The Thrifty Rocketeer

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... A couple of weeks ago, I spotted a small volume of "Sanding Sealer" on discount from a major rocket distributor and parts supplier. Since I had a few cents in my pocket, and I was placing another order anyway, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on this.  I figured I would learn a little bit about it and perhaps use some on a larger project down the road, when finish appearance was important to me. Well, I've already learned a bit.  Not all of it was good, but life is a journey... and so, I'm on a learning curve regarding this stuff. First, the amount was only a couple of fluid ounces, which is fine by me, cause the square inch area of my balsa fins and nosecone are usually quite small to begin with. But perhaps we should back up to the beginning.  It's my understanding that a rocketeer or modeler wants to seal the pores of any wood so that it will not absorb the paint unevenly and reveal the wood grain beneath the finish. 

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... Although this has been debated before, it seems even more clear to me now that there are only two levels of power in Model Rocketry.  Oh, I know that people will claim there are three:  Low power, mid-level and High power.   But the more I see of the industry nowadays, I believe there are only two. Ask any member of the general public about model rocketry and they will usually respond something like, "Yeah, I remember that from Boy Scouts....or Grade School.  Do they still do that?"   It's much the same response when you talk about comic books, or plastic models... are they still around?  Are they still doing that?" The fact of the matter is that most people think of cardboard tubes and fins along the line of low power rockets. And anytime that you walk into a  hobby store.... whether it is a Hobby SHOP, or Hobby Lobby...  you'll find a number of low-power rockets hanging on the rack or on the shelf.  This is the entry lev

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... One of the unsung heroes of the model rocket launch, is the power leads. Now, after the Estes Launch controller, most launch systems rely upon long 25 ft or 50 ft orange extension cords to run out to the launch pad.  Most are 3 element grounded cords and are easily visible when laying on the ground. Most launch controllers accept the male end into the female end panel mounted socket for each launch circuit. But it's the other end, where the cord meets the ignitor and the actual exhaust blast of the rocket that I'm talking about. The lead running from the power cord to the igniter is basically a molded male end of a short power cord.  It typically ends in two  wires with allegator clips crimped or soldered onto the wire, so that the rocketeer may pinch clip to the exposed wires of the starter/igniter. Now, you might think that this part would only have to be constructed once, and work for years and years. But remember that the allegator c

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... Well, I couldn't resist. After asking a couple of questions and getting a positive response to my request that the seller clean off the yellow ammo box with some Windex and snap another picture... I was hooked. And it wasn't until much later that I realized that I had seen this item before...and probably shot them a message inquiring about it some time ago.  However, I hadn't talked myself into it yet. But this morning, I found myself driving 2.5 hours west across the state to drop-in on the seller and inspect the goods.   (I already had inquired if they would take half the amount for just the ammo box, and not the motors, which are suspect.)  They confirmed it was still available and at the price they had listed. The Ammo box had been modified to house a key switch, a push button momentary contact switch, a glowing red indicator light, and a two-prong plug for quick disconnect of the launch pad wires. The space inside the ammo box c

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... A couple of days ago I admitted to sifting through Facebook Marketplace ads for bargains, rocketry related. ( "The Save" blog entry .) Now some people might be aghast at this, but remember, this IS the Thrifty Rocketeer blog ... and we look for bargains. Among the various adds for launch pads, controllers and rockets of various designs and condition, I spotted a couple of lots of new motors, or combinations of rockets, launch pads and motors.  Some of these could be a good value, particularly if the items are physically near to you, so that you don't have to pay shipping for these items.  Remember, shipment of motors requires HASMAT protocols and a bunch of expenses that we really want to avoid. But sometimes you can spot a deal, or talk the seller into a nice compromise to net them some cash, and you get some options without having to go through Hobby Lobby or other commercial venue. Recently, I spotted a small number of motors t

 The Thrifty Rocketeer steals today's topic from the headlines... A while back, I commented on the move to replace Estes rubber shock cords with Kevlar strings and such.  And I found another blog entry about  How to Rescue from a Tree . Well, the topic has come up with a vengeance once again. Two months or more ago, a fellow rocketeer decided to launch a high-power rocket on a windy day at our launch field.  As you might guess, the steady winds aloft made all rockets launched that day drift.  But this one went further than the others, into the trees. Now, it's bad enough to get your rocket stuck in a tree, but consider that this was a multi-stage high power rocket that had a drog chute, a nosecone, a midsection, and a body tube that contained a casing of high quality.  And all four parts were connected by a sturdy harness strap. As a result, the top of the chute is snagged in the top of the tallest tree that bounds the field, and dangles the rest of the 30-40 foot length down

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... A couple of weeks ago, I reported a really good score I made from the local Facebook marketplace ad.  (here it is:  The Big Score ) It was a collection of used and new motors, two rockets, a launch pad and a lot of materials from about 1997-98, including roll your own rocket tubes, motors and sugar motors, etc.  I posted about it here. Well, thinking that lightning might strike twice, I have been patrolling the Facebook marketplace semi-regularly for such a bargain. A couple of entries have looked promising, but nothing panned out. Today, I spotted a $100 listing from elsewhere in the state, for a couple of rockets, 2 launch pads,  and quite a bit of new motors, all low-power.  It seemed to be from a young guy who was getting out.  I couldn't resist the opportunity to inquire of his interest, especially since he was near a major metropolitan center, and a major rocketry club too. I dropped him a line, only about a half hour after he had post

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... This is a true story. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. About a year or two ago, I spotted a post in our local neighborhood Facebook page, asking what there was for a 13 year old boy to do in our town during the summer. I thought about it for a while and decided that rocketry might be of help. Coincidentally, a nearby craft supply store was going out of business, as they had been purchased by another chain.  As a result, all product on the shelves were being reduced by 20%, then 30%, eventually 50%  and on the last day 75%. The store had a very modest rocketry entry. Not even a department, just a space on the shelf in the hobbies/toys aisle.  They had a launch kit, a small box of various Estes motors (A8-3, B6-4, C6-5), a few RTF rockets and that was about it. I kept my eye on that launch kit and pounced at the last moment, also snagging a variety pack of motors, that featured one of each of the three motors.  As I got up

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... So, for Thanksgiving/Black Friday,  I ordered a 13 mm V-2 rocket kit from a professional manufacturer. It was a good deal, and I needed something small and quick for me to keep busy. When it came, I was surprised at how small and few parts it had.  A turned balsa wood nosecone, a body tube, a turned "boat-tail" that looks like a transition, and a sheet of 3"x4"x3/32" plywood for the fins. Plus a thrust ring, a stick or spar for internal work, a launch lug, and a few decals. Not much more.  Oh, the parachute is a prepack mylar plastic thing, and the eye-screw is already mounted in the end of the nosecone and sealed with glue in place! Surprise!  The plywood sheet, though thin, is NOT LAZER CUT!  It's Old School...lay out your pattern and hand cut it out! The sheet has a template associated with it for positioning the angle of the fins, as well as a template for both a "pod" and the fin.   The fin is 2"