[BProckets] homemade rocket body material sources and techniques

[Mike]

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dan Durachko 
  To: bprockets at amateurrocketry.com 
  Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004 10:03 AM
  Subject: [BProckets] homemade rocket body material sources and techniques


  All:



  I haven't actually built a rocket in over twenty years and have just recently zeroed in on my first BP engine a la Sleeter's book.  In anticipation of getting the book I'd been savings all sorts of tubes and have a box of balsa sheeting scraps for fins from my other hobby pursuits.  Also, I've only built Estes kits as a youth.



  Questions:



  1)       What are good web or book resources for constructing rocket bodies?



  I just use shipping tubes, there cheap and fairly light.



  2)       At what point need I be concerned about high g forces on launch shredding my rockets and is this ultimately an empirical determination?



  I use 1/8" balsa with a G-75 with no problems.





  3)       What techniques are used to prep paper/cardboard tubes for final painting?  (Some of my salvaged tubes have rather unattractive grooves in them due to their spiral wound nature.  I may wish to fill them in and paint over them sometime.)

  I fill the grooves with elmers wood filler, let dry and sand, then I give several coats of sanding sealer to the tube, makes it very tough.



  4)       What are the currently favored types of wadding to protect the chute, etc.?



  Biodegradeble blow in isulation, available at home depot.



  5)       What are some sources of nosecones?  (I'll ultimately make some on my own from balsa and fiberglass and things like those eggs pantyhose come in but assume there are lots of sources I haven't yet thought of.)



  I use styrofoam turned on the lathe and either fiberglassed or several coats of epoxy to make it a little more durable.



  6)       Is there a quick and dirty way to calculate how much delay I should build into my engines for a particular design so that I don't pop the chute WAY too early or WAY too late?

  7)       Feel free to chime in with any other guidelines you may think I should be made aware of.  (Shock cord info, fin geometry, etc.)

  8)       Oh yeah, I remember seeing some stuff awhile back about guys stripping down and hacking into digital disposable cameras for high altitude stills.  Any cutting edge references to that sort of aerial photography would be much appreciated as well.


  I hacked an APS camera and fitted it into a rocket, its at my yahoo group bprockets.


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