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What is the easiest/safest way to make whistle mix fuel?


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Posted (edited)

Great info! My german brother inlaw is a machinist and advised me that polishing is key to keep anything from sticking to metals and recommends taking fine steel wool to keep it polished.

You'll find that if you rub a block of wax on your spindle before you use it, nothing will stick to it... Regardless if it's polished or not.

 

It's the best (and easiest) solution I've found for removing motors. Try it once, and you'll swear by it. Doesn't even have to be perfect, just rub it up and down a few times.

 

 

"just rub it up and down a few times"

 

That actually works on many things... :P

Edited by ddewees
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Posted
Eggcellent! Going to definately do that. Thanks!
Posted

For the finest polish I don't think steel wool is what you want. Even the finest steelwool is still an order of magnitude or so coarser than you'd like. Most people use polishing compounds to get that mirror-like sheen. Mothers Mag polish is a favorite of Steve LaDuke.

 

Great info! My german brother inlaw is a machinist and advised me that polishing is key to keep anything from sticking to metals and recommends taking fine steel wool to keep it polished.

  • Like 1
Posted
thanks, sounds totally logically, from you guys, tis settled that I must fill in the micro metal pours on spindle and formulas are less like to stick (grab traction or press fuel in pours). i told my brother inlaw (metal man) this and he says correct, polish. He didnt know what i was using this metal for and takes back the use of just ultra fine steel wool unless i dropped scratched it, removing burs, cracks or something stuck to it. cleaning and polishing is key.
Posted

ddwees, forgot to ask you if that above picture is a 4" ID whistle rocket or is that a tiny soda can from your daughter's barbie play house, lol j/k.

 

in seriousness, omg thats a big whistle rocket. Nicely done mate!

Posted (edited)

It's a 3 inch, and (unfortunately) underwent Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly... :(

 

I've only been able to get black powder rockets to work in that size.

 

Whistle is a tricky animal.

Edited by ddewees
Posted

I always just screen everything together through 80#. First everything separate through 120#. Catalyst together with KClO4, then the Kbenzo. This way easy to see if it's homogenous, no messy stuff and good mixing.

 

After that melt the vaseline (remove from heating), add thinner (20% by weight roughly, mostly do this outside), homogenize and add mixed whistle powder.

Mix again by hand, and granulate through 10-20#. Done in 30-60 min for 1 kg.

Posted (edited)

That formula is very forgiving and considered mild on a "hot" scale. But works really well on black powder tooling. It has exceptional sound too, if your perchlorate is of decent quality.

 

[snipped picture of an impressively massive whistle]

Oh my goodness. That's a ginormous whistle. Do you have any video of it being fired?

 

EDIT: Ah, I didn't read further into the replies before posting that. Still, did you video the disassembly? Bet it was impressive...

Edited by MondoMage
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