Rocket making

[50caliber]

hi guys. i bought some tubes a year ago off pyrotube and was wondering if i could use them as rockets with no payload?(they are 51mm long,9mm wide and have a 1/16th wall) ive been looking at this site http://www.pyroteknix.freespaces.com/skyrockets.htm and it seems like alot of work, is there an easyer way to make rockets? also someone might want to add this to the retailers list http://www.wolterpyrotools.com/

[Mephistos Minion]

Teknix way of making rockets (or the tooling for them) is pretty... unique.

 

The easiest way to make them is to get a tube (parrallel wound is best, for KNO3/Sugar you might get away with spiral). In this tube ram a clay plug at least one diametre thick. Then ram coposition in increments, so that each rammed increment is no more than one diametre thick. When you have filled your case, you should then ram one more clay increment, this final clay plug need not be as thick as the first. Ramming is done with a mallet or hammer, and is done hard, not so hard as to split your tube, but too loose and you will have a CATO.

 

Once the ramming is done, take a drill bit 1/4 the diametre of your tube and slowly twist it into the centre of the first plug. When you reach the powder, the next step depends on your proppellant.

 

For fast BP:

Stop when you reach the powder.

 

For Slower 6:3:1 BP or KNO3/Sugar etc:

Continue approx 7/10ths of the way into the grain.

 

When the drilling step is completed, you need to attatch a stick to the rocket for stabilizing. Your stick should be approximatly 3mm (~1/8") square or round. When it is attatched to the motor (By tape or hot glue) the rocket should counterweight the stick when pivoted one inch behind the nozzel.

 

There is a VERY basic guide to rockets.

[ewest]

Wolter Pyro Tools is on the supplier reviews, he's on Page 2 of the reviews (yes, there's a page 2, I missed it at first also).

 

As for the tubes, are they Parallel or Spiral wound?

 

And the easiest way to make a rocket is buy a Estes model rocket engine and tape a stick to it, but that's no fun at all, no sir, no fun at all I say.

[teknix]

Yeah that was the way I used to make rockets a long while ago. It took some time and was a little tricky. I wrote up a small report since then trying to come up with the easiest way to make a rocket as I could. It requires very little tooling and materials and very little time to build from start to finish. It might help you. http://pyroteknix.freepgs.com/

[itwasntme]

Yeah that was the way I used to make rockets a long while ago. It took some time and was a little tricky. I wrote up a small report since then trying to come up with the easiest way to make a rocket as I could. It requires very little tooling and materials and very little time to build from start to finish. It might help you. http://pyroteknix.freepgs.com/

Why did you use water putty with sugar based propellents? It is very hydroscopic and the water putty has water in it(duh!). I think that it would be a LOT easier to use kitty litter or bentonite than water putty.

[50caliber]

The tubes are spiral and 2 inches long, i thought if you wanted a fast rocket you would drill the hole almost all the way through the rocket or would that only work with a fast burning fuse? how thick should the nozzle clay plug be? what can i use as clay, ive used clay from other fireworks but when i drill into it and it crumbles, is kitty litter better if i dont have clay? Thanks for the help guys

[pa_pyro]

Cat litter makes awesome clay nozzles if it is finely milled/coffee grinded. I actually find coffee grinding better, it doesn't clump up and it reduces it to a fine powder fairly quickly.

[teknix]

Yeah that was the way I used to make rockets a long while ago. It took some time and was a little tricky. I wrote up a small report since then trying to come up with the easiest way to make a rocket as I could. It requires very little tooling and materials and very little time to build from start to finish. It might help you. http://pyroteknix.freepgs.com/

Why did you use water putty with sugar based propellents? It is very hydroscopic and the water putty has water in it(duh!). I think that it would be a LOT easier to use kitty litter or bentonite than water putty.

I used it from the idea used by Teleflite co. and David Sleeter. He had a report called "incredible 5 cent sugar rocket". The water putty doesnt matter for the nozzel because it is dry before you even ram the propellant in. But the water putty is a pain in the ass to wait a day or 2 for it to dry. I use kitty litter now in my newer method and reports because it is easier and faster and you don't have to wait for it to dry.

 

Oh and just for reference it isn't "hydroscopic" it is "hygroscopic"...I kept saying that as well until someone on this forum pointed it out to me one day. I would think hydro would make more sense but yeah I looked it up and was wrong lol.

[ewest]

If you buy Tidy Cat Scoopable litter or any of the clumping litters that are out there, it's already about the size of 2F BP so you actually don't need to coffee grind it or anything. I just spoon it into the tube and ram it, works like a charm.

 

The nozzle should be at least as thick as the ID of the tube. I usually make mine a little thicker just to be safe. Also, the Spiral wound tube might, MIGHT, be ok for that size rocket (I doubt it, but I've never made one that small). You're going to need to get Parallel Wound (Convolute) tubes more than likely

[itwasntme]

Yeah that was the way I used to make rockets a long while ago. It took some time and was a little tricky. I wrote up a small report since then trying to come up with the easiest way to make a rocket as I could. It requires very little tooling and materials and very little time to build from start to finish. It might help you. http://pyroteknix.freepgs.com/

Why did you use water putty with sugar based propellents? It is very hydroscopic and the water putty has water in it(duh!). I think that it would be a LOT easier to use kitty litter or bentonite than water putty.

I used it from the idea used by Teleflite co. and David Sleeter. He had a report called "incredible 5 cent sugar rocket". The water putty doesnt matter for the nozzel because it is dry before you even ram the propellant in. But the water putty is a pain in the ass to wait a day or 2 for it to dry. I use kitty litter now in my newer method and reports because it is easier and faster and you don't have to wait for it to dry.

 

Oh and just for reference it isn't "hydroscopic" it is "hygroscopic"...I kept saying that as well until someone on this forum pointed it out to me one day. I would think hydro would make more sense but yeah I looked it up and was wrong lol.

Oh, ok. It is very annoying to wait for to dry used to use it before I got my bentonite. Also, how did you drill that hole in the dowel for the rammer so straight? I used a drill and a vice and was very crooked Did you use a drill press or lathe?

thanks for the pointer on hygroscopic!

[50caliber]

ok i might try get some kitty litter, im not sure if i can get Tidy Cat Scoopable litter but ill look for it or something similar. Ive been researching compositions also, i found a %67.1 zinc and %32.9 sulfur one thats produces alot of smoke and is fast so i might try this one if i can get the cemicals soon. i might have to make rocket tools with a lathe, i have about 100 tubes so i might as well use them.

[Mumbles]

Just to save you some time, Zn/S is a shit propellant if you want fast. It's very heavy, and has a low impulse. If you're going to use a lathe, make a proper set of tooling. In the BP Rocket thread in the rocketry section, I do believe there are proportions within the first few posts.

[50caliber]

hi, yea ive got a lathe at home and just need some aluminium rod. im thinking of making a magnum rocket tool kit. ive heard 74.5% KNO3 and 25.5% suger is a good propellant or is that just another composition for smoke

[Mephistos Minion]

Fuck Al, use brass or stainless steel.

[50caliber]

yea i was just gona use steel, i no its very unlikly it will spark. im just wondering how long i should make the fuse bit on the tooling. the rocket tubes are 2inches

[teknix]

Oh, ok. It is very annoying to wait for to dry used to use it before I got my bentonite. Also, how did you drill that hole in the dowel for the rammer so straight? I used a drill and a vice and was very crooked Did you use a drill press or lathe?

thanks for the pointer on hygroscopic!

I just drilled the hole with a hand drill. haha Yeah it is tricky to do. Took me about 2 or 3 tries before I got it straight. If I messed it up I just cut off that chunk and tried it again. Thank God you only have to make 1 rammer!

[itwasntme]

hi, yea ive got a lathe at home and just need some aluminium rod. im thinking of making a magnum rocket tool kit. ive heard 74.5% KNO3 and 25.5% suger is a good propellant or is that just another composition for smoke

I find that adding a little bit of sulfur(10%) to it makes much more gasses and makes a better propellent. It also smells good! if you like that smell.

[50caliber]

QUOTE (50caliber @ Oct 4 2006, 06:41 PM)

hi, yea ive got a lathe at home and just need some aluminium rod. im thinking of making a magnum rocket tool kit. ive heard 74.5% KNO3 and 25.5% suger is a good propellant or is that just another composition for smoke

 

I find that adding a little bit of sulfur(10%) to it makes much more gasses and makes a better propellent. It also smells good! if you like that smell.

 

 

oh yea i want heaps of smoke. so would i use about 70% KNO3, 20% Sugar and 10% Sulfur? Thanks

[rocket]

I would think that a better propellant would be:

KNO3: 63%

Sugar: 27%

Sulfur: 10%

[50caliber]

yea thats what i thought. ill give it a try when i get some KNO3. Thanks