, but these things needed to get done... Oh, and I drove past the Oklahoma City State Fairgrounds to evaluate it as a potential launch site. Things look A LOT different on the ground as compared to a sat photo on Google Earth. Not really suitable after all. 🤷‍♂️
 
When I get a bad can of paint. Either a clog or just about empty I blow them up. I make exploding rifle targets. It's called Ammonal. Tannerite is similar. I set a few cans around the target and boom. Nice fire ball. Remember I live in the big empty desert. I shoot on a mud flat that is many many acres of flat dirt with nothing growing on it.

Today I started another rocket. What else is new. Last night I finished the rocket I started earlier in the day. Now I have 7 rockets that need primer and 1 that needs color. Guess what. The wind blew 15 to 20 mph again. It's supposed to be calm for a few days starting tomorrow so I might make a dent in the backlog.
 
I just had a brilliant idea. I might make a paint shaker I can put in the lathe or mill :) . It may be a little "over the top". Don't know why I didn't think of that before.

Think I might make one from a 246 Dino Ferrari motor. It may be a little bit “over the top”.

🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
 
I just had a brilliant idea. I might make a paint shaker I can put in the lathe or mill :) . It may be a little "over the top". Don't know why I didn't think of that before.
I dunno... I like the spray can shaking "exercise". 😆
Shaking Star Trek GIF

Look at Kirk's biceps!
 
Here is FB member Roy Dawson's F-104 that I referred to previously... pretty awesome. He's on the Estes page over there.

View attachment 560757
Yes, I found that yesterday and posted that it was fantastic!

He hadn't launched it yet and I shared my video noting that I made sure to test before I paint. ;) If I were him, I'd be very afraid to launch that afterwards.

I did so for this since I make it a point to launch all my rockets (otherwise they're really just models) and this one is getting a custom paint that won't be easy.

There was a build thread with an AMAZING large F104 modified build, but I don't think it was ever flown.
 
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I have a bunch of older cans and if they clog in the can, I'll put it aside thinking that one day I'll put on a hazmat suit and punch a tiny hole in its top to vent it and salvage the paint (or direct on some household project).
If you're ready to just throw it away, no hazmat suit is required. Take a piece of that closed cell foam sheet about 1/8" thick that comes as packing material (I'm sure other sorts of sheet would do). Position a tail ready to pierce the bottom of the can, place the sheet over the nail and can, then drive the nail through. There's surprisingly little spray (because the nail mostly seals its own hole) and the sheet catches it all. When it's done hissing, the can can go with other paint for disposal.

Of course, if you got the land, it's more fun to get out the .22 and shoot it.

Is that a stable design? Looks way cool, but appears over finned for a model rocket.
Two words: "Nose weight".

It can happen a lot quicker than 10 years. Nichrome is not corrosion-proof, especially when it's fine-gauge and in the presence of an oxidizer.
Good to know; thanks.
 
I have some decent air guns (which would better in my neighborhood) and had been considering that.

Maybe I should bring along some unpainted rockets and try to cover them in the spray. :p
I'm pretty sure there was a Mythbusters where they tried to paint the inside of a shed using bags of paint around det cord. Spoiler alert: didn't work.
 
I'm pretty sure there was a Mythbusters where they tried to paint the inside of a shed using bags of paint around det cord. Spoiler alert: didn't work.
Actually my thought was to shoot the can with a bb gun, then as the can is spraying the primer out from the hole, holding the naked rockets in the stream of spray. 😆

Would probably make a good first TikTok video for me.

:ghosty:
 
Actually my thought was to shoot the can with a bb gun, then as the can is spraying the primer out from the hole, holding the naked rockets in the stream of spray. 😆

Would probably make a good first TikTok video for me.

:ghosty:
Bold! Will the video maker just get sprayed with paint, or will there be shrapnel from the can bursting? Watch to find out! Like and follow us for more tips! 😬

More seriously, I don't think I've ever punctured a can, so I don't know if the can tears open or if it just sprays paint out the hole. If you know, then you have a better idea of what to expect.
 
I'm pretty sure there was a Mythbusters where they tried to paint the inside of a shed using bags of paint around det cord. Spoiler alert: didn't work.

We "researched" some pretty interesting "tactical employments" of det cord back during #WasteEx_'87. Epic [demonstration of inefficient budgeting]!! Pretty amazing stuff.... endlessly useful IMO.
 
Bold! Will the video maker just get sprayed with paint, or will there be shrapnel from the can bursting? Watch to find out! Like and follow us for more tips! 😬

More seriously, I don't think I've ever punctured a can, so I don't know if the can tears open or if it just sprays paint out the hole. If you know, then you have a better idea of what to expect.
I'd imagine it's like hitting a can of beer or soda with a bb gun where it wouldn't explode, but would just spray out the hole. Check out "hickock45" on YouTube with his huge backyard shooting gallery. He shoots soda bottles all the time (actually more often blows them apart). Lol
 
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Bold! Will the video maker just get sprayed with paint, or will there be shrapnel from the can bursting? Watch to find out! Like and follow us for more tips! 😬

More seriously, I don't think I've ever punctured a can, so I don't know if the can tears open or if it just sprays paint out the hole. If you know, then you have a better idea of what to expect.
Well, I I said, puncturing the bottom while it is upside down with a nail results in very little spraying. Puncturing the side, near the bottom, while it's right side up will, obviously, result in spewing the paint, but I suspect strongly that it would be a ragged stream rather than a spray. Also, those cans, being pressure vessels of a sort, are not so easy to puncture as you might think. So add to the list of possible results that the BB bounces off.
 
Well, I I said, puncturing the bottom while it is upside down with a nail results in very little spraying. Puncturing the side, near the bottom, while it's right side up will, obviously, result in spewing the paint, but I suspect strongly that it would be a ragged stream rather than a spray. Also, those cans, being pressure vessels of a sort, are not so easy to puncture as you might think. So add to the list of possible results that the BB bounces off.
Kidding aside, I thought your idea of puncturing the bottom was very clever!

However, I think I've read in the past that one way to salvage the paint is to let it rest and then puncture the top to vent out the propellant alone. Dremel? :p
 
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