The Thrifty Rocketeer

  It's pretty well known that the NAR Safety Code does not permit metal parts composing a model rocket. However, there are a few notable exceptions. First, is the metal spring clip.  This is almost essential for most rockets, and it tends to be something that is permitted, or overlooked. Second, is the screw-eye.  In the days of balsa wood nosecones, this was essential to securing the shock cord and/or parachute to the nosecone. Third, is the fishing lure swivel, which is very commonly added at the gathering point of the shroud lines of a chute to prevent tangling. Though this device can be quite heavy and strong in higher power levels, they are relatively minor for low power.  The only drawback that I have heard, is that most cheap versions contain a sharp point on the clasp, which can poke or rip a plastic chute. So, with this background of metal parts in mind, I was a bit surprised to see an old-school plan for a model rocket that specifically calls for a metal st...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... Recently, we conducted a poll of Facebook members asking what items would you tell a new rocketeer they need in their Range Box/Jump Kit/Tackle Box? The following is a list of the first 20 items in no particular order. See if you agree: 1.Spare parachutes-- every low power rocket eventually melts or rips a chute 2.Clothes pins-- great for a temporary clamp while gluing; also used on launch rods to keep the rocket elevated off the blast shield 3. Hobby Knife-- razor sharp, this cutting tool performs a host of services from slicing Kevlar cord to slicing balsa wood 4. Spare Swivels-- these fishing tackle devices can help repair a chute or connect 5.Spare Igniters-- sometimes they just won't start, and you need a replacement 6.Masking Tape-- great for a wrap around a motor to snug up a friction fit or to be used to mask off an area to be painted... or not. 7.Scotch Tape-- especially 3M Magic Mending Tape, used to CHAD stage a booster onto the e...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues.. There's an old tale of how a struggling to middle level razor company came up with a strategy to improve their sales and thereby saved the company. This goes back many decades to the time period when men used straight razors to shave or be shaved in a barber's chair. Someone recognized that perhaps the customer would prefer to do their own shaving in the privacy of their room or in front of a mirror.  However, the customer was not likely to have a strap of leather on which to sharpen their razor, as was common in the barber shop chair. The invention of the personal razor was a revolution to the industry, but also in the approach to the  blade. That is, Wilkenson developed a razor blade holder that would clamp down on the razor blade and allow the customer to weld their own tool.  When one side got clogged or failed to shave, the man could simply rotate the device and use the second blade to continue.  When necessary, they ...

The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... This entry won't really have a lot to do with model rocketry directly... but it started with it. An area rocketry club decided that they would hold a launch this weekend.  They planned well, assigned who would set up, who would strike, what times they would be at the launch field, and they checked the weather forecast. Although a bit cold for my tastes, the skies would clear and bright sunshine might offset the March chill in the air. They would go for it. However the night before, something odd happened in the weather. There were a lot of reports of "dirty rain".  The public was commenting to media outlets that their cars were dirty after sprinkles or showers, even after they had just run them through a car wash.  They wanted to know what this tan, brown, white or dirty residue was. And, they posted on social media about what they found and some snapped pictures of their hoods and roofs to share. Almost immediately, the misinformat...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... Several months ago, I posted a column on the end of one of the largest old-style Hardware stores in the region.  It had a huge hobby department that had been maintained for years by a senior advisor for our rocketry club.  Upon his passing, the department dwindled. It was a sad posting, and it garnered the largest audience I ever had in the history of this blog. Today, I am sad to say it is my duty to inform you of the demise of their competition ...  A modern hobby shop that caters to the RC truck enthusiast in the area.  Among the myriad RC kits, batteries, contraptions, etc. ... is a very small display of model rocket kits and parts. And hidden among the rest of the store are similar products that one might need in constructing these kits... glues, epoxy, CA, paints, paint brushes, sand paper, knives, etc. However, the owners of this more modern hobby & RC shop have decided to retire.   That means, they a...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... Most rocketeers who have any experience with launching low power or Estes Rockets will recognize the need for maintaining a spare plastic parachute in their jump box or launch kit.  The need for a ready-to-go chute is often sudden and inescapable.  But not so many rocketeers will be aware of the need to powder their behind on a semi-regular basis. That is, one thing that we all discover is that plastic sheets, chutes, garbage bags, clingwrap and plastic shopping bags all have a behavior in common.    The plastic sheets not only like to cling to one-another, but they also tend to stick together... especially when they have been stored for awhile, or exposed to heat.  (This means, tucked in a closet during the summer, or on that shelf above the furnace in the basement over winter....   any place that a folded parachute may be stored and exposed to a little bit of heat.) To prevent this, it is a common practic...