Von Basses Bottle Rocket Headers

[Von Bass`]

Von Basses Rockets

 

Hi all

 

First off: Please don’t hurt yourself. Work slowly and carefully, be aware of others when using these - they can make quite a bang, and could easily scare an unsusepecting 90 year old.

 

 

Here is how I make my rockets, it’s probably different to a lot of you, and I’m sure a lot of you have better ways of doing it, but it works for me, and it may be useful to new members who want to know a different method of doing certain things. (e.g. the delay comp, or the header)

 

 

Any constructive criticism would be welcome I’m starting with a 12mm ID rocket body, the propellant is:

 

75 Black Powder

15 Charcoal

10 300 mesh atomised Al

 

It makes a nice orangey sparkly tail. The rocket is pressed using a bench vice, first a decent bentonite nozzle goes in, then 2g increments of propellants, then another bentonite plug.

 

Fairly basic rocket construction.

 

http://i8.tinypic.com/27xfhg7.jpg

 

I drill a 3mm hole through the bentonite and about 60 – 70% of the way into the rocket composition to create a core. Coring is where a long cylindrical hole is created throughout the length of the motor, passing through the nozzle and into the propellant.

 

http://i3.tinypic.com/27xfigw.jpg

 

In the top plug I drill a small hole, right in the corner of the clay plug; this will act so as to transfer fire from the rocket composition. Into this hole I either put a short length of visco, (1/16th”) or a slow burning Black Powder composition:

 

50% Black Powder

50% Charcoal

 

http://i6.tinypic.com/27xfktv.jpg

 

This is rammed into the hole, and into the recess left by the top nozzle. To the left is a picture of the delay already rammed in. Before I did that though, I put a slightly larger cardboard tube (home rolled on Kraft) over the rocket motor:

 

http://i7.tinypic.com/27xfnzd.jpg

 

Here are the two tubes side by side. To the right is the rocket motor, and to the right is the fuse that will be pushed over it.

 

 

 

Here is the rocket with the tube over it, creating a gap for the header to go in.

 

http://i4.tinypic.com/27xgmx2.jpg

 

Here is a terrible photo of the stars and Black Powder in the gap left by the tube. The stars are white stars, I cant remember the composition. They were arranged around the edge of the tube, and then the Black Powder poured around it. The entire thing was tapped to settle the Black Powder into the cracks. I also poked one more star into the middle for some reason. Next I took a ready made case (see if you can guess what it’s made out of )

 

http://i5.tinypic.com/27xgqc2.jpg

 

This mystery casing was then filled with stars (white and tiger tail) in no particular pattern – it means a terrible break, but to be honest, it’s a bit small for a nice break anyway, and it’s unspiked.

 

The casing was filled with Black Powder up to about 20mm away from the top.

 

Then, slits were cut and the header was attached to the body.

 

Two or three layers of craft later and we have the finished item

 

http://i1.tinypic.com/27xgyua.jpg

 

I’ll attach it to a stick when I’m going to fire it, and hopefully I’ll get a video of it firing, which I’ll upload for anyone who’s interested.

[itwasntme]

Hi, thats a good tutorial. How much pressure do you think that you are putting on the tube with the vice? I tried that and it didn't work very well.

Overall that was pretty good. I'd be interested in the video.

Ps, if you are using 100% bentonite clay with no additives in it(wax, oil, other crap) can I have a picture of the nozzle?

[pyrochris]

great tutorial, von they sell arbor presses for like 30$ on the net, i ordered one a little while ago and should receive it soon, their great for pressing rockets!

[Von Bass`]

thanks for the replies.

 

I think on my bench vice it has a maximum pressure of a tonne. (english)

 

Ill take a picture of the bentonite nozzle as soon as i can, I should be setting off a few rockets with my freinds tonight, so I'll get a picture of the nozzle.

[itwasntme]

thanks for the replies.

 

I think on my bench vice it has a maximum pressure of a tonne. (english)

 

Ill take a picture of the bentonite nozzle as soon as i can, I should be setting off a few rockets with my freinds tonight, so I'll get a picture of the nozzle.

Awesome, do you use a rubber mallet for extra power on the vice or a pipe?

[Von Bass`]

Awesome, do you use a rubber mallet for extra power on the vice or a pipe?

I always have a pipe around the rocket body to stop the tube distorting too much.

 

At the very end the vice wont go wide enough to fit both the nearly full tube and the rammer in, so I finish the plug off by hand with a mallet.

[itwasntme]

Awesome, do you use a rubber mallet for extra power on the vice or a pipe?

I always have a pipe around the rocket body to stop the tube distorting too much.

 

At the very end the vice wont go wide enough to fit both the nearly full tube and the rammer in, so I finish the plug off by hand with a mallet.

Oh, no I meant for the tube to be put on the vice handle for a longer handle.

[h0lx]

pyrochris, was it absolutely important to quote 3 screenfulls of text to reply with 2 lines?

[Von Bass`]

Oh, no I meant for the tube to be put on the vice handle for a longer handle.

Oh right sorry about that. No I don't, although its a good idea and i have a lot of pipe lieing around! Thanks!

[crazyboy25]

hi i know this thread has been dead for a while but i was wondering how much my rockets could lift. i am fairly new to rocketry and my rockets are 2-1/2" long with a 1/2" ID (small i know) i have two types whistle mix and black powder. the finished rocket weighs about 13 grams i recently made a rocket (whistle mix) with a 5-6 gram flash salute that i will test tomorrow but i was wondering how much it could lift thanks.

[mormanman]

Hey I'm interested so upload them videos please.