The Thrifty Rocketeer

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... A recent entry on Facebook made an excellent suggestion that we all agree is very good.  A number of people have endorsed it and said that they have done this regularly.  Perhaps we all have at various times. The suggestion is to save the chopsticks that one receives at a Chinese restaurant and to place them in your tool box. The idea is that many of these chopsticks are two round dowels on one end, but have a flattened opposite end that in some cases are initially attached.  To use them, you pry the two pieces apart. The idea is that the flat end can be used as a paddle to apply glue (epoxy or otherwise) deep inside the body tube on in hard to reach places, like along the motor mount in a through-the-wall fin arrangement.   The original poster even suggested marking one inch increments along the chopstick, so that you can grip the stick at the right mark and know exactly how many inches you will be able to reach down int...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... This is going to be a departure from my usual comments and tips  directly related to rocketry .  But bear with me, there is a connection. We've all gone to club launches where there are several launch pads.  Most of these are controlled through a  panel launch controller, via a  weak current that runs out to the launch pad through a standard electrical extension power cord.  But when it gets to the launch rod, it is typical for a jumper/adapter, or clip lead to be used. This consists of a short power cord (lamp, toaster, fan or other power cord) with a male plug on one end to mate with the extension cord, and bare wires at the other end that typically have alligator clips or micro test clips that connect onto the igniter wires.   Most of us haven't given this much thought, as we're focused on our rocket and the motor's igniter and getting a good connection that shows continuity.  Someone else (an ...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... This will be short and sweet. The wife decided to hold a yard sale Labor Day weekend, and pulled together all sorts of odds and ends. She got her usual materials together, and I created a sign for out front, some balloons to attract attention, and a dry erase board.  One of her regular items is a carpenter's nail bib, which she wears around her waist to collect cash, pens, masking tape, etc. When she ran inside for a bathroom break, she handed it off to me to wear for a few minutes. I couldn't figure out how to tie it on myself once she had left.  I tried tying a bow behind me, but couldn't make it work.  When she returned, she asked me why I was struggling.  I told her of my difficulties, and she said there was a simple solution.   Just tie it in front of you as if  you were wearing it backwards!  Then, just pull it around, straightening it to the front! How simple! So what does this have to do with r...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... At a recent club launch, a new rockeeter showed up with a fairly elaborate two stage Estes rocket kit that he had assembled well.  The fins were on straight, and the parts of the rocket were all there. However the startling thing about the kit was the complete lack of decals, decorations or paint.  Nada. Nothing.  No color.  No sealing.  Nothing. Not wanting to discourage him on this extremely humid August day, we looked over the rocket and the range safety officer approved the rocket for launch.  He marched his rocket proudly out to the low power launch rods and threaded it down the rod, securing it with a clothes pin an inch or two above the blast shield.  The leads were attached and all was ready. The new launch controller was in place and we were all learning its quirks and operation.  One thing that was different was the lack of a continuity tone, though each circuit had an indicator light for con...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... A recent inquiry on Facebook about papering fins has triggered a memory of my learning about  balsa wood sealing.     I learned the hard way about sealing your balsa nose cone before painting.  My first red nosecone looked SO good, I was proud of it until I launched the second time. The shock cord snapping the nosecone back against the top of the body tube (I presume) caused what is known as an "Estes Smile"... a curved indentation into the wood that mars the appearance.     Some wood filler and another coat of paint and I was good to go again.... and AGAIN it happened.  That's when I learned...  I've done papering of larger fins once... using typewriter paper and a heavy slurry of wood glue and water. It worked well, but seemed to be more work than I wanted to go into.   Instead, from my very first rockets some ten years ago, I read about mixing a slurry of Elmer's wood glue (yello...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues...   It's been a long while since we've done a build thread.... or posted anything in this blog, for that matter. A recent photo on Facebook showed a short, small rocket with what appears to be washers on the lower tips of each fin.   A closer inspection reveals that it's a "Lil' Hercules" reproduction rocket by Semroc. Now, Semroc has been acquired some years ago by eRockets.biz who have reissued many of the classic kits.  This is part of a reissued repro rocket line.  As some parts and motors have been discontinued, there have been some slight alterations in the kit, but they were made available to the buying public. After a number of years, all that appear to remain are a few sheets of laser cut fins, a file of the reissued instructions, and a parts list.  Fortunately, all the parts listed (all 12 of them) are still available.  Note that the washers are for weight purposes, as the length of the motor has ch...

  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...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues.... A couple of weeks ago, I made reference to a couple of things as "a rite of passage" in the hobby, or  to put it another way, a skill or accomplishment that almost every developing rocketeer will tackle at some time or another. It seems to me that some of these are basic skills, and so most advanced or skilled rocketeers will have no interest in reviewing these because they seem so obvious.  So I know that I am addressing the newbie or young rocketeer here for today's subject. First, there are any number of ways to progress in this hobby. You need not go from A to B to C to D... it's not like there's a hierarchy of levels or permits that you have to earn or achieve.  Most rocketeers build whatever strikes their fancy and while this generally will lead from low power to higher power, let's not get too bogged down in this. The question remains, what things do almost all rocketeers do or attempt at some point in their ca...