Spanish style salute rocket

[PyroGround]

When I started with this hobby, one of the first objecives was the creation of a salute rocket, with the appearance of traditional rockets of my zone (north of Spain). The most difficult part of the process was to make the nosecone form cardboard header, due to the lack of machinery and experience I had in that moment. Finally, with a sharpened wood dowel, a small funnel and a bit of imagination, I got the desired results.

In this case, I show you a rocket that I did for Christmas, based on the model of Pirotecnia Astariz (Lugo, Spain). This type of rockets are used in "La Descarga" of Cangas del Narcea, also in Spain.

 

Main characteristics:

-15 mm modified Core Burner motor (15*100 mm tube)

-BP as fuel with the 75/15/10 ratio

-10 grams of flash powder

-90 cm bamboo stick

- Blackmatch for the ignition

 

Here you have some photos of the process:

 

This is the comercial model I took as example.

 

Here is the nosecone header i did (I still have to improve them:lol: )

 

This is my tooling. I bought a year ago to an italian guy. The design is mine, inspired on the mexican rocket toolings. I use a hammer to press the fuel (an Arbor press is one of my future inversions). I use the 75/15/10 ratio, ballmilled for 2 hours.

 

The motor is ready. As you can see, it has a huge throat. However, is a powerfull motor.

 

Then I prepared 10 grams of flash. I use the 60/30/10 ratio of KNO3/Mg/S respectively. I finally obtained 11,5 grams of flash.

 

 

Now I have to insert the motor into the header. I first wrap some masking tape on the upper part of the motor to make it thicker, in order to avoid any possible leakage. I put a bit of wood glue around the masking tape, and I push the motor inside the header until the tape part has been inserted completely.

 

 

Here is how it looks once it´s finished. As you can see, I added a bit of box tape to the motor-header joint, just like the comercial model. To attach the stick with the rocket, I also used masking tape. I finally inserted the blackmatch and a small cotton ball to avoid the blackmatch falling.

 

 

Here I put a pair of testing videos:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMUjFopAfbA (motor testing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCzDoHimVNU (rocket testing)

Edited July 10, 2020 by PyroGround

[Bourbon]

Nice rocket! Satisfying to watch your creation every time. Never gets old.

 

I have only made around 50 rockets or so and only 5 failures right at start, the rest perfect and consistent. I'm still not brave enough to hold them and and honestly never will. <--weenie--->. As a mechanic I need my hands and eyes. My very first Cato told me they wouldn't survive. lol

[PyroGround]

Nice rocket! Satisfying to watch your creation every time. Never gets old.

 

I have only made around 50 rockets or so and only 5 failures right at start, the rest perfect and consistent. I'm still not brave enough to hold them and and honestly never will. <--weenie--->. As a mechanic I need my hands and eyes. My very first Cato told me they wouldn't survive. lol

Thanks! I also had some catos when I started with a homemade tooling. Since I bought this one, I have not had any cato.

P.D.: in the video I'm not throwing throwing the rocket directly from my hand haha, I use a hand launcher to protect myself. You never know when a cato will come. Anyway, I only use it to throw color and small salute rockets (I need my hands and eyes too hahaha).

[Blackmach]

Buen trabajo amigo, mas gente de la tierra por el foro. Saludos!

[SeaMonkey]

Translation:

 

Good job, buddy, more people from the earth by the forum. Best regards!

 

or

 

Good job, friend, more people from the land around the forum. Regards!

[a_bab]

Really nice project; always wondered how the original ones are made.
And I'm glad they are 100% ecological.

[goldwingnut54]

Beautiful job!

 

I havent built rockets for at least 30 years, but Ive got The Itch pretty bad! I never made more than about 4 or 5 good ones in a row, without a Cato. It was a bit discouraging, but I didnt have a good forum like this one, or Ned Gorsky to advise me.

 

I want to restart my rocketry craft with safer procedures, and of course, the safest comps I can manage.

Edited July 14, 2020 by goldwingnut54

[dagabu]

PyroGround, very nice looking rockets!

 

We have been doing something similar at PGI the past few years and we will do it again in August at a friends ranch. We just call them "Cohetes", made in a fashion after La Descarga of Cangas del Narcea using directions from one of the clubs presidents and the nozzleless design tooling designed by Ned Gorski and fabricated by Caleb of Woodysrocks.com.

 

Here are three of the Cohetes with simple reports, the sticks are tied on with tarred string, no glue. We launched 150 of them that evening, they lit each other off and all the rockets were off the pad in about 2 seconds!

 

[PyroGround]

PyroGround, very nice looking rockets!

 

We have been doing something similar at PGI the past few years and we will do it again in August at a friends ranch. We just call them "Cohetes", made in a fashion after La Descarga of Cangas del Narcea using directions from one of the clubs presidents and the nozzleless design tooling designed by Ned Gorski and fabricated by Caleb of Woodysrocks.com.

 

Here are three of the Cohetes with simple reports, the sticks are tied on with tarred string, no glue. We launched 150 of them that evening, they lit each other off and all the rockets were off the pad in about 2 seconds!

 

Thank you very much Dagabu! Your rockets look very good too. It's interesting to know how people from other countries start to investigate the pyro-traditions for all over the world. If you're doing another Descarga this year, the next step should be making "Barrenos", bigger rockets placed on the final zone of the Maquina, to create a final thunder! Hahaha

 

Here you have a video, but I'm sure you have seen it yet.

 

https://youtu.be/RicXCNJYn2s

[dagabu]

LOVE the video, thank you!

 

Regretfully, we cannot hand light the rockets, we gang light them as in this video:

 

https://youtu.be/_QINtvxfd2U?t=16

[royster]

After watching the video PyroGround posted i couldnt help thinking about the "cool guys dont look at explosions" song.

 

Nice rockets

Edited August 28, 2020 by royster

[davidh]

LOVE the video, thank you!

 

Regretfully, we cannot hand light the rockets, we gang light them as in this video:

 

https://youtu.be/_QINtvxfd2U?t=16

When you expect permission will not be forthcoming, prepare to seek forgiveness instead.

 

It's always fun when the safety people have never seen it before first hand. I suspect some require fresh underwear.

[dagabu]

[PyroGround]

That looks amazing Dagabu! Did you use Caleb's cohete tooling?

I see that you made some Barrenos too... I prefer using cylindrical headers for salute rockets, like the small ones. Anyway, they look great.

How many grams of flash did you use for this two types of rockets?

Is there any video of this descarga?

Edited August 31, 2020 by PyroGround

[dagabu]

Si, there is video of the descarga but the algorithm here isn't playing nice. I'll see if I can move it to VEMO.

 

Yes, I had Caleb make the tooling for the Cohetes about 4 years back, he then sold them to many others as part of his catalog. I have 3/4" sets as well, I dont think he stocks those.

[BetICouldMake1]

He does stock the 3/4" size and a 1", it's just called the eco tooling. Those spindles are the cohete spindle scaled to different sizes. The 3/4" one is great. Makes awesome whistles and strobes as well.