Trying to figure out what tooling to purchase next

[Uarbor]

Currently I am using Universal tooling for 1 lb rockets. I was thinking about getting an end burner set. Can you make whistle rockets on the end burner set and just leave off the nozzle? I am mainly thinking about an end burner because I want to send some Rockets up really high. But I'm not sure if they will lift much weight. Can I expect to lift a 3in shell to any real height on an end burner with black powder? And would it work with sali whistle propellant? I also thought this would be good to win to make fountains. Thanks in advance for any responses or experiences or opinions. Edited October 3, 2021 by Uarbor

[Guernica]

I'm curious about this very thing as well. I've been using Caleb's 5/8" cohete tooling (love it) and I have his 1 pound black rocket tooling literally in the mail as we speak (or write, I guess). But for my next purchase, I have the exact question you do about end burner tooling, because I too would like to send some rockets really damn high, but would prefer some payload capacity as well. Can't wait to hear what some of the experienced guys around here have to say....

[justvisiting]

You could make a very lazy whistle rocket on end burner tooling with sali fuel and no nozzle, but not one that goes very high or lifts much. Steve Laduke is now making whistle rockets with a nozzle on end burner tooling. His end burner spindles are very short. You could make whistle/BP hybrid propellant. Other toolmakers have longer spindles on their EB tooling, which might be a CATO issue if you try to use any whistle in your propellant. They make the spindle longer to provide a little 'zip' on take-off, which I like

 

An Estes D-12 motor can lift a 3" ball shell to a respectable height. Knowing that, I'd say a good 1lb end burner would do a similar job.

 

If you make an end burner motor too long, it gets too heavy to lift much, and it may burn through the tube before all the propellant has been used. Folks that make really long 1lb end burners often use a heavy-walled tube.

 

Depending on finances, you could get a 'universal' rocket tooling set that has spindles all the way from end burner to BP, but they are expensive. I think Woody sells those.

 

End burner tooling makes a small aperture in the nozzle, and is not really good for fountains.

 

With 1lb BP tooling, you can get a rocket to at least 700 feet with a 3" shell, but who wants to see a burst from so far away?

 

SLD makes a (1lb?) end burner rocket with 'chrysanthemum of mystery' above the thrust propellant, that draws a huge arc in the sky, way up there. A small salute of the same diameter as the tube is all it carries though. The rocket itself is the show. I haven't made one yet.

[Uarbor]

You could make a very lazy whistle rocket on end burner tooling with sali fuel and no nozzle, but not one that goes very high or lifts much. Steve Laduke is now making whistle rockets with a nozzle on end burner tooling. His end burner spindles are very short. You could make whistle/BP hybrid propellant. Other toolmakers have longer spindles on their EB tooling, which might be a CATO issue if you try to use any whistle in your propellant. They make the spindle longer to provide a little 'zip' on take-off, which I like

 

An Estes D-12 motor can lift a 3" ball shell to a respectable height. Knowing that, I'd say a good 1lb end burner would do a similar job.

 

If you make an end burner motor too long, it gets too heavy to lift much, and it may burn through the tube before all the propellant has been used. Folks that make really long 1lb end burners often use a heavy-walled tube.

 

Depending on finances, you could get a 'universal' rocket tooling set that has spindles all the way from end burner to BP, but they are expensive. I think Woody sells those.

 

End burner tooling makes a small aperture in the nozzle, and is not really good for fountains.

 

With 1lb BP tooling, you can get a rocket to at least 700 feet with a 3" shell, but who wants to see a burst from so far away?

 

SLD makes a (1lb?) end burner rocket with 'chrysanthemum of mystery' above the thrust propellant, that draws a huge arc in the sky, way up there. A small salute of the same diameter as the tube is all it carries though. The rocket itself is the show. I haven't made one yet.

thanks for the end burner info. I guess I will stick with my Universal tooling for now I already have the benzo whistle ingredients to make it work anyway for whistle. I just made two rockets this evening that I am extremely happy with. I used my nozzless fuel with a nozzle and put a 3in shell up around four hundred feet at least which was plenty to keep my slow-burning foul-up stars that I made by accident from hitting the ground still lit. They were Tiger Tail that I got too wet and it came up with the bright idea of just adding some charcoal. Now they will burn to the ground from 200 feet lol anyway they came out way too large they are almost 3/4 inch squares I probably only fit 20 stars in that 3 inch ball. I only use them if it has rained all day. This time I decided to add a obscene amount of 70/30 booster to see if I could break them up so they would burn faster. Workout rather spectacularly. I think I'm going to see what all I can accomplish with this fooling first before I make a decision. thanks for all the help

[Guernica]

Outstanding stuff, gentlemen. Congratulations on the recent successes Uarbor & thanks for posting that extraordinarily useful, yet concisely written, information justvisiting! I didn't realize I could conceivably get a 3" shell that high- now I'm extra damn excited for that tooling to arrive.