Using a press on a 3lb roket

[Roadapple]

I want to know, with a 3lb rocket, can I use a press at what lb pressure or should I ram it

[dagabu]

What kind of rocket?

 

If it is BP on a core burner, you will want at least 4000 LPI. I have had very good luck with high loading pressures on BP rockets, I use 9000 LPI on 3# rockets from the nozzle all the way to the delay portion. This makes for very hard grains.

 

I dont ram anything bigger then spolettes and super bottle rockets, I press everything else.

 

*LPI- Loading Pressure per Inch. Technically the same as PSI but the term is used to indicate an other then standard pressure. As Mumbles has indicated, especially with the Universal hybrid tooling, the area of the longest ram is considerably less then the flat rammer and the hydraulic pressure used can be significantly reduced in order to consolidate the mix but I choose to keep the LPI the same all the way through the motor. This is based solely on the unsubstantiated idea that the grain is much thinner at the base and needs a harder grain in order to resist cracking when under initial thrust pressure.

 

IMHO

Edited November 8, 2010 by dagabu

[Roadapple]

I tried 2000lbs but the tube broke through, evan with a pvc pipe around it, held tight with hose clamps. this is a core burner and I was using a homemade tube 1/4" walls.

[dagabu]

2000 PSI and it broke?

 

Here is the deal, If the piston of your actuator is 3" across and you have 2000 psi on the hydraulic gauge attached to the head pressure, you will get 18,000 PSI on a 3# rocket. I put 1000 PSI head pressure on 1" tooling for 9000 LPI on the motor.

 

Tell us how you have this arranged or better yet, post a picture cause something dont sound right here boys and girls!