The First Time

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues...

Have I ever told you about the first rocket I ever built?

Stop me if you've already heard this one.... but they say you'll never forget your first time...and although we're not talking about the same thing here, they're still right.

I was on my way to the first club rocket launch to learn about the hobby (more details in an earlier blog entry, "Rocketing Right Past") when I stopped at a family-owned hardware store. 

I had done an internet search the night before to find: 

1. A source for rockets (hobby shops, stores, suppliers) in my state
2. A local club to visit (and potentially join)
3. A place to launch

What I turned up was the hardware store (that still had departments, including a hobby department) directly on my route across the state to attend a rocket launch that was set for the very next day.  And so, without any other prep, I set off.

When I got to the store, I walked up and down the aisles and asked for some advice from the clerk.  He seemed to be knowledgeable, but a little hesitant about recommending a rocket kit.

There were gliders, two-stagers, entry level, various sizes, and while I didn't see them yet, a wide variety of body tubes and motors to suit all needs. They had a smattering of every taste, but weren't stocked terribly deep.  But I didn't know this at the time.

He asked if I had any model building experience or wood working skills. I admit that I had helped out in my father's backyard woodshop when growing up. Therefore, I knew what the tools were and could use them.  However, I had never done a model other than a plastic tank and a pinewood derby car.

We both agreed that a level 1 was going to be too juvenile for me...I don't recall if they had plastic fin cans or not, but the assembly just looked too simple. The clerk suggested that I start with a level 3 kit, but I was cautious, not wanting to jump in too fast.

I settled on one of their level 2 kits, the "Freedom".  It had a balsa wood nosecone, four fins, a body tube and parachute and other stuff that went inside.

I carried this in my car to the first rocket launch but never broke it out. I knew I couldn't build one there, and wanted to share the experience with my son.  I also bought another rocket at the launch, and I matched the recommended motors, so that anything that burned in my Freedom  would also burn in the Iris scale rocket too.  I thought I was being prudent, not knowing if I was going to continue in the hobby.

I also learned that I would need a launch rod, battery, and other support stuff that I would gather slowly.

I also knew that there was a hobby shop about half way to the hardware store, that I learned stocked the Estes rocket motors. And eventually, I bought a single pack of A3-4s or something like that.

But the point of this entry is to tell you how the build went.  It was my first time.

It turns out this was a Semroc kit, and I was fortunate to have selected one.  The instructions were very clear with check off boxes.  Seems like there were about 24 steps. My son turned up his nose and went back to his computer game. No interest there.

I read all the instructions carefully and assembled my tools and supplies.  For glue, I had a variety of white school glue, glue sticks, and some left over white glue from an Ikea type bookshelf build.  That's the glue that I went with to glue the balsa wood fins on. (Remember that for later.)

I had read that you would want to seal your balsa wood with wood sealer, but I had none. And I wasn't going to sink a lot of money into any part of this hobby until I was sure.  I read that you could dilute Elmer's glue with water to form a slurry that could be painted onto the wood to seal it. The kit had VERY clear instructions of how to do several coats of sealer, primer and then final paint.  But initially, I wasn't going to seal anything.

Speaking of paint, I didn't have a lot of rattle cans at all.   I settled on a very nice shade of powder blue that I had bought for another project. I figured I could use it up with no investment. (Remember this sky blue color.)

I also had a little gloss red available to me, though I have no idea from where.  And some gloss white also.  As the rocket was named Freedom II, I thought I might paint the nosecone and body white and maybe some blue fins. After some thought, I figured the more colors, the greater the visibility.  So I settled on a white body tube, red nosecone, and powder blue fins. (My first attempt at masking!)

Having read all the instructions, I started very carefully assembling some round rings and smaller tubes along with a metal clip and a wrap of masking tape...into something called a Motor Mount. (The masking tape was left over from another project and the adhesive had become tacky. Nobody in the family wanted to use it, but it was left over, and again, I had minimal investment into this hobby. Yet.)

I set the motor mount assembly aside to dry, and then moved onto the nosecone. A slight bit of sanding to make it slide in and out of the body tube, then a wrap of masking tape to protect it up to the shoulder. 

Carefully, oh so carefully, I turned the screw-eye into the base of the balsa nosecone, and backed it out before adding a drop of glue to the threads and re-inserting it. I was SO careful.

When it came time to insert the motor mount into the body tube, I was so careful, as I understood this was a one-time movement.  I think I invited my son to come join in at this point, but again, he had his nose in his computer game and couldn't be bothered. Sigh.

I sanded the fins a little (they really didn't need much, but I followed the directions) and worked on priming and filling the grain. Eventually, I used the IKEA glue bottle to adhere them to the body tube.

I don't recall if the rocket had a streamer or a parachute, but I know that I carefully attached it and wrapped it for insert.

Finally, I masked and painted the fins on the next day, and finished the rocket assembly.

Along with this, I had been assembling materials to build a crude launch pad.  I had a one-foot square plank of 3/4" thick pine, a yard sale metal stake that stood two feet tall, a used 9 volt camping lantern battery, and 12 feet of twisted pair wires from an old doorbell that I struggled to mount two used mismatched alligator clips onto.  My blast shield was the aluminum pull out from a cat food can. (It didn't last.)

I must have powdered the chute with left-over baby powder, and folded it neatly inside.  I don't recall if I used dog barf or treated recovery wadding, but I think they were going to be separate  purchases, besides the motor pack. (Estes hadn't made the combo pack for motors, ignitors and recovery wadding yet...a great idea that made entry into the hobby that much easier.)

To make the long story short,  I took it to the launch master at the club launch, and he examined it, pronouncing it fit to fly. I launched the rocket successfully, but upon landing, a fin broke off...and a second one was cracked.  I took it back to the launch master   and he examined it, marveling at how the glue had not been strong enough to hold the fin on.  He also commented on the lack of beveling of the fins.

Apparently, fins had to be feather-shaped, though I didn't know why.  Another veteran there explained..."You want to squeeze out every last foot of height you can, don't you?"  I didn't care. I just wanted a successful flight and recovery at that time.

When they discovered I had used furniture glue, they hooted and laughed at my expense, and advised me "buy a bottle of Elmer's yellow wood glue."  I did, and it's a good thing too.

After each additional flight (added by a quick sprits of CA and accelerator at the club launch), another fin would break off.  Eventually, I replaced all four fins, but took advantage of their weakness to feather the leading edge of each one, and repainted them again.  

I also got an "Estes smile" on the nosecone, and wound up sanding, filling with wood filler, and repainting the red nosecone.  This time, I coated and sealed it in future floor wax acrylic covering.

Ah memory lane.  It was my first rocket, and I learned SO much with that simple rocket.  These days, I could whip it together in just two hours, using yellow wood glue to seal, attach and coat the balsa wood.  But this one took me all of two days to complete. I was SO careful.

I have since learned a little axiom for how to judge how long a kit will take you to assemble. Each skill level, 1-2-3-4-5, represents the number of evenings you'll be spending on the kit, waiting for things to dry and cure.

This is a memory of the Thrifty Blogger, who assures you I have a lot more rattle cans now, as well as a "professional launch pad" and much longer control wires.