Where to source a metal tip for a scratch nose cone?

[Barkley]

Hi

I'm looking to either make or source a metal tip for my fiberglass nose cone. What material will I need if it'll be going north of Mach 1.5? How difficult would it be to turn a block of that material? I don't have access to a lathe, but I suppose I could McGyver one. I wouldn't be opposed to just buying the tip if that option was available and cost effective.

 

[Bat-mite]

Check in with Rocketry Warehouse, AMW-ProX, Wildman, etc. and see if they will sell you one.

 

[TopRamen]

There are beach umbrellas that have a solid aluminum cone on the bottom.
I had one once but it was at a time when I was not into rocketry and scraped it.
I look at everything I see in daily life as something that could be weaponized or re-purposed, so I can tell you with confidence that pointy metal cones are hard to come by.

Here's a stock pic' of the type of umbrella pole I had:




I wanted to get enough of them to build a Rocket Pod like you would see on attack helicopters.

 

[mpitfield]

From what I have read in an earlier post showing the temp ranges at and through Mach, Mach 1.5 should not be an issue for heat. If you are interested in the metal tip for the look then you can use aluminum or as John said just contact one of the vendors. You should be able to pick one up at a reasonable price. If you are concerned with whatever heat you may realize from Mach 1.5 and the weight of the nosecone, then look at a fiberglass/polycarbonate cone with the phenolic tip. Assuming you can get one that fits your needs it will hold up without any issue and the nosecone is much lighter than a FG with aluminum tip.

 

[Barkley]

Rocketry Warehouse sorted me out. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Blackleaf99]

I realize you already got your answer but. Your local machine shop should be able to turn you an aluminum or other metal nose tip fairly quickly. It is a simple item not requiring much labor to produce. Manually it would take no more than 1 hour to finish.