What did you do rocket wise today?

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Bought stuff. Started thinking through my next launch trip & what rockets I need to build for it.
 
Showed my rockets off to a painter/handyman that came by to look at what we want done. Did some more work on the OddRoc. It was to cold and windy, again, to do any painting.
 
Got more paint to finish off my builds. Ordered two sets of decals from Stickershock. My LOC Aura showed up from Everdon Rocketry and my Super Big Bertha showed up from Estes.
 
Cool rebuild and that blue paint is great. I had a BBZ that we did metallic blue and silver vs the typical light blue and white. Great combination and great execution!
That reminds me, I should do a blue and silver; they were our wedding colors. Maybe a double tube cluster, and call it Wedding. Or three tubs sizes, stepping down with shoulders instead of transitions, i.e. like a cake. Hmm...
 
We went to Home Depot for some 5/8 in dowel rods to use for my rocket display stand but they only had Pine and oak. I was looking for poplar so we went across the street to Lowe's and they had the Poplar, so I got two of them.
 
I use the Marples straight back saw that "Sooner Boomer" gifted me and cut the 5/8 in dowels down to 3 in long, which I needed nine of them for the rocket display board. I drilled a pilot hole in each one of them so they wouldn't split out. I will paint them with the satin black tomorrow when it warms up. I'm getting a little closer to where the room needs to end up. I still have a dozen things on the list to do and we have lived here 5 years with the room still not finished. :confused:
 
Saw a Starlink Train last night.

Today, made a quick and dirty ORK for The Estes UP Aerospace kit. I might break some down for the nosecones. I have a new project... And four bulk boxes of the UP kit.

Dingo. Those tubes need nose cones.

Dingo.jpg


Read this. Bummer.

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Added the motors we picked up at the Kloudbusters launch to our motor stock. Recalculated the current motor count, down from 518 commercial motors to 462.
Cleaned the research (snap ring) casings we flew at the Argonia cup/Kloudburst launch.
Added 1515 rail buttons to the new fincan for "Jughead". I think that is the last task for this project.
Then sat with a pen in hand and looked at the last entry in Jugheads file, dated 8-16-2018. :confused:
All the work done in the last three months on this project has not been documented.
One of my least favorite tasks is paperwork.
The good news is that I updated the Open Rocket file. :)
I will be flying this 24 lb. rocket on an M1297 next month to calculate Cd.
Should get up to around 8700 ft.
 
More work on the OddRoc. Trimmed the salvaged fins a bit. Cut the fin slots with a Dremel and a cut off wheel. Tacked the fins down with JB KwikWeld and then did the filets. I use PC Super Epoxy for filets. I dyed it red to match the fins. All the parts have to be done before assembly. I glued the launch lugs on with thick CA. Tomorrow, final assembly and putting on a retainer. Then you all can see it.
 
3d printed a nose cone and some fins for a mini tomahawk rocket that uses a small estees engine. I designed it in open rocket based around a aluminum foil tube i had lying around
 
Worked on the Interceptor. Pre-glued the sanded portions of the tube where the fins and lugs mount, and the root edges of the fins and lugs for the double glue joints.
Glued and filleted the launch lugs and the two sub fins. Titebond II to attach and to make the first fillets, Titebond Molding and Trim glue for final fillets.
 
Ordered some parts a few days ago for our club's yearly contest flights...so both my son and I will be cloning Executioners for that contest.

And, I threw in some Estes 2.5" PSII BTs and a nosecone. Thinking a 29mm motored PSII Ninja might be fun...good on plenty of 24mm loads too.
 
Had a great day at MDRA for Red Glare! Lots of wind made recovery times pretty long, so I only managed 6 flights for the day. But I got all my rockets back in the same number of pieces that I launched them, so that's a big win! I flew 2 K motors in my tube fin, 3 J motors, and a single I. Did the longest recovery walks I've ever personally done, too.

john_with_series_of_tubes_before_k980_flight.jpg

My Gorilla K980 burned through the liner in three places, and then the BP charges pushed the forward bulkhead in and crumpled the liner a bit at one of the burnthough points (bottom of middle section). Several vets had never seen that before, and we didn't know what happened until I disassembled the motor. Luckily the case seems to be fine.

k980_liner_remains.jpg
 
Put the final touches on my LOC Hi-Tech and Lil-Nuke. Going to fly them both at the upcoming April launch for my local club.
 
Went shopping for basswood for fins for scratch builds. Glued the main wings on the Interceptor with the same regimen I used on the sub fins and lugs.
 
Worked repairing and prepping chutes. Next, I'm going to epoxy fillets along the fin/motor tube joint on a rebuild. This time time I'm gluing them together then sliding assembly into body tube. Normally, I put the fins in and glue everything assembled. Dealing with the (relatively) small sizes I'm dealing with, I don't think it matters either way. I *might* get everything glued up tonight.
 
I picked up some blue foam board at Home Depot. Going to try and make a nose cone for the Flashy Gordon rocket. I have never tried to make a nose cone out of a foam board. I primmed and painted the Easter eggs that are end of fin pods on the Christmas ornament rocket. I ordered some foam primmer on Amazon. I couldn't find any in two different Home Depots and Walmart. The stuff was $30 a can. Ouch. My order is ready at BMS. I just have to remember to go get it. Then I'll be able to do some more work on the rubber chicken rocket.
 
I picked up some blue foam board at Home Depot. Going to try and make a nose cone for the Flashy Gordon rocket. I have never tried to make a nose cone out of a foam board. I primmed and painted the Easter eggs that are end of fin pods on the Christmas ornament rocket. I ordered some foam primmer on Amazon. I couldn't find any in two different Home Depots and Walmart. The stuff was $30 a can. Ouch. My order is ready at BMS. I just have to remember to go get it. Then I'll be able to do some more work on the rubber chicken rocket.
Be sure to strip the plastic vapor barrier from both sides of the foam before gluing.
 
got the new shelf up on top of the Lp unit and the rockets in place
5uy3add.jpg
 
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