The Thrifty Rocketeer

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... I saw it tonight when I stopped by to see if there was anything new for me at HL.  Not only did I take a look at the model rocketry display, but also took a glance at the clearance shelves as well. There, hanging on a single peg, was a small blue cardboard box, all alone, and without any fanfare or picture to show the contents.  I had expected that it was going to be a printer cartridge or something for a craft paint project, but I was wrong. The plain white lettering on the blue box said it was a micro-burnishing tool kit for the Pinewood Derby kit.  Huh? Now, I recall the Pinewood Derby from my days as a cub scout in the mid-1960s. The basic concept is to take a fairly standard block of pine with two wire axels and four black plastic wheels and turn it into a racecar.   The block of wood can be carved to any shape, and the wheels attached so that it will roll down an inclined plane or track and drag race five or si...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... I think we can all agree that Estes Rockets are pretty much the entry point to our hobby.  As one of, if not THE longest running company , we all know their product and the construction level that is called for in those kits. And these days, with the demise of many mom and pop hobby stores as well as a consolidation of brick and mortar outlets,  we're probably all resigned to the fact that a store with the initials "HL" is the main entry point for mothers buying a gift for their kid. And those mothers need all the help they can get.  Skill Levels, materials, heights, motors, staging, fin cans, launch sets... the list of information that a knowledgeable buyer needs to make an informed purchase goes on and on. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that none of the employees of HL have any depth of knowledge at all. Which is why I am always so grateful whenever a rocket kit manufacturer gives some form of skill level chart or...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues.... Several months ago, I spotted a suggestion from a newbie to our hobby in a Facebook posting that caught my eye. Though I initially dismissed it as impractical, I got to thinking about the suggestion, and now believe that it may have some merit. The posting on Facebook was inspired by the amount of dogbarf that is scattered by the ejection charge when the nosecone and parachutes are dislodged. Now this isn't my original idea, but the poster suggested that we could include flower seeds along with the wrapping of our parachute, so that they would be released and scattered when it opened. Think about that.  That's a pretty good dispersal system. Now the downside is if you're launching over a farmer's plowed field, he may not WANT flowers or weed type plants in the middle of his field. But then I would think he always has to handle unwanted plants when he tills and plants his fields anyway.  So I don't think this is a major objec...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... This is a posting that crosses over into other hobbies as well. We all know that there is an occasional use for soldering in Rocketry.  There's a clip that needs repair, or a battery terminal  or a length of wire that needs to be fixed. Whatever the repair or project, the task is the same.... joining two pieces of metal in an electrical and/or mechanical joint.  When you have two dissimilar metals,  or if you have a metal that is easily corroded, it works best if the tarnish or corrosion is cleaned off. And that's where flux comes in. Now, there are a lot of different kinds and strengths of flux.... from rosin core that is embedded inside a roll of solder, to a liquid acid flux that is brushed on and immediately attacks or brightens the metal. The intent is for the surface of the metal to be cleaned and allow the solder to "bite" better. Now, the first half of my life, I was only exposed to rosin core solder in Heathkit p...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... It's been awhile since I posted, but a recent post in a rocketry page inspired me. The original poster wanted to share how thrilled he was to discover a great re-application of something from the holiday season. He shared a photo of a package of holiday appetizer sticks like the kind you might skewer a piece of cheese or olive or perhaps an  hors d'oeuvres . He says he uses them as stir sticks and applicators for his epoxy and that he couldn't be more pleased with the disposable plastic sticks. This stirred a memory for me of my own quest for the best stir stick for my occasional epoxy needs. Back in the 60s when my father would repair a drawer pull or fix a plastic knob from a radio set or something household, he would always fashion a small cradle or bowl out of tin foil. He would then squeeze an equal measure of each tube of epoxy (Resin  and then hardener) onto the tin foil, and after securing equal amounts, begin some brisk st...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... Last entry I suggested signage to help direct new rocketeers to club launch sites. And I got a very good response from someone who pointed out that not all clubs want to grow.... that some clubs have had problems with members or the general public trampling a landlord's field or property without any consideration or respect.  This is a very good point, and one that I hadn't taken into consideration. Tenant-Landlord relations should be paramount in the equation, becaue if the club looses the field, the game is lost. But here's another idea to help promote the growth of the hobby and ensure the continuation of your section or hobby.  Sow the seeds for the future now. One thing that our club has fallen into is the gift kit. By this, I mean a very simple low power kit that can be used as an introductory sample at any launch. The idea is that if and when a family stops by, or a prospective member shows up at a launch, we ALWAYS try to ...

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues... I have talked before about my first visit to a club rocket launch, having spotted an announcement on the internet after doing a search for area clubs and groups.  Some of the listings indicated a group across state lines, that would be closer to me, but I never heard back from them...and I eventually heard that the club president was struggling with caring for his aged parents, and so had let the club slide. But that's not the point of this entry. I always make a point of saying how I was driving blind to a club launch, following directions on a well-marked state highway.  As I approached, I saw a contrail rising high in the bright blue October sky, but didn't recognize it as rocket exhaust (having never seen a rocket launch before)! Just as I rounded the dog-leg in the road, I spied to my left a plywood cut-out of a traditional 1950s sci-fi rocket propped up against a mailbox at a farmer's driveway.  I was almost past it when...